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Shannon and I stopped by at Roasting Plant Coffee in West End recently to chat about her work at the NFL Player’s Association, what brought her from Long Island to DC, why she thinks Alexander Ovechkin has already supplanted Wayne Gretzky, and why Purim is her favorite holiday!
Samuel: You’re doing an internship with the NFLPA here in DC. What brought you to that?
Shannon: I went to Hofstra University on Long Island. I found them through hockey, which is my favorite sport – the Islanders’ radio broadcast is Hofstra University radio. Post-grad, I was applying to everything and anything that came in front of me that was sports. I ended up getting a job on Long Island, moved there from New Jersey, where I’m from, and then I got an email [from the NFLPA] saying: We want to interview you. I managed to get through, and they said great, you start in a week and you have to move to DC. Like, okay!
Samuel: What’s your role with the NFLPA? What’s the day-to-day like?
Shannon: I’m in player services. I help create the deals for players – when you see Michael Strahan in Madden, that goes through us, including the payment part. That’s what we’re dealing with right now, because we did so many deals during the Super Bowl, and our books are closing, so it’s a little chaotic right now.
Samuel: Do you have a favorite NFL player that you’ve worked with?
Shannon: So I didn’t talk to him directly, but I was still really excited; Victor Cruz is my absolute favorite player. When I was little, I learned his touchdown dance. I was raised to be a Giants fan. When it came into my inbox that he had a deal, I saw it and told the other intern: I am taking this deal. I, like, freaked out. Even though I had no contact with [Cruz], the fact that I put his deal into the system was very cool.
Samuel: What has your Jewish community looked like in the time you’ve spent in DC?
Shannon: It’s definitely been a little difficult, because I’m figuring out what ‘level’ I want to be at. I grew up Reform, but my college Hillel had Conservative services and I actually ended up really liking that. I found them peaceful. Something else that was a factor was that [in college] I had Jewish friends. Growing up, my brother and I were the only Jews in our school district. Even at my synagogue’s Hebrew school, my class was five kids, and I was the only girl. So to be able to be around other people who are my age and Jewish was really comforting.
I’m also the most religious person in my family, so being able to celebrate the holidays to a fuller extent with other people was really impactful. My family ingrained a lot of tradition into me, and I think that’s what drew me to [religious practice]. I’m really into tracking family history. My family comes from Ireland and the Russia and Poland area, so being able to recognize their hard work by continuing it is definitely something that draws me to [my Judaism].
Samuel: You mentioned that you still feel pretty new to DC, but let’s say you’re here a few years down the line and feel at home. Do you feel like you’ve found a foundation to that feeling here today?
Shannon: When I first met with GatherDC, I got introduced to Adas Israel, which I visited last week. I don’t know how to describe it, other than that it felt like a hug. I plan on going back there again.
Samuel: What else is feeling alive Jewishly for you?
Shannon: I love Purim. I love hamantaschen so much – it’s a bit of a problem.
I also tutor kids in Hebrew for their b’nai mitzvot. I’ve gone back and forth to New Jersey twice for bar and bat mitzvot so I can be there to watch, and I have another in May. It feels like a mitzvah. I like helping students because I struggled at my bat mitzvah. I had 22 verses – Vayikra – and the week of my bat mitzvah I still could not read the last two verses. My rabbi knew, and he sang the last two verses to me under his breath because he knew I couldn’t read it. I don’t want another kid to go through that; I was petrified.
Samuel: You mentioned you love hockey. Why?
Shannon: I was a band kid growing up. I played the trumpet. I was going to football games every week and it took me years to understand what was going on. We had a cool opportunity to play on the concourse at a New Jersey Devils game. I was like: Do I know hockey? No. Am I going because it’s bragging rights? Yeah. I went to the game, the puck dropped, and my life just changed. I was infatuated with it. I literally used it as a learning tool. Hockey is how I passed high school physics.
Samuel: Do you have a hockey hot take or deeply held belief you want to advocate for?
Shannon: I don’t think Ovechkin should be compared to Wayne Gretzky. Once Martin Brodeur came in, goaltending changed. What Gretzky did is absolutely amazing, and he’s great…but for his time.
Samuel: Oh, you’re saying Ovechkin already clears Gretzky?
Shannon: I don’t like Ovechkin, but he’s passed Gretzky. Goaltenders are much more assertive now. Before, it was much easier to get to the net.
Samuel: Okay, a few quick ones to close. What’s something in the DMV that deserves more shine?
Shannon: This place called Marx Cafe in Mount Pleasant. I love it. I discovered it two weeks ago with my brother and in-law and we’ve been there four times since.
Samuel: What’s something you’re feeling proud about?
Shannon: Probably the fact that I’m living on my own. I’m the furthest I’ve been away from my family. Just being a real adult, grocery shopping, cooking for myself.
Samuel: What’s something you’re bad at?
Shannon: Being loud. I’ve always been told that I’m really quiet. It can be hard to get people’s attention because my voice is so soft.
Samuel: You’re hosting Shabbat dinner and can invite any three people. Who are you bringing and why?
Shannon: I need a hockey player, so I’ll go with Nico Hischier. He’s my favorite. He was a rookie when I got into hockey, so I feel like I’ve been with him his entire professional career.
I’d also invite my childhood rabbi. He’s been with me my whole life, done every milestone. He’s always been there. Then, I’d bring one of my friends from Hillel.
Samuel: Last one. Finish the sentence: When Jews of the DMV gather…
Shannon: They’re strong.
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