The JDC is a 100-year-old organization, and when Larry signed on their plans for young adult engagement were limited. Further, he was only one of a few young adults working with the organization. But that presented an opportunity to participate in discussions around what the future of their engagement plans should be.  

These conversations often came back to the value of travel and experiences overseas on behalf of the organization. Not only could it foster lifelong connections for these young adults, but it could also show them a tangible impact they could make on a global scale. 

Thus, Larry and the JDC began the Entwine program to foster this sense of adventure, connection, and impact for young adults. And since it was fiercely entrepreneurial in nature, it was paramount to secure buy in at the JDC and build traction early on. 

“You have to look at your resources and who your biggest advocates are. With Entwine, our CEO and board members were already fans. But we had to get more internal buy-in and strengthen our skin because there were plenty of others who thought the program was heading in the wrong direction or shouldn’t even happen.”

A major learning for Larry here was that you can’t ignore those dissenting opinions. You have to listen to them. Learn what your strengths are, what resonates with people, and where you need to build your idea up. 

“You have to change hearts and minds to show people there are new and exciting ways to do things. Show them how your idea has the power to transform lives and support the overall mission.” 

Then, the day came for Larry to take nine years of success and lessons learned to a new organization, Moishe House International. It was very serendipitous for Larry and proof of the positive benefits his efforts with Entwine had at JDC: the theme of connection came strongly into play once more. 

“Through all my world travels with JDC, the first Moishe House I ever went to was in Buenos Aires in 2010. I saw it on the itinerary, didn’t know what it was, but I was welcomed with open arms when I showed up. Then I visited one in Kiev and Warsaw with JDC as well. I kept connecting with them internationally.” 

Moishe House International was created to get young adults involved in Jewish life and Jewish communities. Their mission was to do it in a new and exciting way, which spoke to Larry’s pioneering spirit that had flourished at JDC. Granted, he was on the fundraising side and leading a development team, which was a new challenge for him. 

“Initially development was a bit harrowing, but I realized there are a lot of people who care about what we’re doing. I just have to find them. Being ignored is part of it, being said, “No” to is part of it. It’s a new puzzle every day.” 

The anxiety around making asks never really goes away, but Larry gets past it by knowing that people are talking with him because they’re interested in Moishe House. And no matter what happens, there’s a team of dedicated, hardworking individuals back at HQ who have his back.  

Thus, as a social impact leader, it’s crucial to cultivate a strong team and help them grow however you can. For example, Larry provides career development paths for all the people on his development team that explicitly outlines what’s ahead of them and how to achieve the next rank. Openness and transparency are also a massive pieces of the puzzle for Larry’s success at Moishe House. 

“When I first joined Moishe House, our CEO and Founder David Siegelman opened up the budget in front of everyone and showed us all the income, expenses, and walked us through everything. If you’re open like this in whatever you do, and don’t hide things, people realize how much they matter to an organization and achieve better outcomes.” 

And that’s really what anyone wants at the end of the day: strong impact from their team and supporters. Listen to the full interview with Larry Gast to get even more about how he’s creating spaces for people to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves at all times.

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