BIO
Jonathan Klassen recently joined the Abara team, although he has been a friend and supporter since its inception. He provides operational and organizational support in the areas of hospitality, administration, and facilities.
Jonathan is of Mennonite background, with roots in the Mennonite diaspora coming out of Russia in the late 1800’s. He was born in Canada and migrated to the United States as a child. He has immediate and extended family throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, and beyond. His familial migration history has driven his interest in current migration patterns and Abara’s mission.
Jonathan has an eclectic blend of interests and life experiences, including volunteering with faith-based organizations in the United States and overseas, long-distance backpacking and overseas travel, regenerative agriculture, sociological study and ethnographic work, and most recently managing facilities and maintenance for a company in El Paso. He and his wife Abby have two young children, and his family brings him great joy.
Living in this border region for most of the last 15 years has been transformative for Jonathan, and he is excited to be a part of Abara's mission of bringing the border's lessons of human connections and community across divides to all who are interested in learning them.