Q: Where are you from? How long have you lived in Austin?
A: I grew up in San Jose, California. I’ve been fortunate to live in several beautiful and interesting places which have also shaped who I am today: Santa Barbara for college, New York City and Israel for rabbinical school, and Gainesville, FL where I first served upon ordination. I’ve been in Austin since August 2014.
How long have you served on the iACT Board?
Since 2019.
What made you want to serve as an iACT Board Member?
Interfaith dialogue has been important to me since elementary school; it’s a huge part of who I am. In college, I created an independent study for my religious studies major which included planning interfaith dialogues for clergy as part of the National Conference for Community and Justice. I saw how these regularly occurring conversations, which included sharing of personal experiences and discussing larger themes that are often of interest to people across faith traditions (much like iACT’s Red Bench series), created friendships and networks between communities. I believe that getting to know people as people in more ordinary times not only gives us opportunities to create friendships based on shared mutual respect and shared values, it also allows us to truly come together in moments of difficulty and challenges. I was very excited to be asked to serve on iACT’s board to support this organization in doing such vital and holy work.
What do you enjoy the most about your role as a Board Member of iACT?
Supporting opportunities for Austinites to get to know their neighbors that they might otherwise not meet (including myself!) and being a part of such an open-hearted group of individuals.
What’s the most challenging thing about working as a Board Member of iACT?
Finding the time to do it all. But as Pirkei Avot, a collection of Jewish wisdom texts teaches: “The day is short, the work is plentiful, the laborers are indolent, the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent.”
What’s the most rewarding thing about being a Board Member of iACT?
Witnessing the impact that the programs have on individuals and the unique friendships that are created from being part of such a dedicated group of people.
Why would you encourage others to support the work of iACT?
Because the mission of iACT is more essential than ever. The world needs us to cultivate peace and respect through dialogue, service and celebration. We know that one of the best ways to affect change is to start with ourselves, and from there, the ripples of our actions can and will have great impact.