Hey Comrades,
Ilan here from Cape Town.
Cape Town has experienced intense flooding recently, our house survived ( as we are rich and are located on a high lying region) , but some 10 000 shacks (tiny tin squares) got destroyed leaving many homeless. So besides for the global warming the 2nd 6 months will be heating up for other reasons too. CT may be cold and I may only be doing 2 courses at Uni for the next 6 months (yay!) but our house is buzzing like a 24 hr quicky mart (Simpson fever does exist in CT too...).
After my travels to Durban (to run a Jew camp) and then to Swaziland ( to make fun of poor black people..that was a joke, dont stress I am not racist), Swaziland is beautiful and a very illuminating insight into our culture, Our House is happily back together and , like any other semi-functional body, had a much needed break from each other. Changes are happening too:
* Emma has declared her undying love for a girl in her class
* Daniel B is swopping rooms with Kev Sack
* Daanie has become fat ( not "ph" fat i.e. "phat")
* Kevin hair growth has increased.
We have some unbelievable things coming up. The 2 that spring to my mind immediately are
1. The upcoming massive Chill at our House this Fri with nargilah, coffee etc
and
2. The upcoming Limmud next weekend.
- Limmud is a branded concept imported from Britain. it is a massive pluralistic Jewish learning environment where people from all different walks come together to learn, socialise , debate and engage. The Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Dr Rabbi (Orthodoxy is the way) Warren Goldstein, has condemned the event on the basis that it accords equal status to Reform and Orthodox peoples. This is a tragedy, and does not bode well for the future of the Jewish Community in South Africa which is increasingly becoming more and more polarised between the close-minded "Orthodoxy" and the more liberal and engaging entangled alternatives.
Otherwise I wish all Moishe Housniks a fulfilling 2nd 6 months and a challenging one.
Salaam Aleikum,
Strauss
Moishe House Cape Town
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
back at moishe... another month, another group of jews
hello young fellow moishes
wow, its great to be back. we've all been on our seperate ways, and finally, we're back at the best place of all - our cape town moishe house.
me and a bunch of (jewish) mates went up to Durban, this rather large city on the other side of south africa. it's about 3000 kms away (sorry, dont know miles!)
we ran a camp for a bunch of jewish kids there, but before, we travelled through the country, stopping at all these different places. its amazing, cause jews used to dominate these small towns - they acted as peddlers and shopsellers and the like. in most of the towns, there are memorials to them, and sometimes, even synagoges - even though there are very few, if any, jews left in these places.
now we're back at home, and back at university. hopefully we'll have as many events as last 6 months, something i frankly cant wait for.
moishe!
DB
wow, its great to be back. we've all been on our seperate ways, and finally, we're back at the best place of all - our cape town moishe house.
me and a bunch of (jewish) mates went up to Durban, this rather large city on the other side of south africa. it's about 3000 kms away (sorry, dont know miles!)
we ran a camp for a bunch of jewish kids there, but before, we travelled through the country, stopping at all these different places. its amazing, cause jews used to dominate these small towns - they acted as peddlers and shopsellers and the like. in most of the towns, there are memorials to them, and sometimes, even synagoges - even though there are very few, if any, jews left in these places.
now we're back at home, and back at university. hopefully we'll have as many events as last 6 months, something i frankly cant wait for.
moishe!
DB
Testament
I was going to blog something about my time in Israel but it appears that quite a few of you have already done that (well not about my time but your time). I think it is a testament to what an amazing community Moishe House is that so many of us have so very recently spent time in Israel. MHDC is doing well and we're looking forward to August. We're getting really amped for the high holidays which is actually quite nice as I haven't been excited about them in some years. I look forward to the next couple of months.
best,
C. Silva
best,
C. Silva
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Oh the journey of a moishe
While life rolls along, the Cape Town Moishe house has been busy like fire monkeys (may be a fictional animal).
over the last month i spent 3 weeks in Israel. I was part of an you organized tour showing 80 young Jews the super-interesting-historically-significant-often-controversial-spiritually-inspiring land of Israel.It was an incredible experience returning to israel (I spent a year living there when i was 18). It was cool to speak hebrew again and just soak in the Israeli culture.
Now I'm back and just sliding into schedule once again. We had a skype call with brad earlier and that got me pretty excited about the upcoming month of August.
What can i tell you about recent house developments? Well our landlord has decided he wants to sell the house we're renting. So alas we're going to have to find a new Moishe house and keep the flame burning. In the meantime Barnett and I are swapping rooms- i know it sounds like the lead up to a great story but alas, we just simply wanted a change.
anyway thats it from me
Kev
South Africa
over the last month i spent 3 weeks in Israel. I was part of an you organized tour showing 80 young Jews the super-interesting-historically-significant-often-controversial-spiritually-inspiring land of Israel.It was an incredible experience returning to israel (I spent a year living there when i was 18). It was cool to speak hebrew again and just soak in the Israeli culture.
Now I'm back and just sliding into schedule once again. We had a skype call with brad earlier and that got me pretty excited about the upcoming month of August.
What can i tell you about recent house developments? Well our landlord has decided he wants to sell the house we're renting. So alas we're going to have to find a new Moishe house and keep the flame burning. In the meantime Barnett and I are swapping rooms- i know it sounds like the lead up to a great story but alas, we just simply wanted a change.
anyway thats it from me
Kev
South Africa
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Building Partnerships
Moishe House Sacramento has been trying to build some partnerships with local people and agencies to put on events, and we are very excited to say that it is working wonderfully. Darwin's Nightmare (7/17) was the first of a series of documentaries that will be shown, as part of a new activism interest group put on by the UC Davis School of Medicine and Moishe House (mad props to Ari & Stella!!). We are also partnering with the Jewish Federation to play some floor hockey (8/6), and coordinating with local businesses to help fund raise for the Hear Beat run in October.
Oh, and I almost forgot, we had the pleasure of hosting the talented and dashing Issac Zones last week. It was magical and beautiful and we let him pass out on our couch after a long trip back from the holy land. You are welcome any time Issac. Much love to the Moishe's of the world from Sacramento.
Giving some advice to the big guys at Federation
You know those ice cream socials that Hillel's plan, or the get-to-know-you parties that Jewish institutions sometimes plan to ENGAGE young Jews? Like the ones where it kind of feels like a high school dance that the parents planned so that the kids wouldn't go to a real party?
Well, part of the reason I wanted to start the Moishe/Kavod house is so that I could meet people without having to go to those awkward gatherings. I wanted a Jewish community that felt non-institutional, where I as a young person had a say, where my good ideas and good heart where as valuable as my purse strings. I wanted to find a community whose goal went beyond getting its members to produce Jewish babies, though if some Jewish babies come out of the deal, I'll be the first one to eat bagels at the bris. Or babynaming.
Anyway, this week, we have had two interesting experiences that lead me to believe we are on to something. First, the Federation called me and asked to meet and learn more about what we are doing. It turns out they are making a strategic plan, and like the way our house has been growing in all sorts of directions by giving young people real responsibility, training leaders, and connecting with interesting social justice campaigns, art opportunities, and creative ritual. So we met, and had an amazing conversation about how to democratize the Jewish community, make it more welcoming for young people and progressives, and allow for more avenues for leadership and growth.
Then, next week, folks from our house (and other people Ben helped organize) are having a meeting with the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), the political arm of the federation. They will talk about how to improve Jewish Muslim relations in Boston, which haven't been great recently. As young Jews with relationships with the Muslim community through our dialogues and joint social justice work, we are able to provide a unique perspective to the JCRC, and help create the political will to allow its leaders to do the right thing.
In both cases, it is exciting to feel that the institutional Jewish community not only doesn't feel threatened by our non-institutional work, but also encourages it and is seeking our advice. By operating independently but also work with institutional leaders, we have the potential to build power for Jewish young people and progressives and push our institutions to reflect the values those young progressives hold.
Well, part of the reason I wanted to start the Moishe/Kavod house is so that I could meet people without having to go to those awkward gatherings. I wanted a Jewish community that felt non-institutional, where I as a young person had a say, where my good ideas and good heart where as valuable as my purse strings. I wanted to find a community whose goal went beyond getting its members to produce Jewish babies, though if some Jewish babies come out of the deal, I'll be the first one to eat bagels at the bris. Or babynaming.
Anyway, this week, we have had two interesting experiences that lead me to believe we are on to something. First, the Federation called me and asked to meet and learn more about what we are doing. It turns out they are making a strategic plan, and like the way our house has been growing in all sorts of directions by giving young people real responsibility, training leaders, and connecting with interesting social justice campaigns, art opportunities, and creative ritual. So we met, and had an amazing conversation about how to democratize the Jewish community, make it more welcoming for young people and progressives, and allow for more avenues for leadership and growth.
Then, next week, folks from our house (and other people Ben helped organize) are having a meeting with the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), the political arm of the federation. They will talk about how to improve Jewish Muslim relations in Boston, which haven't been great recently. As young Jews with relationships with the Muslim community through our dialogues and joint social justice work, we are able to provide a unique perspective to the JCRC, and help create the political will to allow its leaders to do the right thing.
In both cases, it is exciting to feel that the institutional Jewish community not only doesn't feel threatened by our non-institutional work, but also encourages it and is seeking our advice. By operating independently but also work with institutional leaders, we have the potential to build power for Jewish young people and progressives and push our institutions to reflect the values those young progressives hold.
About to vacate...
Don't worry, I ain't leaving the house. I'm just going on vacation. That's right...old man Healey will be spending some time with the fam in the Canadian Rockies. Fighting grizzly bears, knocking back the LaBatt's...well, the good times are just about guaranteed.
But speaking of vacating (or perhaps the opposite thereof), the big news from MoHouse Boston is that we've got a full house again! Joe "The Truth" Gindi has been with us since June, but Sarah "I speak with a cute British accent" Gershuny has finally joined our little clans of Moishians. She seems quite cool, but she's leading Shabbat services this Friday, so we'll see how she really stacks up then!
The other big news for the month is that we've secured a weekly column in Boston's Jewish Advocate. Called "Community with a Purpose," the first column went in last week -- "that was a nice piece, Ben"; "aw, shucks, thanks, guys" -- and we've lined up a team of community members to write every week over the next couple of months. If things go well (and why wouldn't they? we rock!), we'll have a progressive young Jewish voice commenting in that public space about all sorts of issues affecting our community and our generation for a long time to come.
Yep, you can say it...we're doing damn fine work.
See ya all on the other side of the Continental Divide! PEACE!
But speaking of vacating (or perhaps the opposite thereof), the big news from MoHouse Boston is that we've got a full house again! Joe "The Truth" Gindi has been with us since June, but Sarah "I speak with a cute British accent" Gershuny has finally joined our little clans of Moishians. She seems quite cool, but she's leading Shabbat services this Friday, so we'll see how she really stacks up then!
The other big news for the month is that we've secured a weekly column in Boston's Jewish Advocate. Called "Community with a Purpose," the first column went in last week -- "that was a nice piece, Ben"; "aw, shucks, thanks, guys" -- and we've lined up a team of community members to write every week over the next couple of months. If things go well (and why wouldn't they? we rock!), we'll have a progressive young Jewish voice commenting in that public space about all sorts of issues affecting our community and our generation for a long time to come.
Yep, you can say it...we're doing damn fine work.
See ya all on the other side of the Continental Divide! PEACE!
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