February 2021, still in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, sounds like a challenging time to begin your journey as a Jewish Community Builder – but Maryam Chisti wasn’t going to let anything hold her back. 

That February, Maryam founded Moishe House NYC – Lower Manhattan. At the same time, she began working with the LUNAR Collective, an organization supporting Asian American Jews. Today, Maryam is not only one of Mem Global’s most accomplished Community Builders – she’s also LUNAR’s co-Executive Director. 

A friend told Maryam about Moishe House while she was searching for apartments in New York, and she was immediately intrigued. “I had really struggled, in college, to feel like I saw my place in the Jewish communities offered there,” she explains. Moishe House seemed like the perfect chance “to make my own community,” one that “felt welcoming to all types of Jewish folks: mixed race, adoptees, patrilineal Jews, or folks who wanted to learn more about Judaism.” 

Perhaps most meaningfully of all, Maryam found that she “was able to synthesize my Indian and Jewish identities in new and meaningful ways.” One of her favorite programs to lead was Challah Masala Shabbats, where, she adds, “it was so fun to dress my roommates in my Indian outfits and enjoy the food!” 

In 2023, Maryam attended Retreatology, a Mem Global program where participants learn how to lead their own Jewish learning retreats. Afterwards, she used her new skills to host a retreat for Asian Jews in upstate New York, combining Shabbat observance with “identity processing, community building, service,” and, of course, “just fun lake time!” 

“It felt nerve-wracking at the beginning,” she admits. Not only were there lots of logistics to manage, but she wanted to make it a space where people with many identities and levels of observance could all feel welcome.  

But in the end, the weekend was a success – and Maryam hosted a second Asian Jewish retreat in the fall of 2025. (This time, she notes with relief, things ran “like clockwork.”)  

One moment in particular stayed with her: “At our last retreat, our Rabbi wrapped us in a Tallit and gave us a blessing — that felt like a really moving and meaningful moment.” And the people that she brought together have continued that closeness: “Folks broke off and started having weekly Shabbats, going on food tours together, and it’s really become a community.” 

Maryam stepped out of her role as a Resident earlier this spring, but as the Co-Executive Director of the LUNAR Collective, she is still having an impact on Jewish communities across the country.  

Looking back, Maryam finds herself returning to the skills she built as a Community Builder again and again in both her personal and professional lives. “It taught me how to budget accordingly, how to guess-timate how much food you need for a certain amount of guests, how to deal with difficult people, how to keep an event running, how to stand and be nimble on your feet,” she shares. Beyond the practical know-how, she simply found it “quite freeing.” Not only was she able to lead this extraordinary community, but it was also “a wonderful chance to explore the city in new ways, and ways outside of my comfort zone.” 

“I really appreciate Moisha House for always having my back,” Maryam reflects.” “I was worried that my interfaith background would make me a not desirable resident, but they showed me that it was actually the opposite…they allowed me to create the Jewish community that I always wished I had growing up.” 

If you want to support more journeys like Maryam’s, consider giving to one of our 20 Ways to Give! Created in honor of Mem Global’s 20th anniversary, these are 20 meaningful opportunities to support the programs that make a difference for Jewish young adults around the world, including sponsoring a Mem Global retreat.