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firsthand just a sliver of the work that
around, I wandered off for a moment
goes into taking care of the Jewish
through the doors of the chapel,
community, in Detroit and
which, amid all the changes,
LEFT:
around the world. I knew
looked exactly how I’d last
Emily Stillman.
from previous experience
seen it.
ABOVE: Working in
that nonprofit profession-
And then I began to
rotation through
als often wear many hats.
remember.
I remember
Federation depart-
It’s not unlikely to be in a
myself
in
eighth
grade, sit-
ments, Emily meets
meeting with an important
ting
at
morning
minyan
in the
with campaign
executive director one
purple chapel. I remember
staffer Jessica
hour and settings tables
why I cared in the first place.
Goodwin to discuss
for an event the next. At
Federation’s Annual When I say I care about
Federation, for example,
social justice, what I mean
Campaign push for
preparation for the summer the month of August. is that I want to repair the
phonathon ranged from
world, tikkun olam. I remem-
intense campaign strategy meetings
ber why I’m willing to bare my soul
to heated debates over which kosher to defend my faith and why Hebrew
caterer to hire for dinner. My supervi-
words sound like music to me. When
sor, Jessica Goodwin, often stresses
I visited Jerusalem three months ago,
to me this very fact: the multifaceted,
I could not explain why I was crying. I
do-it-all spirit of the Jewish commu-
hadn’t realized I was missing home.
nal professional.
And much to my surprise …
I hadn’t realized until I was thrown
Home has surprises at every turn:
back into a Jewish value-based set-
In the language of Jewish commu-
ting that I had been missing this
nal work that I’m decoding, in the
spirit. It’s not really about the strategic people I’ve met whose paths have
meetings or the dinner menu. It’s not
taken them around the world and
only about raising money or spend-
back here. I’ve seen different facets
ing it. When your job is to fundraise,
of our community come to life, be it
it’s important to ask yourself for
at a barbecue at JARC, Shabbat at
what. When your career, or summer
Tamarack Camps or an afternoon at
internship for that matter, is to build
Fleischman Senior Residence. And
a vibrant Jewish future, it’s essential
so when I ask for dollars, that’s why.
to ask yourself why. Why do we do
When I say I’m from here, what I
this? Why does it matter?
mean to say is thank you.
When I asked myself these ques-
Every asset I can bring to a new
tions, I began to notice how sepa-
environment, from planning a fund-
rated I became in college from my
raiser to gaining confidence to ask
Jewish self. I’ve spent a lot of time
a question, has been strengthened
questioning my identity and try-
by my internship at Federation. What
ing to align my aspirations toward
I was missing last year, as I craved
somehow improving the world. But
to be somewhere different, was an
despite my soul searching, I’d failed
understanding of why, in a complicat-
to recognize the fundamental impor-
ed, enormous world, I am so proud
tance of my Jewish education, my
to be from here and so proud to be
parents’ efforts to bring Judaism
Jewish.
into our home, and the Jewish com-
Sure, I could have walked away
munity that gives and gives without
from many jobs with the breadth
missing a beat.
of professional experience I gained
This summer has been an exercise
through JOIN. But what I would have
in answering these questions. In find- missed, though, was a better under-
ing out why we ask and why we give. standing and appreciation of where I
In understanding what we are work-
come from. As it turns out, I’m also
ing for. Along the way, I’ve started to
starting to understand and appreciate
peel back layers I’ve built up around
myself. It has been the greatest privi-
my Jewish identity. My second week
lege to give back just a tiny bit to my
of work, I staffed a program at Hillel
mighty little corner of the world.
Day School. I’d hardly set foot in
What a blessing it’s been to be “too
the building since I graduated six
close” to home. @
years ago, and the entire school has
This essay first appeared on myjewishdetroit.org.
been recently renovated. As I looked

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