When Stacey Gerstenblith moved back to Baltimore while pregnant with her first child, she thought finding community would simply be a matter of putting herself out there, and she did.
She attended Mommy & Me classes and family programs where she met other parents, but Stacey was searching for a sense of belonging and friendships that extended beyond those programs.
Things began to change when her son started preschool. Her family became more involved in school and synagogue life, and Stacey returned to work part-time as a social worker for Baltimore County Public Schools. Around the same time, The Jewish Connection Network introduced its Connector Program. At J Town, Stacey met a Parent Connector who welcomed her into a circle of friends.
Soon, Friday mornings had a rhythm: Tot Shabbat at J Town, followed by lunch together. The Connector Program created additional opportunities for families to connect, and little by little, Stacey stopped searching for community and started feeling part of one.
With meaningful friendships and a stronger work-life balance, Baltimore finally began to feel like home.
Years later, Stacey was having brunch with her friend Amy Goldberg, a former Connector with The Jewish Connection Network and now the agency’s Director of Community Connections, when Amy mentioned an opening with Shalom Baltimore.
Shalom Baltimore, a program of The Jewish Connection Network, helps people new to Baltimore navigate the local Jewish community and build meaningful connections.
Stacey immediately recognized herself in the work. “This is something I would be good at because I’ve lived it,” she told Amy.
Today, as The Network’s Shalom Baltimore Connector, Stacey welcomes newcomers of all ages and helps them find their place within Baltimore’s Jewish community.
She takes time to learn their stories, interests, and what they’re hoping to find before making introductions. For Stacey, making someone feel genuinely welcome is about personal touches.
Even her Shalom Baltimore welcome bags reflect that philosophy, with Stacey adding a fresh challah and chocolate. “It’s one thing to receive a gift card to a store to buy your own challah, but it’s another thing to receive the actual challah—and some chocolate to make your welcome just a little bit sweeter.”
Serving as the Shalom Baltimore Connector draws on Stacey’s professional skills as a social worker and something no training program could have taught her—her own experience.
She remembers those first years in Baltimore: filling her days with activities and meeting people but struggling to form deeper relationships. She also remembers what changed when individual connections began growing into a community. Now, she gets to make that transition easier for others.
When she isn’t helping connect people, Stacey enjoys time with friends and family, reading, traveling, and the beach. Fall is her favorite season, especially when she can walk or hike among the colorful foliage—fitting for someone whose story is about finding beauty in putting down roots.
Years ago, Stacey arrived in Baltimore searching for her people; today, she’s often one of the first people making sure someone else finds theirs.
