When Mark joined JSP’s first Educator Studio cohort, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “I didn’t really have much of a grasp on what it was all about. It turned out to be pretty special, I loved it.”

What began as a cohort became an ongoing practice: he stayed connected with his chavruta, returned to JSP retreats and programs, and even co-led a workshop exploring the Jewish Studio Process through music. That continuity of practice and community has helped Mark grow more confident both as a day school principal and cantorial soloist. “JSP has opened me up to different ways of looking at things and different ways of connecting things in my work.”

Over time, the creative exploration of Jewish text has changed not just what Mark knows, but how he leads, giving him greater confidence, inspiration, and a renewed sense that Jewish learning can be joyful. He found particular meaning in the studio practice to “follow pleasure” and carries that practice into his work with students and congregants, believing that “there should always be an element of enjoyment.” For Mark, JSP has become a way to deepen both his Jewish identity and his leadership: “It adds to my identity as a Jew and my confidence as a leader.”