Adina Allen
- Email: adina@jewishstudioproject.org, Cell #: (617)970-9039, Instagram and FB: @jewishstudioproject
Three things I want everyone to know about me are…
- I am an avid hiker, scuba diver, lover-of-nature. In my past life I was an environmental researcher, and it was in the course of doing field work that I experienced a calling to the rabbinate, something I had never before considered.
- I am the mom of 2 kids (7 & 10) and am learning and failing and growing every day as a parent, especially as a parent who puts so much of her time and energy into work. Trying to figure out how to also prioritize family when I am often consumed by not only the day-to-day tasks but also the ideas I spend my time on at work.
- I work really closely with my family members, specifically my spouse, with whom I founded Jewish Studio Project and who serves as the Executive Director, and my mom, who is a prominent figure in the world of art therapy, on whose work much of our work is based. I feel really fortunate to get to know, learn with/from and appreciate both my spouse and my mom in new ways through working with them (and, I know, it’s not for everyone!)
Three things I want everyone to know about my work / organization are…
- We believe that cultivating creativity is a core competency for navigating the challenges and harnessing the potential of our time. Creativity is the wellspring of our deepest power and among the best tools we have for exploring, adapting, and bringing forth new ways to thrive in our ever-changing world. Creativity is inherent within all of us, yet we live in a society in which most of us are cut off from this essential part of who we are. This is a crisis of spirit and imagination. Jewish Studio Project (JSP) exists to address this profound need.
- JSP was founded on the belief that each one of us is created creative. Over the past nine years, JSP has become a go-to resource for accessible Jewish learning and spiritual connection across the country. Through ongoing community programs, immersive experiences, creative facilitator training and professional development partnerships, JSP is building a movement to activate the creative power of the Jewish community.
- JSP is at an exciting inflection point as we move to the scaling stage of our work. Now a team of 10, we are poised to hire 4 new staff positions and expand into 2 new major cities (LA and Boston) this year. I am thrilled and so excited by the ways in which those in JSP’s growing Facilitator Network are adopting, adapting and spreading this work to their communities.
Three intentions / gifts / hopes / offerings / superpowers that I’m bringing to these Think / Do Tanks are…
- To come with curiosity, generosity of spirit and an open heart.
- Creativity — excitement to draw from but to imagine beyond where we’ve been, to sense into where the future is calling us.
- My experience as a rabbi / spiritual entrepreneur — with an intention to keep the Sacred at the center of all we do.