By
Published
September 9, 2013
Joel Stanley is Director of International Programming for Moishe House, was a founding resident of Moishe House London and is helping organize this year’s Grassroots Jews: Independent Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Services in London.
1. What inspires you to get out of bed every day? A lot of what I do is about creating community experiences that give people a feeling of connection to each other and encouraging them to find creativity and joy.
2. What three hashtags would you use to describe yourself? #keeplearning #gettingthingsdone #dance
3. What projects are you working on now? Currently, I am helping to organize Grassroots Jews: Independent Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Services in London as well as Moishe House’s second annual International Residents Conference, scheduled for November 2013 in Warsaw, Poland.
4. What projects would you like to be working on in 5 years? Developing new, creative models of Jewish education and community. I feel lucky to be working for an organization (Moishe House) that already pioneers an innovative approach to making meaningful Jewish experiences, and it’s hard to say exactly what the next step will look like. I also have a background in drama and education, and I love spirituality and learning, so I hope to combine all of my interests in a holistic approach to creating community.
5. What it is the biggest risk you’ve taken, personally or professionally, and how did it pay off? I headed out to Burning Man by myself in 2001. It felt like a step into the complete unknown and changed the direction of my life. I took that sense of possibility, playfulness, community and creativity and applied it to my life in London. It led me to set up Moishe House London in 2007 and to help create a community that embodies those values.
6. Where do you go to find community? The grassroots community in London and Burning Man in the Nevada desert.
7. Where do you go to find solitude? I medidate at home or take a walk on Hampstead Heath, near my house in London.
8. What is one change you would like to see in your lifetime? A more open and tolerant Jewish community. I love organizations like Moishe House and ROI because they encourage individuals to take risks and try new things in their Jewish lives. I find it challenging when I encounter parts of the Jewish community that express judgment or criticism. I’d like to see openness, creativity and a willingness to learn and experiment spread throughout more and more of the Jewish community and beyond.
9. Who is your hero? I’m not sure about hero, but Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of Jewish Renewal, is a kind of rebbe figure for me and a big inspiration. He combines a deep rootedness in tradition and spirituality with creative thought and innovation.
10. Rock, paper or scissors—and why? Paper. Statistically, most people go rock first time.
Read Joel's guest post to learn more about his work!
The Schusterman Philanthropic Network is proud to empower emerging leaders to explore their values, identity and new ways to strengthen their communities. We believe that as we work together to repair the world, it is important to share our diverse experiences and perspectives along the way. We encourage the expression of personal thoughts and reflections here on the Schusterman blog. Each post reflects solely the opinion of its author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Foundation, its partner organizations or all program participants.
