Whenever the world wants something done it asks a busy [wo]man to do it.”

Variously attributed to Benjamin Franklin, Elbert Hubbard, and Lucille Ball, this proverb epitomizes Erika Rief Hornstein.

The 32-year-old mother, Hopkins professional, entrepreneur, and active member of Beth Am and B’nai Israel synagogues has recently begun her second year as president of the board of The Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM) as it undertakes a massive campaign to modernize its space.

She is also an active participant in Na’aleh’s Agency Presidents’ Circle, through which she has developed relationships, heard about the incredible work of – and challenges facing – other Jewish organizations in Baltimore, and seen how others were responding to a post 10.7.23 world.

What drew you to your leadership role at the JMM?

Erika has had many points of connection with the JMM over the years, beginning with her accessing their archives for a paper in an American Jewish history course at Emory University. She also interned at the JMM before studying abroad and got her first “dose” of serving as JMM docent. When Erika returned to Baltimore for graduate school, she lived close to the museum and took up the docent role again. After getting married, she and her husband became very involved in B’nai Israel, where Erika has a family history.Given their enthusiasm for the potential for young adult life downtown, they wanted to learn more about what was being planned for the expansion of the JMM. That curiosity led to Erika joining the Board in Fall 2019 and, ultimately, joining the committee meant to envision what the expansion would look like.

How did you become their youngest President ever?

Keeping in mind that what they are building will be there for the next generation, Erika supposes,I guess it made sense to have younger voices at the table when thinking about leading the way into the future.” Her aspiration is for the JMM to be both a place of storing our historical treasures and one of community building for our future.

What piece of advice do you have for aspiring Jewish communal lay leaders?

You can never imagine where saying ‘yes’ will take you. It won’t always be easy, but the opportunity to grow and learn is limitless. And, in the spirit of the book Subtract: The Science of Doing Less that I am currently reading, saying “no” is okay too!

What has been challenging? What is a challenge you are currently working on?

During COVID, the museum faced a litany of challenges shared by our communal institutions, as well as some unique to the landscape of museum education. In addition to finding its own place in the communal response, the museum had hired a new Executive Director and [almost] all new staff and the Board wasn’t able to meet in person or really develop deep relationships during that time. So, expectations needed to be reset, systems needed to be put in place, and the Board needed to become a cohesive unit – all of which have been Erika’s priorities since taking office.

What has been most rewarding in your volunteer leadership?

Now that the JMM’s capital renovation is nearing completion, seeing the finishing touches of the renovation come to fruition has been among the most rewarding aspects of her leadership role to date. As she describes it, “You can get so ‘in the weeds’ during the process, but I got to do my first walk through in mid-September and it was inspiring.”

As the JMM will soon be reintroduced to the community, Erika looks forward to the whole Jewish community of MD having a place for its treasures and envisions its burgeoning contribution to the Jewish community of Maryland, tourists, educators, its Jonestown neighborhood residents, and to lovers of history who may have roots in Baltimore.  

In fact, the JMM is asking anyone with a relationship to the state of Maryland to provide them with 3 photos – an early photo of their family, a current photo of their family, and something from in between. You may be able to see yourself on their walls when they reopen!

Picturing Past & Present  – Jewish Museum of Maryland