Young Women’s Impact Network: WASHINGTON, D.C.

Rachel Goldberg currently works in customer experience for a biotech company. Rachel is passionate about Israel, and worked for several Jewish non-profits in the Boston area coordinating an initiative called Boston Partners for Peace to promote and educate about Israelis and Palestinians working together on grassroots projects to promote peace. Rachel started her career as the Director of Community Relations at the Consulate General of Israel to New England. In her free time, Rachel loves to volunteer, engage with Jewish communities, play her banjo, and bike around DC. 

Sophie is from Vancouver, Canada, and previously lived and worked in Toronto, New York, Berlin, and The Hague before landing in Washington, D.C.  She holds a B.A. in international relations and a J.D. from the University of Toronto.  Sophie has worked at think tanks, international organizations, and top global law firms on matters relating to public international law, privacy and cybersecurity, and white collar criminal defense.  

Leila Gordon currently serves as the Assistant Director of Religious Education at Washington Hebrew Congregation, and has been living in DC for three years. In her role at WHC she gets to work with students ranging from Pre-K through high school seniors, and she loves serving the Jewish community here in DC. Prior to her move, she lived in Boston and went to grad school at Brandeis University for Jewish Education and Nonprofit work. Leila is a Philly native, a HUGE Phillies fan, and enjoys running and reality TV. She is excited to be serving on the DC YWIN board, and hopes to meet an ever growing community and network of young Jewish women that feel passionate about creating  connections and fostering community.

Izzy, a self-described professional Jewish person, has lived in the DMV since mid-2019 and works at Hillel International as the Associate Director of Campus Support. Izzy graduated from Emory University in 2017 with a BA in Comparative Literature and Jewish Studies and has been trying to break into a consistent book club ever since. Currently, she lives in Crystal City and can often be found at any of the Arlington AMC movie theaters, enjoying an after-hours Smithsonian event, chatting more than watching at a sports game, or attending a loosely Taylor Swift-themed get together as an excuse to trade bracelets. 

Bio coming soon!

Sara is from Connecticut and made her way to the Midwest, studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received degrees in political science and business. She lives in D.C. and works in government affairs. Sara is passionate about creating community and excited to be a member of the YWIN D.C. board. When she isn't working, Sara can be found trying new restaurants, playing pickleball and spending time with friends. 

Vanessa holds a BA in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MSW from Columbia University. A former teacher in DC public and charter schools, she followed her passion for social work and mental health, serving as a birth parent counselor at Adoptions Together during graduate school. She later worked as a school counselor at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, where she deepened her connection to Jewish education and community life. Vanessa is currently the middle school counselor at Maret School in Washington, DC, where she also leads the Jewish student and faculty affinity groups, creating spaces for reflection, celebration, and connection. She is passionate about educational equity and community empowerment, serving on the board of Fundación CEIBA, which provides scholarships for students in Puerto Rico, and leading workshops for Health by All Means, a nonprofit that partners with women and girls in rural Kenya to promote health education and human rights. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys yoga, baking challah, and spending time with family and friends.

Allyson Silver is the Senior Manager of Strategic HR at Hillel International. She is from Potomac, Maryland and went to Tulane University in New Orleans to study Psychology before moving back to the D.C. area. She currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland and loves to host Shabbat dinners, go to workout classes, and try new restaurants in the area with friends and family. She is thrilled to be serving on the DC YWIN board for a 5th year!

As a native Californian, Madison earned her bachelor’s degree in social sciences with an emphasis in psychology from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles and moved to Washington, D.C., in 2017, where she earned her master’s degree in educational transformation at Georgetown University. She is currently a senior policy analyst for Higher Education Policy at the Center for American Progress. 

Madison found herself looking for a greater connection to the Jewish community and is excited to serve on the board of DC YWIN chapter. Her favorite things to do in Washington include shopping at her local farmers market and taking long walks throughout the city with friends.