Legal Eagle. Piano Man. Proud Jew:
Get to Know Avi Wolasky
Growing up in Baltimore’s Orthodox community, Avi Wolasky learned early what it means to be part of a collective.
“Baltimore is special… you kind of have a sense of what community really is. And having that ability to connect to everyone leads to caring more about your community in other parts of the world as well, including Israel.”
That deep sense of connection is exactly what brought Avi to The Associated’s Young Leadership Council (YLC), a program that just wrapped up its latest cohort. As he reflects on the experience—and where he’s headed next—it’s clear he’s someone worth watching.
Here are 10 things you should know about Avi Wolasky:
1. His involvement with The Associated began with a kind-of-sort-of date tag-along.
“I actually first got involved with The Associated because a friend of mine asked me to come… he was dating somebody at the time and was like, ‘Hey, there’s this Israel event happening… I want a friend to come.’”
2. Law school was a calling, not a coincidence.
Avi didn’t stumble into law. He walked in with purpose.
“I went to law school with a mission… to become an advocate for the Jewish people in some way or fashion. That stems from growing up in a house where my parents were always doing good things for the community.”
3. He works for a law firm that tackles religious land use and civil rights — and deals with a lot of antisemitism in respect to property use. “It’s a very easy way to discriminate in a way that looks innocent,” he said. His legal work also includes protecting churches and mosques. “It’s religious freedom for all, or religious freedom for none.”
4. Biggest threat to the Jewish community today?
“I would say the biggest challenge Is to be able to live life as proud Jews. It’s hard when it seems like we’re always under attack, especially after October 7th. I think we need to try and remember how beautiful we are as a people and continue to live our lives in that proud fashion.”
5. His advice to young Jewish professionals? Just. Show. Up.
“It’s easy to think The Associated is this machine that will continue to meet the needs of the community,” he said. “But we need people to help make it run. You never know what impact you can make. Just meeting somebody and the connection that you can form can make you feel like you are helping shape what it means to live in Jewish Baltimore.”
6. If he had unlimited time, Avi would go full Billy Joel.
Yes, he plays piano — by ear, no less. “I had lessons for a few weeks growing up… I’m pretty good now,” he said. But with time, resources and motivation? “If I could really master the piano, that would give me a lot of joy.”
7. Best advice he received?
“I’ve heard this in many different contexts but ‘good is the enemy of great’. Of course, there’s everything in life that could be better. You could have studied more for the LSAT. You could have done a little bit more research on something. So, I think in all things in life, it’s good to jump in even when you’re not necessarily 100% comfortable. Otherwise, you risk losing out on something really good.”
8. As the father of a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a one-and-a-half-year-old son, Avi looks forward to spending time with his family.
“My favorite thing in general that I love about them is coming home every day and having my daughter run into my arms. But I also love our Sundays and weekends. It’s a lot of fun just being together.”
9. Avi says the food he misses the most from Israel is a “good shakshuka.”
10. Looking Ahead
“I want to keep growing my involvement. Over the past two years, I’ve learned so much and gained a deeper understanding of how things work behind the scenes. If there’s any way I can contribute in a meaningful way—and help bring my friends into the fold too—that would bring me a lot of happiness.” Avi is currently a board observer with the Israel and Global Committee and looks forward to expanding his role.
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The Associated is a home for everyone in the Baltimore Jewish community. We offer several email lists to help people find a community, engage with their peers and support Jewish journeys around the world.
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