Seeing as Moishe House STL is just over a year old, the residents have just nicked the tip of the iceberg that are our possibilities for programming. There will always be the need for young, Jewish programming and community for the recent college graduates, those not yet married, recently married, and everyone in between, and even those with kiddies on the way. MH STL is well on its way to intertwining St. Louis events with MH residents and supporters, like concerts and parties open to everyone i.e. 'Stache Bash, Zootini, art fairs, etc. We have already established Shabbat dinners as our staple/go-to event. If we have an off-week and do not host a Shabbat dinner, our phones explode with messages and calls asking "why not?" and "are you having a Shabbat Friday?" This feedback shows how popular MH STL has been to our target market. Every resident who comes and goes will bring their own ideas and experiences for programming, so the possibilities are just starting.
Local Mission Statement: MH STL strives to build Jewish community among recent college graduates, young professionals, newlyweds, and those looking to build relationships in the young Jewish world in and around the Gateway to the West through hosting a variety of programs including, but not limited to Shabbat dinners, concerts, Israeli-advocacy events, Jewish learning opportunities, and more.
International Mission Statement: To set up and establish grassroots community centers dedicated to the post-college Jewish community that provide these Jews with a social, inclusive, fun and enriching atmosphere conducive to building the Jewish community in the specific area by offering a rent subsidy along with a programming budget to execute events.
Throughout Sunday school, Judaica studies, Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons, trips to Israel and everything in between, the term "Jewish community" has always come with the Tikkun Olam principle in mind. It is inevitable that each Moishe House include multiple programs for "repairing the world" which in turn also contributes to Jewish learning through these programs and events.
~MH STL
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
MoHoLo Mission
At Moishe House London we've been thinking a lot about our mission statement and values. This is because some time in the next couple years this house will find itself without any of its founders for the first time. It'll be a whole new 'generation' for Moishe House London. So how can we make sure the community stays true to its vision? What is its vision?
We are a community that draws from ideas and practices from across the Jewish spectrum. We appreciate the richness and knowledge of orthodoxy, and the openness and boldness of liberal Jewish movements. We see ourselves as standing for experimental, creative and dynamic Judaism in the diaspora and hope that our values will have a ripple effect on the Jewish and wider community.
Our values are:
Egalitarianism
Artistry
Non-hierarchy
Empowerment
Grassroots
Developing Jewish life in the UK
Learning
Observance through discussion and consensus
Many of our goals and values dovetail with those of the international Moishe House organisation. I know that both we and the MoHo Mothership are committed to tikkun olam and the flowering of grassroots, innovative Jewish life. But we like to think we also bring a very local flavour to our community.
We are a community that draws from ideas and practices from across the Jewish spectrum. We appreciate the richness and knowledge of orthodoxy, and the openness and boldness of liberal Jewish movements. We see ourselves as standing for experimental, creative and dynamic Judaism in the diaspora and hope that our values will have a ripple effect on the Jewish and wider community.
Our values are:
Egalitarianism
Artistry
Non-hierarchy
Empowerment
Grassroots
Developing Jewish life in the UK
Learning
Observance through discussion and consensus
Many of our goals and values dovetail with those of the international Moishe House organisation. I know that both we and the MoHo Mothership are committed to tikkun olam and the flowering of grassroots, innovative Jewish life. But we like to think we also bring a very local flavour to our community.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
MH Chicago's Mission Statement
We have such a great power to be better Jews and better people when we come together. At the Chicago Moishe House, we strive to create a community of young Jews who want to have fun, make new friends, and work together on our community’s problems. So far, we have had events that ranged from happy hours to speaking with the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs about economic development in one of Chicago's most depressed and blighted neighborhoods. We love bonding with others to make a stronger, fairer Chicago.
This is what we hope to continue in the coming months and years. Chicago, like so many other cities around the world, has a lot of energy, Jewish faith, and potential for further unity. We see the Moishe House as a vehicle for furthering these aims. Our ideal Jewish Community is one where people’s passions and love of Judaism as a religion, culture, and history are combined to make a difference in the city. There is a great belief in togetherness in Judaism, and knowledge that, with the help of others, we can make our community a better place to live.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Moishe House Denver
Hi All,
This is the first blog from Moishe House Denver. We're quite excited to be a part of this great initiative. The house currently consists of three of us (Josh, Natalie, and Elliot), joined by a small, but growing young community here in Denver. Our house location is spectacular (right in front of Washington Park), and we have a very diverse, dynamic group of individuals here very much looking forward to being involved in the local Moishe House community.
Our first couple events in October have been a great success. We've had a shabbat dinner, sunday morning pancakes/hike, and tomorrow, we'll be hosting an evening event - watching the undefeated Denver Broncos take on the San Diego Chargers in Monday Night Football. The Sunday morning pancakes was initially going to be a hike in the rocky mountains, but it was snowing that day (early even for Colorado), so the group was more up for an indoor lazy sunday morning of pancakes and hot chocalate. However, a few of use made it out for tossing a frisbee around in Washington Park, a spot we plan to take advantage of all year round.
Next month, the group is very keen on taking part in a volunteer event and in a week's time, we'll be meeting the west coast Moishe houses - which we're very much looking forward to.
That's all for now.
All the best from Moishe House Denver,
This is the first blog from Moishe House Denver. We're quite excited to be a part of this great initiative. The house currently consists of three of us (Josh, Natalie, and Elliot), joined by a small, but growing young community here in Denver. Our house location is spectacular (right in front of Washington Park), and we have a very diverse, dynamic group of individuals here very much looking forward to being involved in the local Moishe House community.
Our first couple events in October have been a great success. We've had a shabbat dinner, sunday morning pancakes/hike, and tomorrow, we'll be hosting an evening event - watching the undefeated Denver Broncos take on the San Diego Chargers in Monday Night Football. The Sunday morning pancakes was initially going to be a hike in the rocky mountains, but it was snowing that day (early even for Colorado), so the group was more up for an indoor lazy sunday morning of pancakes and hot chocalate. However, a few of use made it out for tossing a frisbee around in Washington Park, a spot we plan to take advantage of all year round.
Next month, the group is very keen on taking part in a volunteer event and in a week's time, we'll be meeting the west coast Moishe houses - which we're very much looking forward to.
That's all for now.
All the best from Moishe House Denver,
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
MHP Personal Blog - Rebecca
It’s now been a little over three months since ROI, the four-day conference held in Israel, put on by CLI, Taglit and The Schusterman Foundation. For the past three years, the conference has been held in Jerusalem, but this year, in honor of Tel Aviv’s 100th Anniversary, it was at a beautiful resort in Kfar Maccabiah in Ramat Gan.
ROI stands for return on investment, a business term that was re-appropriated for the world of Jewish non-profits. I think this title is very fitting, as the conference showcases the concept that if Jewish funders invest in the up-and-coming generation of leaders, those leaders will, in turn, continue to invest in the Jewish community.
I was one of the 120 selected to participate in this year’s conference and was amazed at the talent and potential of the other 119 participants. ROI is all about Jewish innovation – being able to tackle an old problem from a new angle with beneficial results and Jewish sensibility. Being a member of the Moishe House community, I felt very proud of our innovations since we started as a private foundation in 2005. Along with myself, there were other Moishe House representatives at ROI, and since, we have even recruited one of the 120 to open a new Moishe House!
For me, the idea behind Moishe House is exactly what ROI is striving for. Moishe House invests in us – by allowing us the financial means to get creative with our Jewish communities – and, in turn, we are fostering a new generation of enthused and engaged community members. Through our diverse programming, we provide the space to meet other Jews where they are and get them excited about who they are, whether it’s through intellectual discussion, sports, the arts or religious activities.
As we grow and change individually, so to does Moishe House evolve as an organization, and with so many of our house members (and our Executive Director) having been involved in the great exchange of ideas on innovation through ROI, I can only imagine what we will accomplish as we continue to work together within Moishe House and reach out to the larger Jewish community.
ROI stands for return on investment, a business term that was re-appropriated for the world of Jewish non-profits. I think this title is very fitting, as the conference showcases the concept that if Jewish funders invest in the up-and-coming generation of leaders, those leaders will, in turn, continue to invest in the Jewish community.
I was one of the 120 selected to participate in this year’s conference and was amazed at the talent and potential of the other 119 participants. ROI is all about Jewish innovation – being able to tackle an old problem from a new angle with beneficial results and Jewish sensibility. Being a member of the Moishe House community, I felt very proud of our innovations since we started as a private foundation in 2005. Along with myself, there were other Moishe House representatives at ROI, and since, we have even recruited one of the 120 to open a new Moishe House!
For me, the idea behind Moishe House is exactly what ROI is striving for. Moishe House invests in us – by allowing us the financial means to get creative with our Jewish communities – and, in turn, we are fostering a new generation of enthused and engaged community members. Through our diverse programming, we provide the space to meet other Jews where they are and get them excited about who they are, whether it’s through intellectual discussion, sports, the arts or religious activities.
As we grow and change individually, so to does Moishe House evolve as an organization, and with so many of our house members (and our Executive Director) having been involved in the great exchange of ideas on innovation through ROI, I can only imagine what we will accomplish as we continue to work together within Moishe House and reach out to the larger Jewish community.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
MHSF - House Blog
What I see as the future for Moishe House does not have much to do with a particular vision of how the community is constituted, or with following a particular road-map. Rather, it's a vision made up of the individual characteristics of residents and from those who take part in the events. It is those elements which are so varied and are undergoing constant change. I believe that for Moishe House to be able to be consistently responsive and open to that change is the biggest challenge and the most trying task.
Like any family or team, it's not only the individual personalities that matter, but how they come together to create something cohesive and special. For me, the true beauty of this program are the interactions that have all parties feeling like they contributed in some way (tangibly or not) and benefited in another (tangibly or not). More often than not, I see this as the result of blind and uninhibited investment and faith. My experience in Moishe House has shown me that such opportunities for growth such as these within the context of our lives are ample.
But like the old expression goes, "It takes two to tango." The future of Moishe House lies within each of our efforts to take the time to passionately express ourselves. And of equal importance, to be vigilant in taking the time, and encouraging others to let us do the listening. Whether you've lived in a Moishe House for over three years or you're coming to an event for the first time, you're investing in the same idea. That community, when configured with that type of intention, can make our lives better. For the sake of this project's future, I hope we remember that every contribution we make, however small or however big, enriches us all. If we can do that, our future, in whatever shape it takes, will be bright.
Like any family or team, it's not only the individual personalities that matter, but how they come together to create something cohesive and special. For me, the true beauty of this program are the interactions that have all parties feeling like they contributed in some way (tangibly or not) and benefited in another (tangibly or not). More often than not, I see this as the result of blind and uninhibited investment and faith. My experience in Moishe House has shown me that such opportunities for growth such as these within the context of our lives are ample.
But like the old expression goes, "It takes two to tango." The future of Moishe House lies within each of our efforts to take the time to passionately express ourselves. And of equal importance, to be vigilant in taking the time, and encouraging others to let us do the listening. Whether you've lived in a Moishe House for over three years or you're coming to an event for the first time, you're investing in the same idea. That community, when configured with that type of intention, can make our lives better. For the sake of this project's future, I hope we remember that every contribution we make, however small or however big, enriches us all. If we can do that, our future, in whatever shape it takes, will be bright.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Masha's personal blog, MHSeattle
For the last 1.5 I've had a repetitive stress injury on my hands, shoulders and arms, which has prevented me from being fully functional. It has prevented me from working with my hands and made it difficult to work in a lab, on the computer, or to cook and do stuff around the house as much as I want/need to. Acupuncture, as always, came to rescue at first and was effective to a large degree, but not enough to do as much as a normal healthy person. I should say my housemates have been extremely supportive and understanding about housework and hosting duties.
Recently, I was interpreting for an old Russian woman who was a reiki practitioner, and I thought I've got nothing to lose if I try this. She waived her hands around me during our first session and explained to me that the human energy system is something that was left out of medical textbooks, but is just as important the cardiovascular, resporatory, nervous or any other system. I'm a believer in alternative medicine, so I kept coming. During out subsequent visits she kept working in redistributing my bioenergy and also did some manual chiropractic adjustments. I only saw her 3 times and I was feeling so much better! I could actually do dishes and work on the computer for periods of time. I even went bowling, and even though may arm was sore afterwards, I fully recovered by the next day. I was recently doing some temp office work, and by the 4th day, my wrists and arms were killing me. I went back to her, and I felt better immediately, and I'm still going to see her. She says I need to keep going a little longer to make a full recovery, and this is just fine with me.
This physical handicap has been preventing me from doing the kind of work I was trained to do, which is to work in a lab, or anything else other than medical interpreting, which is what I resorted to for scraping a living for the last 1.5years. Now that this is slowly being lifted and interpreting work is becoming more and more scarce, I'm faced with needing to look for real work. I'm still not used to not having to think about my limitations, and while I'm still not sure I should work in a lab again, but I need to figure what I want to do "when I grow up." I would love to be able to heal people the way she does, but this requires some abilities that one is born with, meaning being able to sense other people's energies, as well actual training in reiki. Acupuncture is something that has interested me since my first injury 4 years ago, as it helped me when nothing else did. It's amazing what reiki and acupuncture can do when Western medicine can't! I meet so many people that I think she could help if she had her own practice, the options for older people really suck these days, with harsh drugs that often make them worse.
This requires some prereqs on my part and 2-3 years for a Master's Degree in Acupuncture at an expensive private university in Seattle. And afterwards, the ability to pull off a private practice. And a whole lot of courage and belief in myself, which I'm still working up to.
Really all of us here at Moishe House Seattle are at a similar crossroads professionally and personally. The future is in our hands, and we'll see what we make of it...
Recently, I was interpreting for an old Russian woman who was a reiki practitioner, and I thought I've got nothing to lose if I try this. She waived her hands around me during our first session and explained to me that the human energy system is something that was left out of medical textbooks, but is just as important the cardiovascular, resporatory, nervous or any other system. I'm a believer in alternative medicine, so I kept coming. During out subsequent visits she kept working in redistributing my bioenergy and also did some manual chiropractic adjustments. I only saw her 3 times and I was feeling so much better! I could actually do dishes and work on the computer for periods of time. I even went bowling, and even though may arm was sore afterwards, I fully recovered by the next day. I was recently doing some temp office work, and by the 4th day, my wrists and arms were killing me. I went back to her, and I felt better immediately, and I'm still going to see her. She says I need to keep going a little longer to make a full recovery, and this is just fine with me.
This physical handicap has been preventing me from doing the kind of work I was trained to do, which is to work in a lab, or anything else other than medical interpreting, which is what I resorted to for scraping a living for the last 1.5years. Now that this is slowly being lifted and interpreting work is becoming more and more scarce, I'm faced with needing to look for real work. I'm still not used to not having to think about my limitations, and while I'm still not sure I should work in a lab again, but I need to figure what I want to do "when I grow up." I would love to be able to heal people the way she does, but this requires some abilities that one is born with, meaning being able to sense other people's energies, as well actual training in reiki. Acupuncture is something that has interested me since my first injury 4 years ago, as it helped me when nothing else did. It's amazing what reiki and acupuncture can do when Western medicine can't! I meet so many people that I think she could help if she had her own practice, the options for older people really suck these days, with harsh drugs that often make them worse.
This requires some prereqs on my part and 2-3 years for a Master's Degree in Acupuncture at an expensive private university in Seattle. And afterwards, the ability to pull off a private practice. And a whole lot of courage and belief in myself, which I'm still working up to.
Really all of us here at Moishe House Seattle are at a similar crossroads professionally and personally. The future is in our hands, and we'll see what we make of it...
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