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We finally moved into our new home just over a week ago, a fresh start in NYC, in a neighborhood we didn’t know much about except that it was supposed to have a strong Jewish community.

While unloading boxes, I noticed the license plate of my new neighbor across the street: 5BANOS. Banos is Hebrew for “daughters.” I thought to myself, “Could it be? Another family with five daughters?” Sure enough, when I met them- it was true. They have five daughters!

But it didn’t stop there. The neighbor next door? Four daughters. The family beside them? Another five. Down the block? Another four. Apparently, this block is known throughout the neighborhood as the girl block. Some days it feels like I moved my family to Themyscira, Wonder Woman’s home planet of only women. But truthfully, there’s something comforting about stepping into a new place and finding people who share something so personal and meaningful with you.

It reminded me of a conversation I just had with a new grad student who just started attending our programming. He told me that before hearing about JGO, he had no idea there was an entire world that was built for Jewish grad students. A place where he could find others walking the same path, draw inspiration, build community, and just feel Jewish.

It reminded me of a beautiful idea in Jewish thought: the word makom means both “place” and is also one of the names we use for G-d. The Sages explain that when you truly find your place, it’s not just about geography, it’s about belonging, connection, and blessing. 

I’m grateful our daughters now have a block full of new potential friends their age to connect with. And I’m equally grateful that Jewish grad students have JGO, an address, if you will, where they know they belong. Because in life, whether you’re moving to a new neighborhood or starting a new chapter in graduate school, there’s nothing more valuable than discovering your makom.