Nurturing Community Relationships in Loudoun County: Interview with Rabbi Amy Sappowith Rabbi Amy Sapowith is the Rabbi at Beth Chavarim reform Congregation in Ashburn. She is both a community and interfaith leader in Loudoun County who is nurturing partnerships to contribute to positive relationships among all who live in the region. She shared some of her experiences and challenges in an interview with Ebaadah Martínez-Jaka, a Student Editor for Loudoun County Magazine. Q: What is your biggest challenge being a rabbi? A: I think it’s a challenge being a woman in the field. There are ongoing investigations into the struggles that Jewish women have had in the Jewish movements, especially in the Reform movement, which is sort of more conscious of these things. To the degree that it’s been an ongoing problem with the rest of the country, it’s been subtle enough that you don’t know it’s a problem until afterwards. Looking back, you think, “Why did I have that barrier, or why was that so hard?” Because you go in thinking everything’s equal, and so when something’s not, you think maybe you’ve done something wrong or you’re not doing something right. So there is probably a little bit of that, like most women feel. But barring that, I think the biggest challenge for me is my personality. I am an introvert and an extrovert, and so sometimes it’s challenging to be in a position that is mostly dominated by extroverts while being my introverted self. It requires a certain degree of outgoing energy that gets you energized by being around other people. And for me that gets draining and I have to put the barriers away. I need to recharge differently. 20
Q: How do you want Loudoun residents to see you? A: In Loudoun County we are the only Reform congregation, so we call ourselves an outpost of Judaism and Jewish life in this part of Northern Virginia. In that respect, we help our Jewish members to live Jewish. You can do it alone, you can do it with some influence from online, but Judaism is meant to be lived in person with a community. Personally, my goal is to represent a certain ability to hear people with different opinions, different life stories, different priorities, and to be trusted to be able to see the humanity in everybody without being polarized. I don’t want to be seen as somebody just on this side or just on that side. I would prefer to be seen as somebody that can be counted on to be a mediator or peacemaker in that sense. Even though I might have certain opinions at least one way or the other, I would like to be seen in the way I see myself: as being able to hear and respect, and trying to maintain relationships across so many different worldviews. Q: What is an example of when you felt disrespected? A: Being a woman, sometimes I feel in some of the movements, whether it’s Jewish, Muslim, or Christian, women are not afforded the same status. We just can’t be heard. Then I have the added liability of being in the LGBTQ community, being bisexual, and who would know that since I’m with a woman? If my being bisexual becomes known, their barriers come up. I do feel the disrespect that comes with that kind of discrimination and it can come from anywhere. It’s mostly not
