the Den Collective: Annual Report

June 2021 - May 2022

From Lt to Rt:Kayaking Tashlich Service. (Potomac River), Knead to Know: Challah Bake + Learn (MD) , Sunday Supper + Learning (NoVA), Musical Selichot Service (MD), Den Vibes Havdalah (DC)

Startup to Growth Phase: Clarifying Our Why + What

As we enter our sixth year, transitioning from startup to growth phase, and evolve our infrastructure to meet the increased demand in the community, our team reflected on our “why” and “what”, refining how we articulate the Den’s vision and mission:

Our Why

The Den envisions a more connected and inclusive world where people feel seen, heard, and cared for; where people feel welcome as they are; and safe to explore and deepen their connection to Judaism. Our hope is that through our work people will develop a heightened clarity of meaning and purpose, feel empowered to impact change, and experience a strong sense of belonging in a community that values interpersonal relationships, self-exploration, and a commitment to repairing our world.

Our What

The Den fosters intentional spaces of deep belonging and self-exploration, inviting people to deepen their connection to Judaism, feel part of a community, and enrich their lives through authentic Torah study, intimate gatherings, and ongoing dialogue with accessible rabbis. The Den strives to be collaborative, experimental, transparent, and radically welcoming.

#theDenTurnsSix!

The Den launched in the spring of 2016 and has been steadily growing ever since!

Throughout the past six years:

We fostered connection with 1,000+ people across the DC area.
We curated 820+ custom classes and gatherings including:Torah learning, Shabbat and Holiday meals, cohort learning circles for: women, interfaith and Jewish couples, new+expectants parents, as well as wellness classes, musical Havdalah, and more.
Den rabbis engaged in 7300+ personal interactions with community members providing: pastoral counseling, life cycle officiation, mentorship, learning, and leadership training.

We've kicked off the season of celebration with:

A Birthday Campaign inviting Den members to help sustain the Den by raising $6,000 in celebration of our sixth birthday.

A Kudoboard Birthday Card, where Den members are sharing the many ways the Den has impacted their lives.
An in-person Den Birthday party planned for this fall.

Follow the fun: #theDenTurnsSix #TakesAVillage

Staff Team Update

The rabbinic, pastoral, and programmatic needs of our community continue to grow, with a dramatic increase observed throughout the past two years of the pandemic, translating to the need for multiple rabbis and more full-time staff to support the increase in demand. In July 2021, after a long and thorough search, we were delighted to welcome Rabbi Jenna Stein Turow to the Den team. In her first year, Rabbi Jenna has built numerous relationships with new and current members of the Den throughout the Greater Washington area, created a much-needed and felt rabbinic presence in NoVA, and has launched several new classes, in response to expressed needs and interests in the community.

Yona’s last day with the Den was April 1st, as she was accepted to start graduate school full time. During her time at the Den, Yona contributed significantly to the process of professionalizing the Den’s systems as a growing organization. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, some of Yona’s projects included working closely with our Executive Director to: develop the Den’s first HR manual, establish the Den as an active member of the SRE Network (Safety, Respect, Equity), and to formalize a staff onboarding manual.

We were fortunate to have welcomed Joshua Singer to the Den staff team in February as our Communications and Operations Coordinator, supporting our team in the areas of communication and administration.

Fostering Intentional Community: COVID-19

While we are eager to one day write an annual report where a COVID-19 section is no longer necessary, we are grateful for the Den’s ability to continue to foster intentional community throughout the past two years, proving to us and our stakeholders the truly flexible nature of our organization, and the experimental ways we are able to pivot and adapt momentarily. As a people-centric organization, committed to a ground-up model, we create classes, gatherings, and empower and train future leaders.

*“While I was involved in Jewish communities during my high school and college years, I found involvement in the Jewish community to be more difficult after graduating from college.* ***I knew that I wanted to be part of the Jewish community, and to build a Jewish home, but I was not ready to commit to joining a congregation.*** I participated in other Jewish organizations serving the same demographic here, in the Washington DC area. The organizations were wonderful, however the environments also felt very overwhelming and transient at times. *While the Den continues to expand to welcome more people,* ***the Den continues to maintain a tight knit community feel that has allowed me to feel comfortable being vulnerable; asking questions about Judaism without feeling judged.*** This is an environment that cannot be easily replicated in other Jewish settings. I look forward to remaining involved in the Den and to contributing to the Den’s success during the months and years to come.”
- Zeb (MD)

Affinity Learning Circles + Expanding Communal Pipelines

Over the years we have observed an increased demand for the Den’s affinity learning circles. We have carefully curated experiences that weave together authentic Jewish learning with deep connection. This past year we created custom cohorts for: interfaith couples, women, Jewish couples, and new + expectant parents.

We continue to uphold our commitment to building a more robust and personalized engagement pipeline between organizations and congregations across our community, as we connect people to other organizations and they refer people to us as needs and life stages evolve. For the growing number of new parents at the Den seeking a Jewish preschool for their children, we continue to dedicate time to learn the needs of our couples, enabling us to make personal introductions to preschools of local congregations and JCCs. We have welcomed new community members referred to us by local colleagues as well as those from organizations across the country.

This summer we’re curating IN-PERSON Shabbat gatherings and reunions to foster deepened connection for those who studied in our virtual learning groups:

New + Expectant Parents’ Learning Circles – 35 couples
Interfaith + Jewish Couples Learning Circles – 20 couples

“***From the perspective of the non-Jewish partner,*** I appreciate how the rabbi slows things down and gives meaning to [holiday] customs and rituals that are sometimes presented to me without context in other spaces. The rabbi also created space for us to make our own traditions as a couple. It means a lot when a rabbi tells us that we have permission to practice in our own way, while still preserving the spirit of the holiday.”
- Jim (NoVA)

The Value + Purpose of Rabbinic Pastoral Care

We continue to raise awareness about the availability of connecting with Den rabbis for rabbinic pastoral care, mentorship, and/or spiritual guidance. Den members reach out to our rabbis for confidential 1-to-1 meetings to address a variety of areas including: interpersonal relationships, life transitions, professional challenges, and exploring some of life’s biggest questions.

Over the past several years, as more and more Den members seek increased spiritual support in a variety of areas, we have also expanded the Den’s Therapy Referral list to include specialists in areas such as: couples counseling, trauma, anxiety, and infertility, in order to best support our community in a holistic manner. We continue to see longtime community members as well as newcomers reach out to Den rabbis for rabbinic pastoral counseling. This has always been a major goal of the Den, to educate a generation of Jewish community members about the value and purpose of rabbinic pastoral care and Jewish communal involvement and support in one’s life.

**June 2021 - May 2022:**
· **180** People sought out a Den rabbi for pastoral care or life cycle support who would not otherwise have had a rabbi to connect with.
· Den rabbis held **571** 1 to 1 pastoral and life cycle sessions in the last fiscal year.

A Focus on Wisdom + Wellness

Throughout the past two years of the pandemic, many of us continue to experience levels of anxiety, depression, and grief as we seek to find our footing during these times of transition; this is no different for the community of 20s-early 40s. Integrating wellness/mindfulness teachings from Jewish wisdom into our offerings has been an incredible life-giving and welcome resource during a time people need it most.

the Den’s Wisdom + Wellness: An Education and Empowerment Initiative brings together mind, body and spirit that reaches the core of the Jewish endeavor. This includes our Monthly Wisdom + Wellness Circles as well as other opportunities for grounding and reflection that are interwoven into our offerings.

“***During the pandemic,*** the Den community provided much needed opportunities for us to come together virtually before Shabbat to reflect on the week and current situation. I really looked forward to these calls and opportunity for deeper conversations and reflections.
***When we had our baby,*** *the Den was there to welcome us to the new and expectant parents learning circle, providing a network of others whom we knew we could turn to for support.*
***When we bought our first house****, the Den sent us dinner that first week when life was just a bit hectic! I feel lucky to be a part of this community and to have the rabbis and other Den members as people who I can turn to.*”
*- Elyssa (MD)*

Diversifying Leadership Opportunities

At the Den we are intentional about ways we model what it means to be part of a Jewish community, molding the future generation of active Jewish communal members and leaders. We train community members on how to lead classes and Shabbat/holiday experiences; co-create worship/healing services; serve on task forces, our board and advisory council, as well as opportunities to take part in acts of hesed (loving kindness - communal care).

This year: 45 Den Leaders were trained to lead a variety of 91 classes + gatherings including: Torah study, Shabbat/Holiday gatherings, and song/prayer experiences.
We launched an innovative new leadership model, inviting a Den member and a seasoned communal leader/Den donor to partner as co-presidents of our Board of Directors. On June 1st, 2022 we welcomed Diane Schilit and Katie Berland to their first day of serving as co-presidents of the Den’s Board of Directors.

*“From my first theology class with Rabbi Aderet to a couples’ learning cohort with Rabbi Jenna, and now to planning and facilitating programs myself,* ***the Den has given me a Jewish community that I can see myself continuing to grow with****, which is hard to find as a Jewish young adult. I am so thankful to have the Den in my life!”*
- Ana (DC)

Healing Brokenness in Our World

In response to interest from Den members to further their understanding of the Jewish imperative to repair our world, we set out to create a new learning series that integrates learning, advocacy, and action. Our Healing Our World (HOW) series incorporates Jewish teachings connected to pressing contemporary issues such as: environmentalism, racial justice, and human rights. We explore ways to advocate and create change around the issues and foster relationships with local and national organizations working on these issues. This class is a manifestation of the Den’s commitment to the value of Tikkun Olam, our shared commitment to repairing our broken world with increased love, kindness, and justice.