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Leah and I sit down at For Five Coffee one recent afternoon for an incredible chat about graphic design, artistic practice as a kind of relationship, moving to DC from Dallas, spending the High Holidays with GatherDC, and more!
Samuel: What brought you to the DMV?
Leah: You’ve probably gotten this answer a million times, but it was work. I’m from Dallas, Texas, and went to school in St. Louis. I didn’t have a job set up right after graduation, but I knew I wanted to pursue graphic design professionally and was casually throwing out one-click-apply job applications on LinkedIn. I don’t want to say [the job] fell into my lap, but it kind of did. I wasn’t in the trenches quite yet. And now here I am!
Samuel: Why was DC on your list of places you were willing to move to after college?
Leah: If I had a list, DC would not be not on it. I was nervous about making the move here because none of my close friends lived here and I don’t have any family nearby…it felt like a really big leap. But I’m not a stranger to trying new things – I enjoy that – and I wanted to see where this job would take me.
Samuel: What’s kept you here for the past two years then?
Leah: Beyond the job, which is a huge factor, I’ve definitely surprised myself with how much I have liked DC. I think my expectation coming in was…it’s going to be a lot of old politicians. But it’s very young and vibrant! The creative scene is a little bit more underground, so finding other artists and designers has been challenging [Editor’s note: Do you also feel this way? Email us, or grab coffee with us!]. But I love the city itself – the architecture, the food, and how young and lively it is. People are warm, open, and kind, and it is such a diverse city – particularly diverse in where people are from. I’ve loved meeting people from all over the US.
Samuel: What’s your Jewish community looking like right now?
Leah: Honestly, it’s been scarce. When I moved here, I knew no one. I found my roommate on Facebook and tried to put myself out there, messaging everyone I knew through mutual friends in DC. I was able to meet people through that, and I found a great group of friends – it’s just that none of them are Jewish.
Samuel: Do you feel impacted by that?
Leah: Definitely! I grew up in very Jewish spaces. I went to a Jewish day school until eighth grade. I started out in NoMa, which isn’t exactly where the younger Jewish population is concentrated in DC. It’s another thing I’m really craving. It’s not like Jewish communities don’t exist here in DC, or that I need to move to find it, but I’m definitely making more of an active effort this year to find that community. Like, I joined the High Holidays reflection group that Rabbi Amalia led with GatherDC.
Samuel: How was that?
Leah: It was amazing. First of all, it scratched that Jewish community itch. Also, I loved thinking out loud in a semi-academic way. We debated about the texts and brought our own personal experiences into the framework. I really enjoyed it, and I think Rabbi Amalia did an incredible job of gathering all these sources – poems, excerpts from the Talmud, creative exercises, conversation starters. It was exactly what I was looking for because last year [Editor’s note: 2023], during the High Holidays, I was very lonely. Not only did I feel alone in my lack of Jewish community, but also just alone in the world. But I’ve made some strides.
Samuel: Let’s say we’re having this exact conversation again in a year, and you’ve found exactly what you’re looking for. What does that look like?
Leah: It would look like several things. Community-wise, it would look like finding a group of creatives who want to meet and practice art in some regular, communal way. And in addition, having a small group of people I can connect with socially and spiritually, where we can go through Jewish time together. Those are two key components I’ve definitely searched for but I can’t confidently say I’ve found a group, I’m part of that group, and I’m good to go.
Samuel: What else is alive for you Jewishly?
Leah: I love Shabbat. I grew up celebrating it every Friday and I think it’s a great excuse to have a home-cooked meal, unplug, and connect with loved ones in a deep and meaningful way. If I could celebrate Shabbat every night I would, but it makes it special that it is only once a week. I love food, good conversation, and losing track of time. It’s magical.
Samuel: You mentioned graphic design and making art outside of work. Where do you find Judaism influencing your art?
Leah: It’s hard to separate my art practice from Judaism. So much of art is exploring and expressing yourself, and so much of me and what I know of myself and my roots is Jewish. It’s only recently become a direct, explicit part of my practice. After Yom Kippur, my friend and I coordinated this photoshoot with pomegranates and crazy makeup. We mostly winged it, but it was a lot of fun and kind of inspired by the New Year. Pomegranates are beautiful to begin with; fruits in general are a huge inspiration for me.
Nature is full of metaphors, and I find myself most connected with my spiritual Jewish self when I’m in nature. On my walk from Shaw to downtown, where I work, I’ll gather leaves and scan them in with our really high-resolution scanner in my office. I have this folder of hundreds of leaves. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it.
I don’t know where I read this, but it really resonated with me: truly dedicating yourself to your [artistic] practice, whatever that practice is, is inherently antisocial. You have to self-isolate, to lock yourself in a dungeon for hours, days, however long it takes. I struggle with that because I am also really inspired by and love being with people. Something I’m constantly expressing to my partner is that I really love hanging out with you and just existing together, but art is another love in my life. You have to treat it like another relationship, or else it’s not going to be nurtured and fed.
I think that’s part of why I’m looking for this creative community; the self-isolation method is not for me. There’s always a gap between your aspirational self and who you actually happen to be at the moment. That gap plays a role in how satisfied you feel with your life – and right now, I’m trying to make that gap as narrow as possible. Both in my art practice and when celebrating Shabbat.
Samuel: A few quick ones to close. What’s a DMV hidden gem for you?
Leah: This is not at all hidden. But I wish it was. The Trader Joe’s on 14th Street. Cashiers at Trader Joe’s are typically supposed to chat you up, but the staff at the Trader Joe’s on 14th are so stressed – there’s constantly a line wrapping around the frozen aisle – that they don’t say a word. They keep it moving. I salute them.
Samuel: What are you feeling proud about?
Leah: I’m proud that I’m reprioritizing my art practice and updating my portfolio. I’m actually starting to build a portfolio that I’m proud of.
Samuel: You’re hosting Shabbat dinner and can invite any three people. Who are you bringing?
Leah: Doechii. She just had an NPR Tiny Desk and was on Colbert. She’s really creative visually. I don’t even want to compare her to anyone else – she’s on her own wavelength. I’d invite Paula Scher, this famous groundbreaking female graphic designer who has done some really cool stuff. I got a targeted ad to take her Master Class online, but I’d rather just have her over for dinner. And – this is maybe more a celebrity crush – but I’d also invite Rachel Sennot. She’s bizarre and I love her acting.
Samuel: Last one. Finish the sentence: When Jews of the DMV gather…
Leah: Lots of questions will be asked.
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