What does it mean to be Jewish?

How does someone participate in Jewish life?

We met with Sam Kahan Strakes who currently is a Community Connector through the Macks Jewish Connection Network, an agency of The Associated. Mother of two, Sam focuses on engaging families in the Reisterstown and Finksburg area.

The Connector Program is part of the larger Associated efforts to engage families and individuals where they are in their Jewish journeys. These connectors unite Jewish individuals with similar interest and life stages. They bring individuals and families together over Shabbat and holidays, help families find Jewish resources and create a network of Jewish peers.

“Being Jewish is everything to me,” says Sam. “It’s the rituals, it’s the traditions, it’s the people, it’s Israel, it’s this underlying unity and connectedness.”

Sam used to work in the Jewish community. After a couple of years off, she realized a piece of her life was missing. Thankfully, she found an opportunity to not only fill in that missing piece of herself, but to provide that same fulfillment for others as a Community Connector.

“I want to have meaningful Jewish experiences and I want other people to do that,” explains Sam. “That’s something I love about the Jewish Connection Network. It’s relationship-based.”

According to Sam, the sky is the limit for the kinds of programming she provides for other families. From play dates with a little Jewish content (she calls it J date), to going on scavenger hunts and learn about the relationship of Judaism and nature. Sam, and other connectors like her, provide a wide range of programming to engage members of the Baltimore Jewish community.

The Jewish Connection Network boasts a large number of connectors like Sam if you are looking to get more involved in your Jewish community.

The Louise D. and Morton J. Macks Jewish Connection Network is an agency of The Associated that empowers and supports individuals to explore their own Jewish journeys. They create opportunities for community building for families and adults of all ages.