Annalee Thompson Led Youth Outreach at Adas Israel

The youth engagement coordinator joined the D.C. congregation in summer 2025 to foster joyful Jewish experiences.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Judaism

Bold vector editorial illustration of intricate paper origami birds resting on a wooden table, representing youth engagement and creativity. — Annalee Thompson joined Adas Israel Congregation in Washington this summer as youth engagement coordinator to foster creative participation in synagogue life. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you believe creative activities are essential to keeping local youth engaged in religious life?

Annalee Thompson serves as the youth engagement coordinator at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, where she began her role in summer 2025. She focuses on creating interactive programming for students to encourage active participation in synagogue life.

Why it matters

By integrating creative elements like origami and improv into religious school, Thompson aims to build a stronger, more joyful connection between youth and their faith community. Her work highlights a broader effort to modernize outreach and keep younger generations engaged in synagogue traditions.

Thompson holds a history degree from Roanoke College and previously completed a two-year Springboard Fellowship at Virginia Tech Hillel. Her curriculum includes specific projects like personalized siddur covers for third graders.

The players

Annalee Thompson

She is the youth engagement coordinator at Adas Israel Congregation and a Roanoke College history graduate.

Adas Israel Congregation

This is a prominent Washington, D.C. institution and one of two major Conservative synagogues in the local area.

The details

Thompson designs activities that blend traditional Jewish learning with creative outlets, such as Rosh Hashanah-themed art projects and improv skits. Beyond her teaching duties, she is currently planning the launch of a new Mitzvah Project cohort for tweens.

Thompson began the conversion process in January 2020.
She completed her formal conversion in 2021.
She graduated from Roanoke College in 2022.
She participated in a Birthright Israel trip in December 2022.
She started her current position at Adas Israel in summer 2025.

Culture Shift

Thompson’s professional role follows the 2020-2022 trends in Jewish adult conversion and institutional engagement. This marks a shift toward greater integration of those who converted to Judaism into the formal teaching and leadership hierarchies of local congregations.

Families in the Washington area can expect more hands-on, creative educational opportunities for their children as the new Mitzvah Project cohort launches. These changes require parents to keep updated with synagogue schedules to ensure participation in the evolving youth programming.

The takeaway

Creating inclusive and interactive environments is key to maintaining long-term engagement in traditional community settings. Prospective youth leaders can look to Thompson’s history-based approach as a model for making religious curriculum more accessible to younger students.