COMMUNITY
New JCC CEO wants Albuquerque center open to all
Gal Stav, who was named CEO after a national search, says the Jewish Community Center should be a welcoming home for people of all faiths and backgrounds
Gal Stav, the new CEO for the Jewish Community Center in Albuquerque, is hitting the ground running.
During a meet-and-greet earlier this month in the JCC鈥檚 lobby, she said that she believes the JCC is a place for everyone. The facility is on the 5500 block of Wyoming NE in Albuquerque.
鈥淪tepping into the CEO role has been exciting, busy and full of learning. Beyond the day-to-day work that naturally comes with a new role, I see these first months as my time to really get to know the JCC and the community around it,鈥� Stav said.
Stav, who was born in Greece but moved to Israel at age 4, was named the community center's new CEO after a national search.
This is not Stav鈥檚 first time in New Mexico.
鈥淚 visited New Mexico 20 years ago, and I thought it was beautiful,鈥� Stav said.
Stav's appointment as CEO comes after the previous CEO, Shelly Prant, retired earlier this year following nearly eight years in the role.
鈥淚t doesn't matter what your religious affiliation is 鈥� whatever you define yourself as, everyone can have a home together and exist together,鈥� Stav said.
Stav said she was excited to step into the role of CEO.
鈥淲hat excites me most is what this role gives me the opportunity to build,鈥� said Stav. 鈥淚 believe deeply in the JCC as a proudly Jewish organization, grounded in Jewish values, that also has the ability to bring together people from different cultures, faiths, backgrounds and generations.鈥�
Stav and her wife, Lynette, have two children.
鈥淢y family is the most important thing in the world to me. As a proud LGBTQ+ family, it is especially meaningful to me to lead a Jewish organization where families like ours can see themselves fully reflected in the community. I鈥檓 proud to be part of a JCC where inclusion and belonging are not just values we talk about, but values we live," she said.
She has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in communications and journalism from Sapir College and a master鈥檚 degree in Holocaust research from the University of Haifa, both universities in Israel.
She additionally has a master鈥檚 degree in Philosophy and a doctorate in Religion, with a specialization in Jewish Studies, both from Syracuse University.
Isabella Campbell is an intern with the New Mexico Local 近距离内射合集 Fellowships and Internships Program. She can be reached at icampbell@abqjournal.com.
