Anna Stein, 23, grew up Jewish, emphasis on the “ish.”
Born and raised in the Hunt Valley, Timonium area of Baltimore County, Stein said her parents did not raise her very religiously. She attended public school from kindergarten through high school and her family hopped around different synagogues in Pikesville on occasion.
As she grew up, Stein said she became more curious about her Jewish identity but always felt like it set her apart. “Growing up [it] was always something that I didn’t love being just because I always felt like I was different,” she said. “But then as I got older, I realized I was more curious and [learned] more about my Jewish identity.”
Today, Stein is an intern at Jewish Community Services in Baltimore and is also active in the community through Chabad, Etz Chaim and other organizations. She lives in downtown Baltimore and is in her second year of graduate study at University of Maryland, Baltimore, getting her master’s in social work.
What made you want to go into the Jewish communal world?
Well, I love how I feel as part of the Jewish community, and how much I’ve grown and learned through these last years of diving into it. Getting to go to Israel twice, and then I’m also going again at the end of this month — to continue my learning there — I feel like I really realized how important the Jewish community has been for me, and I want to be that guide for other generations and give kids something that I didn’t have growing up.
Can you tell me a little bit about your internship?
My internship is through my grad program. I had a different internship last year, and then this is my final year in grad school and it’s for the whole school year. So, I’ll be there until sometime in April or May.
I’m a social work intern. I’m doing therapy, so I have a few therapy clients currently, and I was helping with a therapeutic group for parents and caregivers of neurodivergent children and helping lead this weekly group that was over Zoom and with a licensed therapist. So, I was helping with the planning but also helping run the group each week. And then I also sometimes help out with the Memory Cafe. That’s through JCS, where we do activities … and [make connections] through that.
I’m also shadowing other therapists to be able to expand my own understanding of therapy. I also attend meetings as well with the whole child therapy team and adult therapy team, couples therapy team, that kind of stuff.
What is your favorite part of your internship?
I really enjoyed doing the group [therapy]. … I really enjoyed planning and the educating piece of that, but also helping out with discussions and I’ve loved seeing the connections [made] through the group.
I would love to be more involved in groups … to help facilitate those connections and discussions — and just the bonding between the members and helping them problem solve different challenges that come up in their lives.
In what ways do you express your Jewish identity?
I do go to a lot of Jewish events in Baltimore. … I also go to the Chabad and I do something for Shabbat every week, like going to different dinners or connecting with friends. And then I also usually wear Jewish jewelry every day to show my support and connection to the community. I have a lot of different necklaces and earrings that have the Star of David or a hamsa or a chai.
I make it a huge part of who I am each day by also connecting with other Jews in the community, but also talking about it and telling other people about when our holidays are, telling them a little bit about it if they don’t know, because I do have friends that don’t know very much about the Jewish community or holidays.
