on the other side of an old-school color war

moishe/kavodniks went canvassing for tenants' rights this past month. we registered new voters in partnership with acorn, the national poor people's community organization. we made plans to implement our membership structure, and we received a grant from our local federation to continue growing our food justice efforts in the local jewish community.

but, sometimes, you know, you just need to have some good fun. so when we got together for our color war on july 13th, i was super-pumped. and it was everything i hoped for...and more.

about 40 of us participated in tank wars, blowing q-tips out of straws, tug-of-wars, dizzy-bat runs, three-legged races, and ridiculous mind games.

bottom-line: it rocked.

many props to our ministers of fun, evan and katie metter, and to our whole community for being such an awesome group of kids. i'm already looking forward to next year's event...

July

I cannot believe it's almost over. The month was so good and past so fast.

We started with an asado (BBQ) for the 4th of the July. We were five Americans, and if you ask me, we were the only five Americans in Uruguay. It was real fun, real cool, and good food.

We continued with a Shabbas meal. And how could I forget about the movie night. It was so good we decided to do two more, and if we had more time we would do even more. The Shabbas meals were real good and every Shabbas we had a different type of people and a different onda (vibe).

This month there was a fast for the 17th of Tamuz and we did a big meal after the fast for the people that fasted, and the people that did not. Last Sunday a group of about 20 people came for dinner and they didn't stop speaking about Moishe House. I'm sure they want me to thank Moishe House on their behalf.

Waiting to write again next month,

Lior Sztrigler
MH MVD

From Brian Cohen - new member of MHP

Hello Moishe-World!

This is Brian Cohen, one of the new members that constitute MHP 2.0! I am über-excited to be a part of the Moishe family and can't wait to get my gears working.

In fact, I've been living here for a little under 3 weeks and we've already had a bunch of really cool events. From our regularly scheduled yoga classes to our documentary-night, we've made sure to entice a wide variety of people to come over to our house. I have to say, living here is like Moishe-madness!

Not to put too fine a point to it, but I think the MH concept is stellar. I'm so happy to be a part of it and potentially leave my mark. I can't wait for our East Coast retreat in Washington in September and definitely can't wait for the National retreat in January! See you there!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST....

b"h

Heeeeeeey people!!
we're here in the Montevideo MH preparing ourselves to the big day, the day we will come back HOME.....
is was a good month, we had a couple of movie night, spontaneous hangin out, shabat dinners and lunches and more..
we had the fast of 17 of Tamuz, a horrible day to the Jewish nation and from that date to 9 of Av, when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, there are 3 weeks that in them Jerusalem was in war, a war that in the end of it, the exile of the Jewish nation...
I hope that we all will come back home, to Israel! that way I'll be able to see Jay my friend a lot more.. (come to IL Jay!! pleaaaase)...
so, as i was saying, we're preparing ourselves to leave Montevideo, and to leave the MH, one of the best things that I've done ever!
so again, thank you MH... you are really good people and thank you Morris!
now, wait to August for the events, it will be great!
next month is our last month in the Moishe House Montevideoooooo (respect!!)
alsta la vista, baby!

Yonatan Yussim
Moishe House Montevideo 2008

Wow

I can't believe I'm leaving in less than a month. I've been in Montevideo since September and have had an awesome time living in the Moishe House and working for Hillel Uruguay. I've met tons of great people who I'll miss a lot, and it just seems crazy that I have no idea when I'll see them again. August 20 is the date, and while so many good-byes make me sad, I'm also very excited to see my people back home.

I'm getting ahead of myself though. I still have some time left here and I'm trying to have as much fun as possible.

July was a good month, for Moishe House Montevideo and for me personally. I'm still meeting new people down here, and I met some great ones this month, which just makes it that much harder for me to leave. At the Moishe House we had a few Movie Nights, a few Shabbat meals, and a 4th of July BBQ for the Americans in town. It was nice for me to have some American company on Independence Day!

So I'm trying to finish up strong down here, working hard and staying easy. I've got a lot of hugs to give out in August, that's for sure. It'll be bittersweet, as moving usually seems to be.

I hope all the fellow Moishers out there are doing well. Take care,

Jay Krefman
MH MVD

Hello Moishe House World......

Well, i think enough time has passed for me to be able to be fashionably late with my first blog. So, i'll start with a quick intro... Hi, i'm Yoni, i'm 21 and i'm the (now) 2nd newest member of Moishe House Cape Town. woohoo! Whilst i may be relatively new, make no mistake...I rule Moishe house cape town with an iron fist... (In other words, all you Moishe House europeans i'm the guy you beg to accommodate you for free during the 2010 football world cup and yes we do live 10 minutes from the stadium.....)

So, i'm originally from a city in South Africa called Durban and i find myself in Cape Town as i'm studying law at the University of Cape Town (and i would be lying if i said Durban wasnt a bit of a social hole..). The best part of all of this is that i get to live in Moishe House Cape Town, mainly as it happens to be a massive house on the side of the mountain (my bedroom window overlooks the city and table mountain-you cant beat that). The reason i came to live in the house is pretty much because all of the house members have at some point been a part of the youth movement habonim dror. So thats how we all know each other....

Anyway, thats pretty much me in 3 lines. Just been on holiday at the moment so i dont have to much moishe house cool stuff to blog about. My holiday consisted of seeing my parents so it walked the line between lame and boring, though i did manage to factor in an incredible amount of sleep..awesome.

anyway cheers for now...

Yoni

Efthesis Mundus

Im a naïve child, bent on world contemplation
I walk with the underground

I tread the dusty paths of elapsed shooting stars, losing myself in the jesters Rubicon before realizing the sun broke the horizon again at dawn.
I trade myself for laughs

My garments are silk-screened projections of spirituality.
I cannot decipher their pigment.

I dance the salsa, but know not the steps
I think in colorful spices

I often wrap my head in multicultural produce,
to ensure freshness,
to ward off canned spirits

My documents are as leafy figs,
Tend as they do towards Newtonian inevitability

Ancient quills long replaced my fingers
Soaring wings trapped under paperweight

My guess is as good as yours,
But you are probably wrong

I reserve the best seats for angels in the night
And-
They-
One day