What We Do

GatherDC is a relational start-up that helps thousands of 20s & 30s find their people and their place in Jewish DC.

• We are the central platform for post-college/pre-family Jewish life across the DC area, making it possible for thousands of 20s and 30s to live a compelling Jewish life that feels right for them, right now.

• We facilitate innovative opportunities for meaningful and relevant Jewish learning at programs and retreats such as Beyond the Tent, Mini Gatherings, weekly Torah study, and more.

• We help 20s/30s in DC connect to Jewish organizations and each other through our calendar, newsletter, social media, coffee dates, and more.

Explore GatherDC’s Impact

To learn more about GatherDC and how you can support our work, visit gatherdc.org/donate or contact GatherDC’s Executive Director Rachel Gildiner.

“With no denominational or political agenda, Gather has emerged as the agreed-upon atlas for the DC Jewish community.” – The Slingshot selection committee

“When I moved to DC, I didn’t feel like a part of anything. I figured getting involved with the Jewish community could be a gateway to making friends, so I signed up for GatherDC’s Beyond the Tent retreat. Flash forward to today, I attend weekly learning sessions with Rabbi Aaron Potek (Gather’s Community Rabbi), facilitated a later Beyond the Tent retreat, and made most of my closest friends throught Gather” – Daniel W., age 25

“GatherDC introduced me to Jewish DC. When I became a Moishe House resident, Gather was my go-to resource to collaborate on programs. Gather has a great way of engaging those who are skeptical of or not engaged in Jewish life through meaningful programs that inspire deep connections. Through Gather’s Open Doors Fellowship, I met my closest friends, and developed personally and professionally.” – Tiffany., age 31

“It’s not lost on me how many of my amazing insights, experiences, and friendships in DC are owed to the hard work that GatherDC does, and that young adults across DC, including myself, get to benefit from it. “ – SJ., 28

GatherDC Community Guidelines

We are deeply dedicated to creating a culture of inclusivity, compassion, and respect across the DC Jewish community. It’s up to all of us to achieve this. We expect that as a participant at a GatherDC experience or member of our online community, you will treat each and every person with kindness. We recognize that we all have different opinions – and we love that! We are excited to share in constructive, respectful dialogue, challenge the status-quo, and explore controversial ideas.

However, we have zero tolerance for bullying, harassment, illegal activity, hate speech, violence, spam, abusive or threatening behavior of any kind. We have the right to remove you from our event or online community at our discretion if we feel that you are violating our Community Guidelines. If you feel that someone is violating these guidelines, please tell us at info@gatherdc.org or 202-656-0743.

Who We Are

Rachel Gildiner
Executive Director

As GatherDC’s Executive Director, Rachel could easily be called “connector in chief,” as well. She loves making meaningful connections with people and using GatherDC’s extensive network of people, organizations, and programs to help people find the place where they feel most themselves, most welcome, and most valued in Jewish DC.

What else gets her excited? Baked goods, getting free return address labels from organizations she supports like the World Wildlife Federation, Jewish learning and new leadership books (nerd alert!), and seeing her three amazing (and objectively adorable) kids learn and grow every day.

Reach out to Rachel to learn more about GatherDC, or if you think you can finally teach her how to ride a bike.

Rabbi Aaron Potek
Community Rabbi

Reb Aaron, our Rabbi in residence at GatherDC, loves to help people find new ways to think about Jewish identity, understand themselves, and process the world around them. There are many ways to be Jewish, and he wants to help you find a path that works for you. (Read some of his thoughts on this very topic here.)

He spends most of his time outside of the GatherDC office, meeting with people in coffee shops and bars to have relaxed, meaningful discussions about what it means for someone to be Jewish in their 20’s and 30’s.

When Reb Aaron isn’t meeting with community members, hosting a Mini Gathering, or leading GatherDC’s Beyond the Tent experience, he’s making people laugh at an improv show, or being active on the tennis court or hiking trail.

Wanna “talk Jewish” with Reb Aaron? Reach out today!

Jackie Zais
Community Engagement Director

As GatherDC’s Community Engagement Director, Jackie helps facilitate the programs our community has come to know and love. Every day, she gets to meet and connect amazing people in DC, dream up new ideas for our community, meet people for coffee, and help build vibrant Jewish life here in DC.

When she’s not crushing it at the GatherDC office or grabbing coffee with community members, you can catch her reading at the zoo, cooking a feast for friends, or making hysterical pop culture references that make every conversation a little more awesome.

Reach out to grab coffee to talk about Jewish life in DC… or your favorite band coming to town!

Julie Thompson
Office Manager

As GatherDC’s Office Manager, Julie helps keep Gather’s wheels turning behind the scenes. After three years working in administration and development for a local youth development nonprofit, she is excited to take the skills she learned and help the Gather team connect their Jewish peers to all of the awesome events, opportunities, and people that Jewish DC has to offer!

When Julie isn’t at the GatherDC office, she’s probably out with friends trying a new restaurant across DC, planning her next big trip to explore a new corner of the world, or snuggled in with a good book and her rescue cat, Chloe.

Reach out to Julie to grab coffee and find out about her skydiving adventures!

Reach Out

Have questions about Jewish life in DC?

Want to promote your Jewish organization, program or group in Washington DC through GatherDC?

Just want to introduce yourself?

We’d love to hear from you!

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