Ashley Pressman is senior program director at Adamah, an organization that looks to unite people and the planet through work centered in Jewish values.
She has worked in the Baltimore Jewish community since the early 2000s, and while she enjoyed her work at what was then the Jewish Volunteer Connection, she was looking for something a bit different when she changed roles in 2022. She found it in Adamah, and was almost surprised by how well the job fit her sensibilities.
“It caught me off guard, I think, to realize that it was possible for me to do this as my job at this time. I had been thinking for several years that I wanted to get more involved as a volunteer and, potentially, as a volunteer leader in environmental education, or something like that,” Pressman said.
At Adamah, she gets to do just that. And while Pressman didn’t come into her job with an extensive background in outdoor education, she is always happy to learn from those who did.
“Every once in a while, I get to get out in the field, and be a part of the education, and facilitate groups, and sometimes I’ll just get to go for a walk on the farm, or get to go for a walk on our trails, and really get to learn myself,” Pressman said. “I did not come into this role with any particular expertise in environmental education, or farming, or any of the various things we do out here, so I try to make it part of my time here to actually learn from the amazing educators that we have.”
Pressman appreciates Adamah’s mission of using nature in Jewish education, and said that there have been a number of wonderful moments that remind her how special her job is.
For one, she said that it seems like every year at camp, at least one child is amazed by the concept of a garden.
“We will have at least one kid when we’re out there on the farm when we’re learning about all the different plants who says, ‘I had no idea that thing grew from the Earth!’ talking about a cucumber, or tomato or lettuce,” Pressman said. “It’s really an amazing moment that we don’t realize is something that kids have to learn — that food doesn’t grow in the grocery store.”
There have also been plenty of touching moments in addition to funny ones.
“We were doing an immersive weekend retreat for Israeli families right after Oct. 7. We went out for a hike, and had everyone stand there and think about … how they were connected to the land and the strength of the Earth, and at the end of the hike, one of the teenagers came back and said ‘I didn’t realize how stressed or anxious I was until I felt the anxiety leaving through my feet, and going out into the Earth,’” Pressman said.
That kind of moment speaks directly to Adamah’s mission, and is exactly why Pressman loves her job so much.
The Baltimore City resident and Beth Am Synagogue member also appreciates the communal aspect of Adamah. When the organization recently built a new amphitheater, much of the plastering was done by volunteers.
There was a multi-day course with an expert, who taught community members how to cover the structure. From there, they helped build it. Pressman didn’t work on the project as an Adamah team member, but as a volunteer just like anyone else.
“I got to be a part of it,” she said.
When Pressman thinks back to joining the Adamah team, in a sense, it sounds like it was always meant to be. She’s happy to be there and work on behalf of the Baltimore Jewish community.
“It turned out [they] had a great opportunity that was a really good match for my skills,” she said.
