Meet Sam: Eclectic Jew of the Week

by Allison Friedman / December 19, 2018

Allie: How did you wind up living in DC?

Sam: In 2014, I got a job after I graduated to be a paralegal at a law firm in DC. I end up not loving that job, but it led me to staying in this city. I later switched to the job I have now, at Americans United for Separation of Church & State (AU) which I love.

Allie: Why do you think it’s so important to separate church and state?

Sam: Separating church and state lets you live your life according to your personal beliefs. It allows you to pursue the health care you want, the education you want, and to practice whatever religion you believe in without the government telling you what to do. As a Jewish person, separating church and state lets me live my life without feeling like an outsider. It might seem natural that our religious views wouldn’t be the law, but many Americans don’t see it that way.

Allie: If you could invite 3 living celebrities to your Shabbat dinner table, who would they be?

Sam: Michelle Obama, Issa Rae- I love her right now- and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Allie: What’s your favorite Jewish holiday and how do you celebrate?

Sam: Well, I really like carbs, so Passover doesn’t work. I’ll say Rosh Hashanah. The food options are really excellent, and my family has a big dinner.

Allie: What’s at the top of your life bucket list?

Sam: I’d love to go to Japan, Ireland, and the UK. I’m a bit of an Anglophile and love British TV. I’d also like to run a 10K, and be able to hold a yoga handstands for longer than 30 seconds. Oh, I’d also love to bake a wedding cake for someone.

Allie: Wow! You’ve got quite a range of passions. Tell me more about your love of baking?

Sam: I love to bake. I make cakes, pies, cookies, and I’m just getting into bread. It’s very relaxing for me; it’s the perfect thing to do at the end of the week to shut the world off. I turn on a podcast, and bake something challenging. I recently made these red velvet cookie bars with cream cheese frosting that were amazing. My boyfriend’s dad has requested lemon cookies, but I don’t like lemon. I’m trying to find a way to make some that I can also enjoy.

Where do you get your recipes from?

Sam: My grandma and mom. My mom is an amazing baker.

Allie: Besides baking, what are your favorite ways to relax?

Sam: I love yoga. I’ve tried every studio. I would recommend Yoga District which has studios all around the city, and Edge Yoga which is a tiny studio that is the best in the world. I also like really trashy, horrible reality TV like Love Island and Made in Chelsea. I also love Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, and I’m watching Killing Eve right now which is amazing.

Allie: Complete this sentence. When Jews of DC Gather…

Sam: They argue, but in a friendly way.

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