What Our Community Asked For — And What We’re Building Together

What should a Jewish Federation do when it is building — or rebuilding — a Jewish community organization from the ground up?

Listen.

Not assume. Not decide behind closed doors. Not simply reproduce programs that worked somewhere else.

Listen to the people we hope to serve, and then act on what they tell us.

That is the approach we are taking at the Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake.

Our Federation is new, but the Jewish community in Annapolis and throughout the Chesapeake region is not. As anyone can see from our community directory, it includes wonderful synagogues, Jewish organizations, military families, young families, longtime residents, newcomers, people who are deeply affiliated and people who are searching for a connection to Jewish life. We are trying to build a Federation that helps all of those pieces become a stronger community.

Recently, we held an online community vision session with dozens of Jewish community leaders and members. We also conducted a Community Vision Survey, receiving dozens of responses. The results gave us something invaluable: a clearer picture of what people want from their Federation. The message was remarkably consistent.

People want Jewish life that is welcoming, interesting, relevant and accessible. They want us to bring people together. They want us to fight antisemitism and make our community safer. They want advocacy. They want cultural experiences, social opportunities and ways for people of different generations and backgrounds to connect. They are also willing to step up and volunteer themselves.

In the survey, 83.9% identified fighting antisemitism as a priority for the next two to three years. 58.1% selected Jewish cultural events, 54.8% selected government advocacy, and 41.9% selected community security and safety. Jewish learning and education also ranked highly.

The survey also told us that there isn’t one “Jewish community” demographic we should focus on. Half of respondents identified unaffiliated Jews as a group where there are gaps or opportunities, and another half identified young adults in their 20s and 30s. Older adults and seniors, young families and teens also emerged as important groups to serve.

That matters.

A Federation should not be only for people who already know exactly where they fit in Jewish life. It should help people find their place.

One respondent imagined the Federation becoming known for being a “Proud, United, Well Known Local Jewish Organization That Stands Against Antisemitism.” Another wrote simply, “Building a robust Jewish community.” Someone else said they wanted us to be known for “Bringing the community together and increasing awareness of Jewish issues in the region.”

Those aren’t just aspirations. They are instructions.

So we are trying to translate them into action.

If people want connection, let’s create connection.

One of our goals is to create experiences that are Jewish, local and fun — without requiring someone to already belong to an organization to participate.

That is why we are promoting a Jewish Heritage Day at the Baysox baseball game. Baseball may not sound like a traditional Federation program, but that is precisely the point. Jewish community can happen in a synagogue, a classroom or a meeting with an elected official — and it can also happen together in a ballpark, cheering for a team and meeting other Jewish families.

The survey told us that people want teen programming, and our community has also told us that young people need opportunities to develop their own connections to Jewish life. Thus, we one upcoming program will bring teens together for a day with Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, giving them an opportunity to learn about government, advocacy and civic engagement firsthand. We will also join in a program for teens to join state legislators for a Jewish legislative shadow day.

Sometimes people want to learn about Jewish history by walking through their own city.

Our first Jewish walking tour of Annapolis sold out in less than 24 hours.

That response was a powerful reminder that people are hungry to discover the Jewish history that exists right here around us.

Annapolis is known for its colonial history, its State House, its waterfront and its maritime heritage. But Jewish people have also been part of the story of this city and region for hundreds of years. Thus, we have already added three more dates for the tour which is led by Joan Pinsky.

And people want their Federation to have a voice.

The survey showed strong interest in advocacy and government engagement. More than half of respondents selected advocacy and government relations as a way they would like the Federation to focus its work, and 62.1% said they wanted to participate in fighting antisemitism.

We are taking that seriously.

Earlier this year, our community participated in Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day, meeting with elected officials and discussing priorities including security and fighting antisemitism. We worked with multiple partners to help pass critical legislation to help fight antisemitism. More recently we visited with Governor Moore and dozens of other leaders. Look for a separate article on that soon.

We are also continuing our nonpartisan civic engagement. Our 2026 Anne Arundel County primary election voter guide asked candidates for County Executive identical questions about issues important to Jewish residents, including antisemitism, hate, public safety and community relations. With the general election ahead, we are now adding a candidate questionnaire for candidates for Anne Arundel County Council. We are nonpartisan and do not endorse or rate candidates. Our job is to give voters useful information and encourage participation in our democracy.

And we will continue advocating for security resources for Jewish institutions and community members.

That work is not optional.

People should be able to attend a synagogue, send their children to Jewish programs, gather for holidays or participate in community events without feeling that their Jewish identity makes them a target.

Our Federation’s mission is to build a Jewish community that is safe, caring, inclusive and engaged — while combating antisemitism, strengthening Jewish life and connecting people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

The survey made clear that safety is a central concern. But it also made something else clear: we don’t want fear to define Jewish life.
We want Jewish life to be vibrant.

We want people to meet one another.

We want teenagers to make Jewish friends. We want young adults to find community. We want older adults to have opportunities to connect. We want unaffiliated Jews to know there is a place for them. We want people of different denominations and backgrounds to feel welcome. We want Jewish history to be celebrated. We want learning, culture, advocacy, service and yes, baseball.

And we want people to know that they can help shape what comes next.

One survey respondent wrote that they hoped, five years from now, the Federation would be known for “Making a difference and bringing the community together.” Another hoped that through our efforts we would have “a strong and vibrant Jewish community.” And another envisioned “huge numbers of Jewish people in the catchment area coming ‘out of the woodwork’ to be engaged with each other and their Judaism.”

That is the opportunity before us.

The Federation doesn’t have to invent Jewish life in Annapolis and the Chesapeake. There is already tremendous Jewish life here. Our job is to connect it, strengthen it, fill gaps, create new opportunities and make sure more people can find their way into it.

We are also learning how people want to participate. Fully 87.1% of survey respondents said they preferred hybrid programs — in person with a Zoom option — rather than only in-person or only online programs. Weeknight programs and Sunday mornings were among the strongest preferred times.

That tells us something important about modern Jewish community: accessibility and flexibility aren’t extras. They are part of good community building.

We will keep listening.

We will keep experimenting.

We will keep asking whether what we are doing is actually what people want.

And then — as quickly as we can — we will try to deliver.

The Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake is not being built for the community by a handful of people. Led completely by volunteers, it is being built with the community.

That distinction matters.

Our hope is that five years from now, when someone asks what the Federation has accomplished, the answer won’t simply be a list of programs or advocacy victories.
It will be: We built a stronger Jewish community together.

And then, hopefully, we’ll head out to the ballpark and celebrate.