Spotlight: Lily and Aubrey

Meet the dynamic duo sisters who attend Urban Dor events side by side, bringing warmth, energy, and a love of Jewish community wherever they go.

Lily and Aubrey Horn with Yakov Binyamin at Urban Dor's Rosh Hashanah Celebration in 2025.

Urban Dor: What do you both enjoy most about being part of the Greater Hartford Jewish community?

Lily: The people. The folks in the GHJC give warm welcomes to everyone. The very first Urban Dor event showed us that we fit in right away and could be comfortable even in a room of mostly strangers. I love how being in a room of Jewish people always feels like a family setting. It’s a powerful instant connection.

Aubrey: I enjoy seeing both familiar faces and new faces! There are people I have known since elementary school interacting with folks who moved in more recently. I have seen so many changes in our area. I’m grateful to see who schleps far and wide to be here. When I travel, I’m grateful to have this place to come back to…even in the wintertime.

When did you first hear about Urban Dor?

Lily: We were both a part of JewGood Hartford. That was a great group of young professionals engaging in volunteer work & philanthropy. It sadly disbanded, but I think Simon took that same empowering energy to help start Urban Dor. We must have gotten on an email list or seen a post from Simon and took a leap of faith! We went to the first ever Urban Dor event and never looked back. Every event has been meaningful. We are proud of our Jewish history and identity. Getting together with others our age and celebrating traditions allows us to tap more deeply into our Judaism. Life is busy, we don’t always get opportunities to reflect and tap into Jewish joy. Urban Dor allows us to do that regularly!

Aubrey: It must have been at some point when I was at University of Hartford, I think Lily brought me to an Urban Dor event then.

Tell us a little about your careers. What do you each enjoy most about the work you do?

Lily: I am a touring Merchandise Manager for Broadway shows. I just got back after 3 weeks on the road with The Sound of Music. I love to travel and am grateful I get to do it for a living. I have the pleasure of working behind the scenes in historic theatres across the country. I enjoy meeting new people in every city I go to. It can get a little lonely/tiring and makes celebrating holidays hard. But sometimes I’ll look up local Jewish events in the areas I’m in. I spent Passover with a lovely family in Akron, Ohio who treated me just like family. I find a lot of comfort in knowing I can find Jewish community pretty much anywhere in the world.

Aubrey: Since September of last year, I’ve been a historic interpreter at the Mark Twain House. It’s been fascinating to dig deeper into local history, getting to know CT’s residents of both past and present. Doing the guided tours means educating visitors and keeping them engaged. We get visitors from all over. Besides school field trips coming from CT and New York, I’ve seen people visiting from Mexico, Italy, Ireland, England, Germany, China, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

Urban Dor: Aubrey, what was your experience like attending University of Hartford and living in Greater Hartford as a Jewish college student?

Aubrey: I went to both Hillel and Chabad events, and I did JLF and Sinai Scholars. I also joined the Jewish sorority SAEPi. Sadly, our chapter didn’t last very long. Despite our best efforts, more people were graduating out than new students joining. I’m still grateful for my time there.

Urban Dor: As sisters, we’re always impressed by how you attend events together and never seem to argue—what’s your secret to avoiding sibling rivalry?

Lily: I’m the big sister at 31, Aubrey is 24. Aubrey is too cool for me, so I’m lucky she hangs out with me at all. Urban Dor events are fun for both of us so I don’t have to beg her to go to those with me. In all honesty, spending time together is the best. We’re built-in besties, but we actively choose to spend time together. Our secret is supporting each other’s passions. Aubrey is a brilliant artist. I’ll always be her #1 fan. There is enough arguing/rivalry in the world to go around. Neither of us enjoy conflict. The only thing we fight over is who ate each other’s food in the fridge.

Aubrey: Who said we avoid it? Haha just kidding (mostly). We’re good sports when we play games vs each other, but more often than not, we’re a team.

Urban Dor: When you both catch a day off, what do you enjoy doing together in Connecticut?

Lily: We love going to local theatres like Playhouse on Park & Hartford Stage, and seeing stand up comedy gigs. Our favorite place in the summer is Old Lyme, CT for beach days!

Aubrey: Usually getting good food or enjoying live entertainment. At the end of March, Lily was selling merch with the Sound of Music at the Shubert in New Haven. When she had free time we enjoyed pizza and Barcade. I also brought us to a drag show. In general, we like going to museums, plays, and comedy shows.

Urban Dor: If people want to connect with you or learn more about what you’re doing, what’s the best way to reach you?

They can reach us via email and definitely in person at Shabbat 100 on June 5th!

Lily: LilyHorn17@gmail.com

Aubrey: aubreyhorn612@gmail.com

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Urban Dor's next event is Shabbat 100: Summer Schmooze. The event is co-hosted with Chabad House of Greater Hartford, on Friday, June 6th 2026 - Buy Tickets.

Whether you’re from Greater Hartford, New Haven, Springfield, Boston, NYC or beyond, come experience the warmth and energy of the Greater Hartford Jewish community with Urban Dor.