A member since January of this year, Rachel Weisman has already made her presence felt in the Synagogue. She is part of the Development Committee, coordinating our big summer event-the Summer Shindig on July 24th. With its fiddlers and square dancing, the Summer Shindig is a natural assignment for Rachel, who has a significant background in music and development.
Rachel grew up in Newburgh, N.Y., where her family owned a music store, making her interest in music all but guaranteed. Her singing abilities, though, first came to the fore at Newburgh's Temple Beth Jacob, when she got up to sing the blessings over candles during a family service.
After graduating from the University of Maryland, Rachel stayed on in the Washington, D.C. area, working as a medical writer while raising her daughter, Julie, now 27. (And a big mazel tov to Julie, who has just earned her doctorate in psychology.)
Rachel eventually moved into the non-profit development area, involving herself with arts organizations and schools. She was director of development for an arts-only program in the D.C. public school system and was a founding member of a charter school with an extensive arts curriculum. Rachel has also performed as a jazz singer and cabaret artist in the D.C. area.
So what precipitated the move to Columbia County? "About four or five summers ago, I spent a couple of weeks in the area and a light went off in my head," says Rachel. "I'd been looking for some property in Virginia, but then I decided that this was more the place for me."
Last September, Rachel moved into a sleekly modern metal-and-glass home she designed herself on Hawk Hill Lane in East Chatham. She soon connected with the Chatham Synagogue. "It reminded me of Adat Shalom, the wonderful Reconstructionist congregation in Bethesda where I was a member," she says. "Like Adat Shalom, the Chatham Synagogue is very eclectic and warm, with a real sense of community."
Rachel has also found a good place to make music in the area. This summer she will be performing in a new musical called Senior Moments staged by the Taconic Stage Company, opening on July 16th and playing on successive weekends through August 7th. For details, see www.taconicstage.com.
Go see Rachel and tell her you read it here!
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