Senior Associate Bob Stains Celebrated as an Inter-Religious Beacon of Hope
“I really understand my work as helping people become more fully human to one another.”
The Miller Center at Hebrew College honored EP Senior Associate Bob Stains this month as an Inter-Religious Beacon of Hope, someone who embodies the values of inclusivity, justice, and compassion.
Over the course of three decades, Senior Associate Bob Stains has been a beacon of hope for the Essential Partners community as well as hundreds of partners around the globe. We are endlessly grateful for the brilliance, care, and warmth he brings to this work.
In his interview with Adam Zemel at Hebre College, Bob reflects on the course of his career as well as the deeper motives and commitments that draw him to the work:
“I come to this work from a spiritual perspective. I describe it in different ways depending on my context. One Jewish teaching I find helpful is the Kabbalistic notion that the original vessels of creation shattered long ago and that “sparks” of divinity can be discovered in all of life. This includes uncovering sacred light in our fellow human beings and in our selves. Inspired by great mystics like Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav and others (as taught to me by my colleague Rabbi David Jaffe), I see my work as enabling people to be more open or permeable to one another and to God’s presence.”
Read the rest of their interview with Bob at the Hebrew College website.
