Volunteer Spotlight on Rachel Jablon!

Post by Volunteer Coordinator Wendy Davis. Periodically we highlight one of our fantastic JMM volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering with the JMM, send an email to Wendy at wdavis@jewishmuseummd.org or call 443-873-5168! You can also get more information about volunteering at the Museum here.


If you have visited the Jewish Museum of Maryland’s gift shop “Esther’s Place” on Sunday, you have probably met Rachel Jablon.  She has been volunteering in the museum’s gift shop since February.  She loves being in an environment that deals with Jewish identity and Baltimore.  She likes answering questions, especially Jewish identity questions posed by our visitors.  With a background in Jewish studies, Rachel is well equipped with the answers to most of the questions.  When the visitors are locals and they find out that Rachel is from this area, the questions most asked of her are, “Who are your parents?” “And which temple do you belong to?”

A favorite moment in the shop occurred when Rachel saw two teenagers looking at the dreidels.  She told them the Hanukah story, then worried that what she told was too long and too much, but one of the teenagers said that was just what she wanted.  It definitely increased the girl’s appreciation of what she saw.

When asked why volunteer at JMM, Rachel said it was for selfish reasons.  She wanted to volunteer at a place that she wished she went to more.  The Baltimore culture and history exhibited by the JMM are important to her.  She also gets ideas for Judaica in her home.

Rachel currently works in human resources for the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks.  She manages the employment and payroll for thousands of employees who run activities at rec centers and parks, like classes, sports, programs for children and adults with special needs, and animal husbandry.

When Rachel is not at work or at the JMM, she reads a lot of Holocaust literature.  She said that it is an amazing look at human nature.  Among her favorites are Chris Bohjalian’s “Skeletons at the Feast” and Cynthia Ozick’s “The Shawl”.  She balances the heavier topics  with popular books such as Julia Dahl’s Rebekah Roberts series and Jewish family histories.”

We are thankful that Rachel shares her enthusiasm and her expansive knowledge of Judaism to the Jewish Museum of Maryland.

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Esther's Place jewish museum of maryland Volunteers

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