moments

Matchmaker,
Matchmaker

MARISA MEYERSON
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

NJP

(Nice Jewish Person)

Celena Ritchey

Each month, The Well
highlights an amazing (and
eligible!) individual. The Well
has agreed to share its
Q & As with these amazing
singles with the JN.

This month, The Well
has a conversation with
NJP Celena Ritchey.

54

December 6 • 2018

jn

Q

: You spend your days as
a Repair the World Fellow
in Detroit. How did you
discover RTW and what about
the organization interested you?
CR: I found out about Repair the
World when I staffed a trip with my
summer camp, Camp Wise in Ohio,
a few years ago. We brought our
15-year-old campers to Detroit and
volunteered with Repair the World
because we had a camp alum who
was serving as a fellow at the time.
I was interested in the organization
because it combined my desire to do
a service year after college and had
a foundation in Jewish values.
Q: You can be a Repair fellow
in lots of places. What called you
to Detroit?

CR: Before I accepted my
fellowship position, I drove up to
Detroit with my best friend Grace
in June to check out the city. We
explored, ate and spent the night at
a local hostel. I’m originally from
Cleveland, and I have a deep love
for the Midwest, the friendliness of
people and the grit it takes to live
somewhere that is cold half the year.
After that trip, I just had a feeling
that Detroit was going to be home
for me.
Q: You’re a graduate of the
Ohio State University. What did
you study and what led you down
that path?
CR: I studied environment and
natural resources. I love learning
about the environment and hope I
can continue to be able to share my
passion with others.
Q: How was Jewish life at OSU?
CR: I transferred to OSU, and
without my Jewish friends from
summer camp and Cleveland, I
would have really struggled! They
helped turn OSU into my home. I
have so many fun memories with
them all from game days, date
parties and kayaking adventures.
Last fall, we had a big tailgate at my
house and there were 20+ people I
grew up going to or working with at
camp; and I just felt like, yup, these
are my people.
Q: What’s your favorite book
and what about it moves you?
CR: So hard to choose, but I
love novels. I just finished reading
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely
Fine by Gail Honeyman about five
minutes ago. I bought it for my
flight back from The Well’s Houston
service trip and have not been able
to put it down since.
Q: Where would you most
like to travel to that you haven’t
visited?
CR: I got to do some amazing
international traveling the past
couple of years, so this year I want
to focus on exploring things in
my backyard, so to speak. I have
been reading that you can see
the Northern Lights in the Upper
Peninsula, so I hope I have the
chance to check out that part of
Michigan soon!
Q: How do you like to give back
to the community/others?
CR: I feel very fortunate that my

current job is doing service work
and engaging others to volunteer
throughout the Detroit community.
A hobby I developed over the
summer is gardening, and I love
that through my fellowship I can get
my hands dirty and produce food
for others!
Q: What’s your favorite Jewish
holiday and why?
CR: Passover. I love reading
the story and, of course, all the
wine! We have this tradition at my
granny’s house that we all bite a
piece of matzah into the shape of a
circle and put it on the arch above
her kitchen doorway as a sign of
good luck until the next year. Does
anyone else do that? Let me know …
Q: Fav Jewish food?
CR: Bissli and Bamba!
Q: Who is the coolest Jew?
CR: Andy Cohen, hands down.
Q: What accomplishment are
you most proud of ?
CR: Graduating from Ohio State
this spring definitely made me
really proud of myself but also very
humble because I would not have
made it to graduation day without
support from other people. Walking
into the Shoe and actually seeing
my family up in the stands all
wearing flower leis and waving is
a sense of shared joy I could never
hope to replicate.
Q: Would you rather win
an Olympic medal ( for what
sport?), an Academy Award (in
what category?) or Nobel Prize
(in what)?
CR: Academy Award, Best
Supporting Actress. “I don’t wanna
say Best Supporting Actress,
but you’re really supportive of
everyone.” — my best friend, Bess.
Q: How about a fun fact?
CR: I was on an American
Greetings Christmas card holding a
cup of hot cocoa when I was 5. My
mom and dad still have a bunch of
copies.
Q: Best movie ever made,
hands down?
CR: Finding Nemo. It’s a great
reminder that love knows no
bounds. ■

Read more at meetyouatthewell.org. Want
to meet Celena? Email Rabbi Dan Horwitz
at dan@meetyouatthewell.org for an
introduction.

