In a sense, at least in St. Louis, Moishe House is fighting an uphill battle. As I see it, our mission in St. Louis is to show post-college Jews in St. Louis a side of the city and the community that they have not seen, in an effort to get them to stay in the city. I don't know if retention is such a problem in other cities, but it underlines everything that goes on here in St. Louis. It is such a problem that Washington University in St. Louis, the "premier" university in the region, serves as a net drain on the area. What this means is that, somewhere around 25% of Wash U students come from the St. Louis region, and only 15-20% actually stay after graduation.
The reasons why this is are numerous, ranging from a lack of jobs to poor infrastructure and public transportation and (I am convinced) a lack of oceanfront property. Just as relevant a question, however, is what to do about it. Moishe House is the perfect example of what to do. More than anything, everyone is just looking for a sense of community, for something to do after the work day, for a place to go for a no-questions asked, no responsibility Shabbat dinner. We have been able to provide that at MH STL, and while the jury is still out on whether or not we are actually making a difference in keeping people in St. Louis, I can say for a fact (and from my own experience) that we are making a difference in people's enjoyment and access to the city while they are here.
Posted by Dave
Moishe House St. Louis
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