After visiting Israel with Momentum in 2019, an organized trip to Israel for Jewish mothers, Marci Price felt a renewed passion for her Jewish identity, which propelled her to get more involved as a volunteer and philanthropist in her community. 
Price was already a highly engaged member of the Indianapolis community, serving on boards and committees for multiple organizations, including Indiana United Ways and Craine House. She also served on the Community Engagement committee for the Jewish Community Relations Council. 
It was important for her to be involved with the Jewish community: she wanted to reconnect with her Judaism after feeling distanced as a young adult. Through her work with Jewish organizations like JFGI, Price said, she works to deepen engagement within the Jewish community. 
“Volunteering for the Jewish community made sense,” Price said. “It was a passion I hadn’t tended to in awhile.” 
As a mom, Price is often focused on her family and her kids’ Jewish identities. When she first heard about the Momentum trip, she thought it would be an opportunity to focus on her own personal Jewish identity. 
“There is a community side to Judaism, and a spiritual, personal side to Judaism,” Price said. She was already deeply invested in her community. “I felt like the Momentum trip allowed you to explore more the personal side.” 
The unique exploration that takes place on trips like Momentum is rarely experienced by adults, Price said, as organized trips to Israel are usually designed for teens and young adults. She was moved by her experience in the Holy Land. 
“When it comes down to what really resonates with you as a Jew, I felt like Momentum was a really important way to invigorate your own spirituality,” Price said. “It was spiritually awakening, and it was personally awakening.” 
When Price returned from the trip, she wanted to apply her renewed passion for Israel and Judaism to her role as a community member. By volunteering for JFGI and the JCRC, she said she could keep that passion alive. 
Price said she believes that people should be invested in the success of the organizations that they volunteer for: she gives both her time and financial support to JFGI. She believes people should donate to the organizations that matter to them, even if they can only spare $20. 
“I donate to the Federation,” Price said. “I believe in the power of women being change agents of a community. I am both a donor and a volunteer.” 
While it was difficult to volunteer during the pandemic, Price is looking forward to taking advantage of volunteer opportunities as they open up. She said JFGI’s Senior Director of Engagement, Margo Fox, did a great job of harnessing the motivation of the Momentum participants and encouraging them to get more involved in their community. 
“When you get a group of powerful women in a room, you can do anything,” Price said.