Ben Lusher served as Moishe House board chair from March 2019 to March 2022.
Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside the amazing professionals at Moishe House as they help guide residents to redefine what community looks like to them. I’ve witnessed Moishe House community members supporting each other during the darkest days of this pandemic. I’ve seen them navigating these choppy waters with innovative programming and constant optimism. I’ve studied with our Jewish educators as I searched for solace and wisdom from our Jewish teachings and traditions. Every time it felt like the burden was too heavy or the outlook too dire, I found support from a committed and engaged Board of Directors.
This global pandemic pushed, prodded, and strained the Moishe House ecosystem. But it did not break us. In the pain, we found resilience; in the darkness, we found a guiding light; and during a difficult and historical moment, we found that our global community was strong, nimble, and ready to address challenges head-on. Our community is 36 young adults from all over the world sharing their unique perspectives and experiences as panelists during the inaugural season of our Global Voices program; our community is 400 residents from 28 countries gathering virtually to share their programming ideas during our annual CouchCon community builder conference; our community is 2,800 young adults virtually engaging in the world’s largest global color war; and our community is 31,914 young adults participating in programs held in 30 countries by our network of 152 houses and pods – the largest network of peer-to-peer programming in the world.
Community is what we make it – and I will always be grateful to have been a part of this community during this historic moment in time. I am thankful to all the professional staff at Moishe House who have worked tirelessly to make sure that young adults continue to have the tools to build their communities. I’m thankful to a Board of Directors that never flinched in the face of unprecedented challenges, and I’m in awe of the network of community builders that never stopped building meaningful connections. It has been a privilege to be a small part of this unique and amazing global organization – and I can’t wait to see what Moishe House does next.
Ben Lusher is the CEO of Nexus BSP, LLC which currently holds non-operated working interests in 250 producing wells and 8,000 net leasehold acres in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma. He has served on the Moishe House board for three years and also supports the organization as a donor.
