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Natalie and I grabbed a spot in Longfellow Park one recent sunny Spring day to chat about the current state of labor organizing, growing up outside of Dallas, the importance of having a go-to spot (or three) for coffee and brunch, finding religious practice as a teenager, and a bookish Shabbat dinner table.
Samuel: Before we started recording, you mentioned traveling for work. What do you do?
Natalie: I’m a PAC (political action committee) coordinator for AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. We’re a public service union and represent some federal workers, but a lot of DC city workers, plus people who work for their state and county governments across the country. They range from sanitation workers to school bus drivers to City Hall employees, unemployment insurance offices, Parks and Recreation. I love my job. I go to work sites and talk to people about joining unions and about the political work that we do to protect their jobs, pensions, and raises.
People don’t always connect bigger politics to their day-to-day jobs, but local politics is the air you breathe. It’s not this ambiguous fight happening between Democrats and Republicans. Are there potholes on the way to work that are going to mess up your car? Do you have access to a bike lane? Are the parks you go to being maintained? Can you trust the water in your home? All of that is decided by people who are elected to local government or appointed by people who are elected. It really impacts every part of our lives.
And, because everything is political, there is real power in getting together as a group. Management and companies want to make you feel like you’re the only one who wants something, make you intimidated and scared – we’re seeing it now in DC. Everyone wants to be protected, feel secure, and know what their rights are. I wish there was less anxiety about talking about unions and that more people felt empowered to talk to their coworkers and get organized.
Samuel: There’s quite a bit of history between American Jews and organizing for workers’ rights, civil rights. Does that resonate with you?
Natalie: Yes! Two years ago, I was the speaker for Labor on the Bimah at Sixth & I, talking about Jewish labor history and organizing. There are a lot of organizations doing work with a Jewish focus, places like Jewish Labor Committee, Bend the Arc, Religious Action Center, National Council of Jewish Women, Jews United for Justice. There’s all this history and [the movement] is still very active today. It’s exciting to be a part of that.
Samuel: Where’d your relationship with Judaism start?
Natalie: I converted to Judaism. I grew up mostly in Texas, in the Dallas area. My family is not religious at all – my parents and grandparents are atheists. It was hard; I had a ninth-grade geography teacher who told me and my Muslim classmate that he wouldn’t pass us unless we got baptized. They ended up just moving us to another teacher’s classroom instead of, you know, firing this guy. But that was the vibe, even in public school.
So, I didn’t have any religious background at all, but one day I just felt this question of: What is Judaism all about? My friend had a car, and we drove to this Shabbat service and sat in the back, not fitting in. We were just these two random teenagers nobody knew! But there was just something about that first Shabbat service, even though I didn’t know what was happening. It just made sense on some deeper level that I still don’t have words for. I knew I had to be a part of it.
I started going almost every Friday; I would get rides from friends who thought it was like, step one of me becoming Christian. But when I didn’t have anyone to take me – Dallas has some transit – I would take a bus to a train to another bus and then a twenty-minute walk. It wasn’t sustainable. I was meeting with the rabbi there, who was super nice, but he did tell me it was weird that I wanted to become Jewish. He was like: I don’t know what to do with you.
I stopped going, and college didn’t have any real Jewish life. But then I moved to DC and started going to Sixth & I. I’d always been thinking about it, independently reading about Judaism the whole time. I did classes there, and then Jewish Welcome Workshop, and finished my conversion in 2023. It was a ten-year journey.
Samuel: What does your Jewish community look like right now?
Natalie: I go out to a lot of 20s and 30s programming. I feel like I have a good crew with people from different backgrounds, whether that’s friends who grew up in different parts of the country or had different Ashkenazi, Sephardi, or Mizrahi traditions [growing up]. I find I’m open to trying out different kinds of Judaism. I like to try out new things and expand the scope of my community. I went to Beyond the Tent last summer. It was great, and I met my boyfriend there, so that worked out!
Samuel: What else is alive for you Jewishly right now?
Natalie: Passover is coming up! It’s exciting to be able to [spend Passover] with my boyfriend’s family, instead of trying to find a friend or somewhere else to do it, since so many people go home to their families. And then I’m always so inspired by the dedication to making the world a better place that exists in the DMV Jewish community. Everyone I know is working so hard and volunteering and not letting anxiety crush everyone’s spirit. It’s exciting to see people not allow chaos to wear them down, but push back and resist and still find joy wherever they can.
Samuel: A few quick ones to close. What do you think is a DMV hidden gem?
Natalie: I think the important thing to do is to find yourself a good coffee shop, good happy hour, and a good brunch place and go there consistently. You can build up places to bring family and friends when they visit you. And then, everyone should take advantage of all the free things there are to do here. You might move here and think it’s cringe to go to the museums and festivals – but no, it’s actually pretty cool! Let yourself be a tourist and find your spots.
Samuel: What are your spots right now?
Natalie: The Coffee Bar in Logan Circle is one of my favorite places. And then for brunch, if I’m with a big group of people, I’ll go to Ambar. Easy Company has a good brunch, too.
Samuel: What are you feeling proud about right now?
Natalie: I’m the Vice President of Programming for the DC Zetas, which is my sorority alumni group. We won an award for Programming from the national office, and we do so many different events, so I’m really proud of that accomplishment.
Samuel: What’s something you’re bad at?
Natalie: Talking slowly. Moving slowly. I’m always overbooking myself. It’s not a humble brag; it’s actually a real problem for me. I am constantly committing myself to things, but I love doing it, so I’m going to keep being bad at it because I enjoy it, too. I’m bad at leaving time for myself but it’s okay because, the way I see it, eventually it’ll all be fine.
Samuel: You’re hosting Shabbat dinner and can invite three people. Who are you bringing?
Natalie: I would bring Anita Diamant, the author of Choosing a Jewish Life, which is a book I read every single year for over ten years. I was in my teenage shul-shopping years, at Half-Price Books in Garland, Texas trying to find anything about Judaism, and this book literally fell off the shelf. I read it constantly, especially in the years when I wasn’t anywhere near a synagogue. I’d want to tell her that her book changed my life.
In that same vein, I’d bring Sarah Hurwitz, the author of Here All Along. She was Michelle Obama’s speechwriter, and I’d have a lot of questions about that. Her book is incredible, though I have some issues with her portrait of atheists. She does the classic thing where a lot of people think atheists are just Christians who are mad at God. But if you’re mad at God, then you believe in God, so you’re not an atheist.
Then for a third person, I would be torn between Taylor Swift – because I love her, and would just want to meet her – but if she couldn’t make it I’d invite Doug Emhoff. I met him at the Democratic National Convention and he was so nice and cool. He’s a wife guy. I would want that energy around the table.
Samuel: Last one. Finish the sentence: When Jews of the DMV gather…
Natalie: Real friendships are made.
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