So I am giving this a try after bouncing around the blog site the past few days trying to figure out how to actually post something. Guess it helps when I've been given the magic key that lets me in as part of the exclusive, accepted roster of Moishe House bloggers. =)
Life within the Silver Spring Moishe House is most excellent so far. I haven't fully moved in yet: I came home from 3 months working in New England for Nature's Classroom (www.naturesclassroom.org) over a week into our official beginning, and I leave again next week to work for Life-Tech Ventures, Nature's Classroom's summer camp. It's also in New England, which I hereby love. NC has 14 different locations throughout the New England region, but only the headquarters hosts LTV, an hour's drive west of Boston. I expect to chill with the Kavod House at least a couple times this summer. Can't wait to check out Boston, meet the BosMH-ers, & be part of whatever it is the B-ton houseniks have up their sleeves!
I'm really excited to be a part of the Moishe House family & initiative. I have loved my three weeks of involvement thus far and am super-looking forward to coming back home already--and I haven't even left yet. :) This is amazing -- I am incredibly grateful to be included in this world-wide network, this community, this Jewish energy. I can't wait to meet everyone.
Of course, what I really want to do is now travel to all the different houses, meet everyone in their homes, experience each house in action.
Worldly cultural traveling dreams....
(Sort of fits with my desires to visit synagogues around the world & to create some sort of dance travel cultural exchange/engagement in Israel, and perhaps in other cultural regions as well...)
I hope you enjoy the chapters I write & the submissions you read from everyone else.
You've given me a platform through which I can share myself & my thoughts ... this may be dangerous: I love to write. :)
Looking forward to being your writer for as long as you are willing to be my audience --
Have a wonderful summer in case I do not get the opportunity to write while I am away (the site where I will be working does not have internet access),
&,
Till next time ~
Sincerely,
Rachael A.
=)
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Summer is Over
Hi, This is Jen from Moishe House Sacramento
My summer break is over and I am back at school. 6 weeks just is not a long enough vacation. Summary of my summer break: (1) Got started on a research project on the outcomes of environmentally methamphetamine-exposed kids. (2) Went on a bunch of backpacking and hiking trips. (3) Got stung by a bee on my foot….twice. Had to take steroids, because the allergic reaction was so bad.
The last weekend before going back to school was great. We took a group of people on a hike to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite. Every person in our group made it up to the top and back down safely. People made some new friends, had a great time, and proved to themselves that they could hike the 4800 feet of elevation gain and the 16 miles round trip. For me, the best part was having my 2 younger sisters and my dad on the trip. It was a good time.
My summer break is over and I am back at school. 6 weeks just is not a long enough vacation. Summary of my summer break: (1) Got started on a research project on the outcomes of environmentally methamphetamine-exposed kids. (2) Went on a bunch of backpacking and hiking trips. (3) Got stung by a bee on my foot….twice. Had to take steroids, because the allergic reaction was so bad.
The last weekend before going back to school was great. We took a group of people on a hike to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite. Every person in our group made it up to the top and back down safely. People made some new friends, had a great time, and proved to themselves that they could hike the 4800 feet of elevation gain and the 16 miles round trip. For me, the best part was having my 2 younger sisters and my dad on the trip. It was a good time.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
CD Mix Tape? Check! Moishe House softball shirts? Double Check!!
Okay I think I am almost-maybe-sort-of-kinda-a-little ready to go to Israel. On Monday I will be going to Israel for a month. I have only been to Israel once before on the highly controlled and supervised Birthright tour. This time I will have more free time than I can imagined. Sure I was nervious three years ago when I left for Guatemala with a one-way ticket and limited Spanish skills, but somehow going to Israel feels very different. I am sure it is a mixture of the facts that Israel is always in the news - sadly for reasons of political distress and violence - and that, well... it is Israel. A place full of familiar culture and faces. A place which others will tell me is my home land. A place with history more famous than any other I know. A foreign place.
So I have decided that I will try to bring as many gifts as I can. I have four Moishe House softball shirts and will be carrying 20 copies (maybe 30) of a mix tape (actually CD) of some of my favorite new music. Oh I almost forgot, I need to get some American candy. But here is the thing. "American" candy is everywhere. It is not unique. The whole world has had Snickers, Twix, M&M, etc. I need something unique. I think I will bring some Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger. I think Hershey owns one of them, but oh well. I am hoping these gifts will be my ticket to safe travels and good times.
Wish me luck!
So I have decided that I will try to bring as many gifts as I can. I have four Moishe House softball shirts and will be carrying 20 copies (maybe 30) of a mix tape (actually CD) of some of my favorite new music. Oh I almost forgot, I need to get some American candy. But here is the thing. "American" candy is everywhere. It is not unique. The whole world has had Snickers, Twix, M&M, etc. I need something unique. I think I will bring some Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger. I think Hershey owns one of them, but oh well. I am hoping these gifts will be my ticket to safe travels and good times.
Wish me luck!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Maryland Moishe House Bangs it Out
Last night was event #1 of the Silver Spring, Maryland Moishe House.
The turnout was great, gathering over 20 solid and beautiful souls. We spoke about the nature of community, and the Moishe House mission.
I learned something mamash important last night --- Diversity is so key. The residents really differ in terms of interests. I was a bit nervous about this at first, now I see that this will be a HUGE asset.
Keepin' it real.
The turnout was great, gathering over 20 solid and beautiful souls. We spoke about the nature of community, and the Moishe House mission.
I learned something mamash important last night --- Diversity is so key. The residents really differ in terms of interests. I was a bit nervous about this at first, now I see that this will be a HUGE asset.
Keepin' it real.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Beebs.
So we bust our first Moishe House DC Summer BBQ. All excited. Saturday trip to Costco. Zipcar is reserved. NO!!!! Greedy bastard doesnt return the car on time. Its hot and we cant wait so we complain and complain to Canadian customer service and get one free hour if zipcar. YES!!! But no costco. NO!!!
Next day, salvage supplies from el safeway, no, is a sprinkler on, we feel drops. Rain. NO!!! again. Rain, rain, go away. BBQ + rain = bad idea. So tons of food, no outside space, we expect a mass exodus from MHDCBBQ. NO!!!
Trickles of people at first. Suddenly close to forty. All is salvaged on a rainy Sunday. yes.
Adam in DC
Next day, salvage supplies from el safeway, no, is a sprinkler on, we feel drops. Rain. NO!!! again. Rain, rain, go away. BBQ + rain = bad idea. So tons of food, no outside space, we expect a mass exodus from MHDCBBQ. NO!!!
Trickles of people at first. Suddenly close to forty. All is salvaged on a rainy Sunday. yes.
Adam in DC
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
travels and blogging
hey all! David Weinberg in MHDC here. I've been in Israel over the last week, so please excuse the late blog posting.
here's what I think: moishe house let's us all be grownups, despite serving the needs of a young community.
why do I say that? well first off, we get to play host. that's key. it's like being parents and having roughly 100 children a month come over for playdates at your place. also, instead of forcing creative judaism on others, we get to create a nurturing space in which for others to find their comfortable means of self-expression. but really, what it comes down to for me is the notion of tikkun olam in the Americanized sense of it. What do we all want to be when we grow up? No matter what the specific, individual answers may be for each one of us, the general answer is always to change the world. Now, the particular answers usually vary based on how each of us views meaningful avenues for change in the world and other factors, but the goal is strikingly, uniformly the same. very few corporate raiders say "i just wanna get rich." very few politicians claim they're in it for the power, even if they end up embezzling or doing greasy things thusly.
I digress.
Point is, by doing what we all to in our respective Moishe Houses, we're ALREADY making the world a better place.
So what do you want to be when you grow up? My answer for today is "a good person and a facilitator of Jewish education". I think yours is already, too!
the end.
here's what I think: moishe house let's us all be grownups, despite serving the needs of a young community.
why do I say that? well first off, we get to play host. that's key. it's like being parents and having roughly 100 children a month come over for playdates at your place. also, instead of forcing creative judaism on others, we get to create a nurturing space in which for others to find their comfortable means of self-expression. but really, what it comes down to for me is the notion of tikkun olam in the Americanized sense of it. What do we all want to be when we grow up? No matter what the specific, individual answers may be for each one of us, the general answer is always to change the world. Now, the particular answers usually vary based on how each of us views meaningful avenues for change in the world and other factors, but the goal is strikingly, uniformly the same. very few corporate raiders say "i just wanna get rich." very few politicians claim they're in it for the power, even if they end up embezzling or doing greasy things thusly.
I digress.
Point is, by doing what we all to in our respective Moishe Houses, we're ALREADY making the world a better place.
So what do you want to be when you grow up? My answer for today is "a good person and a facilitator of Jewish education". I think yours is already, too!
the end.
Another month....
So another month at hoboken moishe house has gone by. This has been a month of apartment growth and change as we got new furniture and are interviewing potential new roomates as JR is leaving us for law school soon. My favourite moment of the month was when we had a tea party and it was tearrific. I taught people how a little basil, cardomon, fennel, anise, and cloves (all spices) can make some really fine tasting tea's. It was alot of fun, I also begun discussing with some of our regulars ways to attract even more people and what they would like to do for events so I'm thinking we will attract even more and new people this month. On the funny note I wanted to recruite this girl i knew in college for moishe house...she lives in hoboken andi bumped into here on my walk home from the train. One problem though was that I couldnt remember her name, it made it a bisle awkward but I got her email when I told her it was so I could tell her about moishe hizouse. - Josh (Hoboken)
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