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24 May 2018
While our Washington Capitals are the talk of town right now, there’s another local team that deserves some recognition. Co-Chairs of Federation’s Israel@70, Young Leadership Award Recipients and committed Doing Good volunteers are just a few of the many achievements that Rachel and Pete Federowicz earned this past year. All of their accomplishments in the recent months had us wanting to learn more about what inspires their amazing work on behalf of our community. So we asked them how their Jewish values guide their philanthropy and volunteerism in Greater Washington. Read what they said:
Q: As co-chairs of Federation’s Israel@70 Celebration, what excites you most about this upcoming community-wide event?
A: The incredible opportunity to bring our Greater Washington community together to showcase our love and pride of Israel. We are thrilled to be celebrating 70 years.
Q: How did it feel to learn that you will receive Federation’s Young Leadership Award?
A: We felt extremely honored to be considered and proud to join such a distinguished group of past recipients.
Q: What aspects of our community and your Jewish identity inspire your active leadership and engagement?
A: Rachel, as a Washington DC native, felt 
the impact of being raised in this vibrant, warm and supportive Jewish community. We want to ensure the same type of community exists for our children and generations to come. Our volunteerism is largely focused on community building now and for the future.
Q: What values of Judaism and community engagement do you want to pass down to your children?
A: The Talmud teaches us “Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh,” which means, all Jewish people are responsible for caring for each other. We try to instill this value in our kids through the way that we conduct our lives and allocate our time and resources.
Q: How do you feel that Federation’s work aligns with your values? Why do you choose to support Federation?
A: Federation embodies our Jewish values. Federation takes care of those who are most fragile in our community, supports our Jewish homeland in Israel and simultaneously works to build a strong, vibrant, inclusive and caring Jewish community.