The GatherDC blog strives to present a holistic portrait of the DMV’s Jewish community, sharing a wide variety of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have a 20- or 30-something to nominate as our Jewish Person of the Week or for a Spotted in Jewish DMV feature, please email us!
Aaron and I meet one summer afternoon at La Colombe for iced coffee and a wonderful conversation about his work at Sixth & I, how the “accepting and inclusive” Jewish DMV community has helped him discover himself, meeting celebrities and staying professional, and finding a personal Judaism that is “really meaningful to me.” Read on and enjoy!
Samuel: What brought you to the DMV?
Aaron: I went to American University and graduated in 2020 with a degree in public relations and a minor in marketing. I stayed in DC after college to pursue a career in communications and eventually landed at Sixth & I. My siblings also moved to the DMV area, and one of the main reasons I also decided to stay was to be closer to them. DC also offered me a great community of friends and a greater sense of purpose. It started to feel like a second home after college – or at this point, my primary home.
Samuel: Where are you from originally?
Aaron: I’m originally from Hollywood, Florida, and grew up in a modern Orthodox / Conservative Jewish community. I went to a Jewish day school from kindergarten onwards, before moving to DC for college, where I was exposed to a wider range of diversity. When I was 15, I think I knew I was gay, but I wasn’t comfortable saying the words or really coming out because I felt like that wasn’t present or visible in the community I was in in Florida. I felt like I had to fit the mold of what it would be to be this typical Jewish man.
I’m also autistic, and I felt ashamed of my autism and sexual orientation when I was younger. Moving to DC helped me to embrace all the facets of my identity. I feel like if I stayed in Florida, I don’t know if I would have gotten to really discover that part of my identity and grow.
A big part of what I want to do, especially now that I’m working at Sixth & I, is to rediscover my Jewish identity. That’s how I came to GatherDC, and why I signed up for Beyond the Tent. I’ve built the foundation of what I want to do with my DC life and built a community within the LGBTQ+ community. Now, I want to figure out where I stand and what my relationship is with Judaism.
Samuel: What’s your experience been like as you try to find that home in Jewish life here in DC?
Aaron: The Jewish community in DC has been very accepting and inclusive. I’m trying to figure out what Judaism means to me and further discover my Jewish identity. What I came to realize is that I want to maintain some of the values I learned growing up, but want to make them my own. My mom and sister are very involved in Jewish community. Working at Sixth & I has been big for me. The community is always evolving in Jewish DC, and I feel like – because I feel more comfortable with my own identity now – I can go anywhere, knowing that I can be my true self.
Samuel: What really resonates for you in your personal Jewish practice?
Aaron: Celebrating the major holidays. That’s the time that I’m with family and it feels easiest to celebrate. For example, this past Passover, I went to Florida, and so it was easier to keep kosher for Passover. It’s funny because I was talking with my mom about how I was in her house, so everything was kosher. But what are my food rules? What is it that I value? I’m 26 – I’m coming up with my own ideas of what’s really meaningful to me.
What else really sticks with me? I call my mom every Friday for Shabbat to get a blessing from her. I got a necklace that has the blessing for men, which I wear as a reminder of my Jewish identity. And I stay on top of what’s happening with other Jewish organizations [in the DMV].
Samuel: You mentioned Sixth & I. What led you to your job there?
Aaron: I love working at Sixth & I. Prior to this, I worked at a public relations agency, and I enjoyed some of the work, but I didn’t feel connected to it. I remember, when I was in college, walking into Sixth & I for the first time and feeling like it was a place I could definitely belong. This is somewhere where I know there’s a community of people who would accept me. Working there has been a great experience. I get to utilize the skills I developed in college, have conversations about my Jewish identity, and meet some really great celebrities, like Andy Cohen, Jen Psaki, Henry Winkler, and Cody Rigsby.
Samuel: How do you prepare for meeting people? I feel like I’d have trouble being professional and not just being a fan if I was working and Ottessa Moshfegh, or whoever else, walked in.
Aaron: I have to get myself fully composed. My sister gave me some great advice: Act calmly, don’t take pictures, don’t be a fangirl. It’s a job, so I want to seem cool and put together, even if I’m excited on the inside…but when Andy Cohen came, I did get a picture.
Samuel: Okay, a few quick ones to close. What’s something you’re bad at?
Aaron: Being consistent with reading books. I’ll start reading and won’t finish, or it’ll take me a very long time.
Samuel: What’s something you’re feeling proud of?
Aaron: I’m very creative. That’s one of the things that I love about my job – it allows me to embrace that creativity. I love making collages and vision boards, and that’s something I’ve gotten very good at.
Samuel: You can invite any three people to Shabbat dinner. Who are they?
Aaron: Definitely Timothée Chalamet. I’m obsessed with him as an actor. I actually used to have a life-sized cardboard cutout of him. I love him.
Second, Diane Keaton. Third, my mom. I’d invite Diane Keaton because my mom loves Diane Keaton – she’s one of her favorite actresses. I love my mom so much, so I feel like if Diane Keaton is there, my mom also has to be there. I’ll say again: I love my mom so much. She’s an amazing person who really inspired me to find my own identity, and has supported me in everything…I’m just so grateful for that.
Samuel: Last one. Finish the sentence: When Jews of the DMV gather…
Aaron: There’s going to be food.
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