Dancing into the Community Equation

Last month I found myself speechless in Jerusalem after a bus ride that opened my eyes and changed my life. But violence was not the reason for my speechlessness. It was community.

Picture two white buses winding down an empty highway in the desert, the receding blue waters of the Dead Sea stretching out to the right and an endless expanse of sand dunes to the left, sunlight pouring in on all sides. Inside my bus, the Goldstar, there was music, mayhem, and millennials. We were ecstatic to be there. I mean, how often do “adults” get to go on world tours together? We had been forming new bonds, seeing beautiful sights, learning historical and heartbreaking stories, and having deep discussions about leadership and social change.

The company I work for, a human-centered private equity firm in San Francisco called Alpine Investors, had given me its blessing to attend a very unusual leadership development opportunity that brings together passionate change-makers from all walks of life for one magical week in Israel to explore ways of practicing values-based leadership and building intentional communities in service of tikkun olam (repairing the world). This was a diverse trip inclusive of all religious affiliations and perspectives.

To entertain ourselves on this bus ride en route to Jerusalem from Masada, we decided to do something really meaningful… have a dance-off. The message quickly spread in whispers down the aisles that our adorable and talented tour guide, Hadara, would be the winner. Within a matter of minutes, we had raised $200.

Energized by our own momentum, we started self organizing. One woman began delegating tasks, and a producer was born. A man took the microphone, and an emcee emerged. Another guy seized the auxiliary cord and became the DJ, while yet another rose his iPhone and became the videographer. A panel of judges formed, two people walked the aisle raising money, and a number of brave souls stepped up as contestants. Before we knew it, we had a full-scale production on our hands and a full bus of people who were totally engaged. Our growing enthusiasm summoned what can best be described as the “Yes, And…!” spirit of improvisational comedy, wherein participants not only accept but build off the ideas and actions of others, resulting in a new and expansive shared reality. That was us.

The bus buzzed with energy and, with the emcee’s gregarious guidance, the contest began. From song to song, shimmie to twerk, and neck roll to hip thrust, enthusiasm escalated. Cheers of support filled the air as people danced down the aisle of a moving catwalk snaking its way through the desert, Israel on one side and the West Bank on the other. The final dance-off pitted Hadara against a professional acrobat who made moves we didn’t even know existed, but the loud cheers of the bus declared Hadara the rightful winner.

When all was said and done, we had crowd-sourced a lavish production and raised about $1,500 in just 90 minutes?—?on a moving bus.

Hadara was stunned as she approached the mic to accept her prize; then she stunned us by announcing that she would give all the proceeds to Kids Creating Peace, an organization we had all been exposed to earlier in the week that empowers Israeli and Palestinian youth to advocate for peace through emotional intelligence development.

As we rolled into Jerusalem, we were blown away by what had just materialized between us and through us. Lively bodies filled the aisles and we danced altogether in celebration of this magnificent moment as the ancient city danced back at us through the windows, the scene now alight with green hills, white stones, minarets, and the gold, glistening dome of the Temple Mount. In that moment, Jerusalem felt like a place full of promise and potential.

However inconsequential $1,500 may be in the grand scheme of an unspeakably complex set of social, political, religious and humanitarian circumstances, we had pooled our passion, talent and resources to create a life-affirming experience for our own community while providing a sliver oftikkun olam for the Israeli-Palestinian community.

The Community Equation

When we take time to rise above the constraints of our individual paradigms and say “Yes, And…!” to the power of community, possibilities open up, reality bends, and a new, surprising equation takes form.

It is a limiting belief that 1 + 1 =2. From a community perspective, 1+1 = 11.

When you put 1 and 1 side by side?—?when you bring individuals together?—?suddenly the whole is legitimately greater than the sum of its parts. By thinking bigger, and more inclusively, you can truly end up with more than you ever imagined possible.

Think of the exponential impact we can have on our world if we all take the time to open our minds to each other, stand side by side in service of tikkun olam and proclaim together, “Yes, And…!”

Appreciations: Thank you Sekou Andrews for challenging our community to “be voiceful.” Thank you Aimen Barma of YouCaring for sharing your grandfather’s fabulous 1+1 = 11 equation. Thank you Schusterman Foundation for your inspirational mission and unbelievable generosity, thank you Summit Series for bringing together amazing people, and thank you Alpine Investors for investing in me.