PHOTO: IRWIN KELLER
F R O M O U R E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R There’s a feeling you get when you make a left on to the Commonweal driveway, just as the old RCA building nestled among the cypress and pine trees emerges, with the Farallon Islands and Pacific Ocean behind it—that feeling lets you know everything you need to know about Commonweal. It is a place of natural beauty, of healing, of belonging, of challenges, and of good work. It is a place that is part of this imperfect world, with an imperfect history, trying to make a difference. As we approach our 50th anniversary in 2026, we are reflecting on the unique quality of what happens at Commonweal, drawn from more than four decades of experience supporting healing for people with cancer, youth, physicians and nurses, scientists, farmers, and the environment itself. We have begun to call this quality “the Commonweal Way.” What is the Commonweal Way? It is a collection of qualities and practices emerging from our work and drawn from ancient lineages. It is not only about how we create and manifest our wide range of healing programs, but also how we hold the organization itself. We have a team at the heart of Commonweal, and they—as much as any of our individual programs—manifest the Commonweal Way. Many organizations work like well-oiled machines— staff have defined roles and responsibilities and they stay “in their lane” to produce what the organization needs to fulfill its function. Over the years, Commonweal has evolved into a different way of being, more like a living organism. Co-founder Michael Lerner and I work closely together with an intergenerational Stewardship Circle, holding a deep sense of care for each other. There is a flow throughout our administrative team that ensures that tasks and responsibilities are fulfilled. Yet even behind the scenes, we are driven by a shared mission and way of being. Our staff, board, and leadership team wear many hats; we bring our whole selves to the work; and we treat each other with deep respect On our cover: The Commonweal Chapel. PHOTO: KYRA EPSTEIN
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and humility. This organizational work ethic is sourced in the Commonweal Way. On September 9th we held a small event to celebrate the confluence of two special anniversaries: Michael’s 80th birthday and my own 60th. We gathered staff, board, and community members to mark this moment, to celebrate our history of almost five decades, and to explore and nurture what future decades could be. Michael began the day exploring the intersection of healing and the polycrisis, asking what our calling during these times might be. Several pairings of staff, representing different generations and different communities at Commonweal, held thoughtprovoking conversations from the stage. The day ended with two delicious birthday cakes and a joyful rendition of the Bolinas “Happy Birthday” song.
Oren Slozberg and Michael Lerner at the September 9 gathering. PHOTO: KYRA EPSTEIN
All of this—the personal touches, the intergenerationality, the adaptivity, the eagerness to learn together, the commitment to respond to the call to be part of the world’s healing—all of this is what makes Commonweal unique. This is the heart of what we do and how we endeavor to do it. We face an uncertain world. Things can change in the blink of an eye. But together, in that Commonweal Way, we will face whatever emerges and continue, with your help, to heal ourselves and heal the planet. With gratitude, Oren Slozberg
