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Long Island - New York, 1972
The Community
From the group that had worked in ICIS beginning in the early 1960's and the younger professionals who formed the development team of The Door in the early 1970's a community began to evolve and become engaged in an intense process of exploring the human values and ideas underlying the founding of both institutions.
Erling Thunberg suggested to several of the younger people to create shared living spaces which would allow for a more active and intense process of learning about the reality of the human and spiritual growth process while at the same time being engaged in the very demanding process of delivering human services to inner city youth in New York City. As a result two large lofts were converted into living spaces and for the next twenty years 20 members of the community lived in these spaces. In addition they acquired a large house in the mountains north of New York City where the older members of the community joined them on weekends. Extended travels over the years to Mexico, California, and in later years to Europe and South America added to the intense learning process and shared human experience.
The members of the community represent a wide range of ages - from young college students to semi-retired academicians, and many professions, including physicians, psychologists, lawyers, educators, artists, management consultants and communications executives. Over the years 12 children were born into the community and became a vital part of it and their presence added much to the human learning process. The community continues; although physically more dispersed, there is an ongoing process of communication and relating and working together in the spirit of exploration and learning.
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