Moishe House NYC - Joel - March

If there is a Moishe House New York City then I'm it.

I arrived just before midnight the night before Purim, ready for my month's internship with Storahtelling ('Jewish Ritual Theater Revived'). It took me three hours to make my way from Newark airport to where I was staying in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, including half an hour walking through the rain (hmmm... should probably have looked up exactly what subway stop to get off at before flying).

Eight hours later I was at the 6th Street Synagogue downtown Manhattan, being introduced to Storahtelling cast and crew and preparing for my company debut. That night. As Jesus. And Esther. At the same time.

Adorned with long blond wig and and crown of real thorns, easily interchangeable with tiara for when Yeshu becomes Queen of Persia, I paraded up and down the synagogue after the megillah reading. I was, by this time, feeling decidedly ill, but the show must go on. The adrenaline got me through. That and the thought of finishing off the show with a rousing solo rendition of 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'.

I've since moved to Noho, which is fantastic, and started my work on various Storahtelling shows, getting to know the staff better and being properly introduced to their mission and work - to change the face of Judaism, no less, at least in how people relate to the Torah reading.

But I'm quite certain there'll be nothing quite like that first day.

Prayer Flags and Answered Prayers

Shalom, Moishe Lovelies!

First, I need to give a shout out to Moishe House Philly for helping with our book tour event a couple weeks ago, and I'm psyched to come to Seattle next weekend, where I hope to see the Seattle Moishe House folks.

Next, I wanted to reflect on an awesome thing that happened today. This morning I got up all excited because Sarah had organized an event where we make prayer flags to decorate our upstairs. The idea is to make visual representations of what we are praying for, as a way of creating a physical space that actually inspires prayer during our services. So I mentioned to Sarah that I would see her later, but then it turned out that she had also helped plan ANOTHER event that she was attending, which was a concert to benefit the local super progressive ritual bath (mikveh). And our friend Laura, who is an emerging leader at the house, was running the prayer flag event herself.

So I joined the prayer flag event, which was really fun, but then half way through, a bunch of amazing people started showing up, and I was reminded that we had a THIRD event going on in our community, Joe's bi-weekly radical Jewish thought class. So as I finished up gluing my fabric representation of people at a social justice rally, I got to listen as a new leader at our house helped folks explore their attitudes towards Torah and texts in building a Jewish social justice movement.

Anyway, as I made my prayer flag, I couldn't help but think about how this day represents some sort of answer to a prayer I had when we were just starting up, that we would have this kind of community where all these people are making things happen, so that I can just attend, enjoy myself, and be proud and supportive of all the holy work taking place.

Aliyah of Moishe House Minsk

Real Belarusian Males

Popularly referred to as "Man Day," February 23rd is a Belarusian holiday designated for the celebration of those of the masculine persuasion, specifically those who serve in the Belarusian armed forces. Little boys, adult men, and grandfathers alike are given gifts and praised, as they represent the defenders of Belarus. There's nothing quite like "Man Day" to reinforce strong gender identities!

So how do the Minskers celebrate their noble men?
First, since Day of Motherland Defenders and Armed Forces is a national holiday, there are usually wreath laying ceremonies and speeches given by high ranking officials.



Second, there are fireworks ceremonies in the national colors of Belarus, red, green and white, all over the city on the night of "Man Day."

(P.S. The fireworks in honor of New Years only stopped happening every night about one week ago...but I digress...)

Even Belarusian cellular telephone company, Velcom, offers a special Motherland Defenders Day deal!

And what do Minskettes do for their manly compatriots? Quite like the platoons and battalions they celebrate, scores of women storm the men's departments of the national stores like GUM and TZUM in search of the perfect present. Popular gifts include cologne, neckties, pens, and underwear, especially in camouflage print.

TZUM="Central Universal Store"

It was actually in TZUM that I learned just how fun shopping for "Man Day" can be. I was thinking that the abundance of women's events offered by Moishe House Minsk is a tad discriminatory, so we decided to offer a males only "Man Day" event. Natasha and I wanted to present our man friends with Moishe House Minsk logo undies. This required going to TZUM and requesting from the friendly store clerk, 12 pairs of white boxer-briefs in various sizes, and some permanent markers for printing our logo.

Imagine:

Me: "Excuse me, can I have 12 white underpants please?"
Clerk: "12?" (She looked at me like I was either an idiot or socially deviant. I couldn't tell which.)
Me: "Da"
Clerk: (She started handing me men's thong-style underwear.)
Me: "Uh. Nyet. Different ones, please"
Clerk: "We only have 9 pairs of regular white underwear." (She paused while impatient women behind me in line started to fume.)
Me: "What about those?" (I pointed to the very large pile of what can only be described as many more than 9 pairs of exactly what I was asking for.)
Clerk: "Uh huh." (She handed me more and more pairs as I counted them in Russian. Under the intensity of the moment, I blanked at the number 7. Older woman behind poked me with her umbrella, kindly reminding me, "syem!")
Me: "12 pairs, ok, that's enough. Thank you."


I paid and was on my merry way to the stationary department to do it all over again, but this time I only needed one red permanent marker for printing "Moishe House Minsk" on the triumphantly obtained unmentionables.

Natasha has great printing skills!

So the man-friends of Moishe House Minsk had their male-only event which included both fun, and learning about influential chemist and Jewish hero, Chaim Weizmann.

Hooray (Ooorah! in Russian) for Motherland Defenders and for the XY chromosomed contingent of Moishe House Minsk!

Presenting the bold, brave, strapping, and resolute! Moishe House Minsk Man Friends!

Natasha of Moishe House Minsk

Привет, друзья!
Не знаю, есть такой праздник только у русских или он есть и в других странах, но тем не менее у нас он есть и про него я Вам расскажу+ 23 февраля - День защитников Отечества, или проще говоря - мужской день. И мы, естественно, с Алиичкой не могли не поздравить наших мужчин. Баня только в мужской компании, видимо, прошла на УРА! Ребята остались очень довольны! А после того, как они попарились и поговорили об одном из довольно известных в наших кругах человеке, первом президенте Израиля, выходце из Белоруси, Хаиме Вайцмане, они получили в подарок именные трусы "Moishe House Minsk"  Теперь, для того, чтобы войти в наш Дом - Мойше Хауз - нужно пройти "дрэс-код"  И у тех ребят, у которых есть эти замечательные трусы, есть больше шансов быть на всех мероприятиях Мойше Хауза. (шутка)  На самом деле, двери нашего дома открыты для всех, молодых, красивых, инициативных ребят!
А буквально через 2 недели после "Мужского дня" девочки празднуют свой день - 8 марта - международный женский день! Именно на этот день и выпал Рош Ходеш - начало месяца. Девочки тоже очень красиво отметили свой день, не в бане правда, а дома, но все равно было очень хорошо!

А сейчас мы с Алией в процессе подготовки еще одного замечательного мероприятия - МИМУНЫ. Это традиционный праздник после Песаха евреев Северной Африки и Среднего Востока. Но об этом позже+

Всех целую! Наташа.

Rachael - MHSS - March

What a day!!!

Here's my REAL March post.

So far, so good. Been loving our March events (so many are food-based! How interesting.....), as well as all other March goings-on. Beer battered veggies last week and LOVED the experience -- & the results! So very excited. :) Zach was here (our favorite Jewish cowboy!), I've been working in our various patches of dirt in prep for garden(s) of sorts (I'm excited for planting!), I bought packets of seeds (wooo!), and for fun, I shall share with you a bit of my day today: (it was a lot more amusing as it happened than it will sound here)

Ran some errands this morning -- quite successfully, quite thrilling; a gorgeous day here in MD. I sure do love that Baltimore skyline. Explored & discovered, got some things I have been needing to get, & visited my parents' house....in time for a SEWAGE PARTY!!! Backed-up sewer lines & leaking pipes...it was a Shitwater Fest! My sister and I cracked up quite a lot during this escapade. Sometimes we were laughing so hard we couldn't actually accomplish anything productive. In trying to clear out the storage area that was getting leaked upon, my sister and I became rather innovative (need bequests invention?). If only you, too, could sport the fashionable plastic bag bonnets my sister created to prevent...well, getting dripped on. We're a good team, I must say. And we have pictures to commemorate the day. =D Fabulous. Nothing like family bonding!

PLUS -- not that ANYTHING could top my afternoon adventure! -- we saw one of the foxes that frequents our and our neighbors' yards. This one is the latest newcomer, the one my mom was just describing to me yesterday on the phone: fluffy, golden...absolutely gorgeous.
It was eating.
A squirrel.
I know this because I walked over to where the fox had been enjoying his (probably a "his" and not a "hers") meal before he trotted away (I scared him -- oops) to investigate the leftovers & see what I could discern. Quite a neat eater: nothing left, nothing at all but the tail....

Sorry March

I promise I won't forget about you again........but you have to realize we moved into our new house this month and I've been sooooo busy. It's only about a mile and a half away but it's so much nicer than the old Los Angeles Moishe House. We now have a backyard to hold people in for our events as well as a jacuzzi built into the deck!!!!! There's great hardwood floors and plenty of room to run around. And it's not shaped like a hallway like our old house. We really want to throw some great events here and I think it's possible due to the upgrade.

~dave

Home part deux

I just returned from a weekend in Florida at the hippie music festival called Langerado. When I found myself in a rental car at 4am with police officers yelling, tornado warning-stay in your car, rain began flodding through the window cracks, my cell phone beeping in death, and my mind racing...i couldn't help but say there's no place like moishe's home, there's no place like moishe's home"... and "poof", i was still in the car freaking out..

now back at our new and improved moishe house, we are gearing up for some awesome activities and a radical purim party.

I must say and admit, i never knew how much work went into being in a moishe house. Working more than full time for a startup really leaves no horas para moishe familia. As i am still adjusting to life here in LA, meeting new folks, and relocating twice now - I am excited to get pumping away with Moishe LA 2.0

I think i will plan a gardening party like Maia suggested -oh that sounds sweet.

Till next time,
stay good yo