I've lived in Moishe House for a few years now, and there have been innumerable experiences that I would describe as meaningful. But in recent memory, there's one that stands out pretty high above the rest. About a month or so after the earthquake in Haiti we hosted a Shabbat both to raise money for relief efforts and to come together as a community to think and express our feelings about one of the more tragic events to occur in our lifetimes.
It was a wonderful crowd, and Sarah, who was leading the Shabbat, brought in a couple amazing speakers. A friend of hers spoke of his experience both before and after the earthquake (he does international development work and had spent quite a bit of time in a Haitian orphanage before the earthquake). In addition to walking us through his experiences, he brought pictures of the orphanage before and after the earthquake, which put things in perspective in a way that photos on the news really couldn't.
But the highlight of the evening for everyone, and probably my most memorable Moishe moment ever, came when a young Haitian singer - 18 years old, I think - spoke to us and sang a few songs. He barely spoke English, so my roomate Maura translated for him. He won a singing contest in Haiti and was traveling around the US raising money for an organization focused on access to clean water. As is typical with our Shabbats, people were sitting on any available surface - chairs, couches, the floor, stairs, window sills, etc. He started to sing, and I was surprised that the song was familiar - Bob Marley's Redemption Song. He encouraged us to sing along, and from all corners of the room we did just that.
It was the kind of touching experience that's difficult to explain, but it was one of those rare times when you realize just how interconnected we all are. Here's this young man from Haiti, he's grown up in a completely different culture, speaks a completely different language and has experienced a tragedy that most of us really couldn't even imagine. And yet we had a common purpose that night - to stand in solidarity and bring support to all affected by the earthquake - and we also had a common language - the language of Marley... Pretty amazing.
Lovies,
Riv
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The test of a real community
What makes a community a real community? Surely it includes meaningful events and strong relationships. Surely it matters that people feel a sense of belonging. But I think the real test of a community is how it goes through hard times, or helps its members go through hard times.
Here at Moishe House Boston, we have recently faced a difficult situation that continues to test our fiber. One of our members, call her Anna, was diagnosed with a rare and serious form of lymphona. Anna is an incredibly sweet person and was active in our environmental work and our Shabbat gatherings, and is a grad student. When we heard she was sick, we asked ourselves, "What are we supposed to do? What does a community do in these situations? Does Anna even want people to visit her in the hospital?" It was hard to hear that someone our own age could face this situation, and made us all consider our own mortality.
With the support of my housemates, I emailed Anna letting her know that we wanted to be there for her, and wanted to know what was the best way to support her. I said we were happy to bring her food, visit her in the hospital or at home, or whatever else she needed. When Anna let us know that she needed help with meals and wanted visits when she was getting chemo, Alix recruited two leaders to create a new chesed/lovingkindness team, who in turn set up a system for community members to sign up to make weekly meals and visit in the hospital. The arts team set up a card-making station in our dining room, complete with all sorts of fancy paper, markers, glitter glue, and feathers. At every non-Shabbat event at the house, people are encouraged to make Anna a card, which are brought to Anna when people go to visit her in the hospital. All sorts of people have helped out, including many people who don't even know Anna that well, but have made food or brought games to keep Anna from getting bored.
What made our member Andy take the time to make Anna food and visit her, when he didn't even really know her? I think he went in part because we told our community that that is what we do, what Jewish community does, is to take care of each other and to visit the sick.
To some, it might seem like bringing food to one person is nothing in comparison to making Shabbat for a big group or pulling off a successful social justice campaign. But as passionate as I am about Shabbat and social justice campaigns, nothing could be more important than knowing I am in a community where people are there for each other. It means that we are more than our campaigns, more than our good days, and also makes those campaigns and good days more meaningful, because we are doing them with people we know we can rely on.
I am proud of the Moishe House Boston community for the way we have stepped up, even though I wish to God we didn't have to. I believe that through our work, we are not only caring for Anna, but we are teaching our members how they can make a difference, and what caring community means. This feels like a blessing.
Thanks,
Margie
Here at Moishe House Boston, we have recently faced a difficult situation that continues to test our fiber. One of our members, call her Anna, was diagnosed with a rare and serious form of lymphona. Anna is an incredibly sweet person and was active in our environmental work and our Shabbat gatherings, and is a grad student. When we heard she was sick, we asked ourselves, "What are we supposed to do? What does a community do in these situations? Does Anna even want people to visit her in the hospital?" It was hard to hear that someone our own age could face this situation, and made us all consider our own mortality.
With the support of my housemates, I emailed Anna letting her know that we wanted to be there for her, and wanted to know what was the best way to support her. I said we were happy to bring her food, visit her in the hospital or at home, or whatever else she needed. When Anna let us know that she needed help with meals and wanted visits when she was getting chemo, Alix recruited two leaders to create a new chesed/lovingkindness team, who in turn set up a system for community members to sign up to make weekly meals and visit in the hospital. The arts team set up a card-making station in our dining room, complete with all sorts of fancy paper, markers, glitter glue, and feathers. At every non-Shabbat event at the house, people are encouraged to make Anna a card, which are brought to Anna when people go to visit her in the hospital. All sorts of people have helped out, including many people who don't even know Anna that well, but have made food or brought games to keep Anna from getting bored.
What made our member Andy take the time to make Anna food and visit her, when he didn't even really know her? I think he went in part because we told our community that that is what we do, what Jewish community does, is to take care of each other and to visit the sick.
To some, it might seem like bringing food to one person is nothing in comparison to making Shabbat for a big group or pulling off a successful social justice campaign. But as passionate as I am about Shabbat and social justice campaigns, nothing could be more important than knowing I am in a community where people are there for each other. It means that we are more than our campaigns, more than our good days, and also makes those campaigns and good days more meaningful, because we are doing them with people we know we can rely on.
I am proud of the Moishe House Boston community for the way we have stepped up, even though I wish to God we didn't have to. I believe that through our work, we are not only caring for Anna, but we are teaching our members how they can make a difference, and what caring community means. This feels like a blessing.
Thanks,
Margie
Meaningful Moments in Silver Spring:
Use this month's blog to share a meaningful story or experience from your Moishe House Community. Feel free to be as specific as you would like when writing this blog.
For us, as a house, the most meaningful experiences that happen through our Moishe House Community are when people come together to share aspects of themselves that one might not see immediately through casual encounters, and when we create organic Jewish experiences that appeal to people.
An example of the first can be found in our monthly coffee houses. Coffee houses are an opportunity for people to come together and share their talents in the intimate environment of our living room. It is special to see community members - or people who are coming to us for the first time - come to our house and share their talents. The community that is created when an individual gets up and plays a song she has written on her guitar, getting everyone in the room to clap and sway along, is extremely special.
Another meaningful experience comes whenever we have Shabbat or holiday observances in our house. The transformation of space that occurs when our living room becomes a sanctuary and prayer space or a dining room for a festival meal, is very special and very meaningful. We think that this is true for all our attendees and community members, but it is all the moreso for us, as residents. We get to see our house and our space transformed through the contributions of our community members, through the invocation of prayers, or through ritual observances. Seeing the way we can transform our space through community is meaningful.
For us, as a house, the most meaningful experiences that happen through our Moishe House Community are when people come together to share aspects of themselves that one might not see immediately through casual encounters, and when we create organic Jewish experiences that appeal to people.
An example of the first can be found in our monthly coffee houses. Coffee houses are an opportunity for people to come together and share their talents in the intimate environment of our living room. It is special to see community members - or people who are coming to us for the first time - come to our house and share their talents. The community that is created when an individual gets up and plays a song she has written on her guitar, getting everyone in the room to clap and sway along, is extremely special.
Another meaningful experience comes whenever we have Shabbat or holiday observances in our house. The transformation of space that occurs when our living room becomes a sanctuary and prayer space or a dining room for a festival meal, is very special and very meaningful. We think that this is true for all our attendees and community members, but it is all the moreso for us, as residents. We get to see our house and our space transformed through the contributions of our community members, through the invocation of prayers, or through ritual observances. Seeing the way we can transform our space through community is meaningful.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Missing Piece of the Puzzle - RRR, London
It's so odd, being part of an extended family I barely know: I look at the gorgeous pictures of Moishe House Orange County, recently published online. I look at the smiling faces when I breeze through the MoHo homepage to take a glance at what incredible events are occurring worldwide. And I can tell by the look on your faces, you other residents, that regardless of your interpretation of the Moishe House brief, you experience many of the same challenges and joys as we do here at MoHoLo. And no doubt the same delight at facilitating this shift out of conventional communal shapes and patterns and making a space where more is possible. It would make sense that we would have so much to share, and delight in each other.
But I do not know you. Those of you in the USA are lucky to have a retreat where you can know each other. To me, you are the missing piece of the puzzle. I know the shape of what is around you, I know roughly what the picture on the missing piece should look like, but how satisfying and fulfilling it would be to have you here, behold you and complete my picture.
But I do not know you. Those of you in the USA are lucky to have a retreat where you can know each other. To me, you are the missing piece of the puzzle. I know the shape of what is around you, I know roughly what the picture on the missing piece should look like, but how satisfying and fulfilling it would be to have you here, behold you and complete my picture.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
my favorite-blogging
so, all who might read this....i'm not sure what i'm supposed to be blogging about, so i'll go with topic of my choice. i've been learning with a partner in torah the last few weeks, in addition to my weekly class via the portland kollel. we're learning the mitzvahs in that class and i am learning hilchos shabbos with my partner in torah. it's quite interesting...did you know, it's not about not doing work on shabbos....it's about not doing creative labor on shabbos. many things that we think are violations aren't really and things we may not think are violations, truly are. i highly recommend people to take a look at aish.com and do a little learning, about shabbos. i even gave a short d'var torah at shabbos lunch the other day about my learnings.
jodi
jodi
Monday, May 10, 2010
MAY is Masssssssssssssive!!!
Hey Hey Hey Moishe House People!!
Wow what a month May has been already!!
Other exciting moish-nik news Aviad is coming back from his travels -Yay!
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Moishe House London, in Willesden Green, is part of Moishe House, a worldwide network of houses that are centres for grassroots Jewish community. From our own home, we aim to bring exciting, creative, post-denominational Jewish community to London.
www.moishehouse.org
Wow what a month May has been already!!
1st May House-warming, Lag B'Omer Massive Mash Up was AMA-ZZZING!!
Thank you soooooooo much for helping us warm our house up so well - it's definitely nice and toasty now!!
Before we get on with the events, we have a special call out for artists:
In June we'll be turning Moishe House London into an art gallery, with a special launch evening to kick off the exhibition. We are currently looking for artists who would like their work to be featured or might want to create new work for the exhibition. Please drop Joel an email or FB message - or contact or curator Daniel Heyman - if you're interested.
In June we'll be turning Moishe House London into an art gallery, with a special launch evening to kick off the exhibition. We are currently looking for artists who would like their work to be featured or might want to create new work for the exhibition. Please drop Joel an email or FB message - or contact or curator Daniel Heyman - if you're interested.
Moishe House fruit and veg boxes are now available (at no profit to us!) from £10/ £15 per week or fortnight. Delivered thursday afternoon. Contact us with 'veg box' in the title at thelondonhouse@gmail.com
Events coming up in this beautiful spring month - click through to find out more:
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24 May
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26 May
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Other exciting moish-nik news Aviad is coming back from his travels -Yay!
Daniel is heading off for fun adventures in far-flung shores - boo
Brett is looking forward to a festival-packed summer
Natalia is running drop-in sessions every week day at 7am, email the house for more
Joel is loving working on his play Engineer of Chelm - watch this space for more details
Rachel is appreciating her friends and family and delving into the world of Hans Christian Andersen for professional purposes..
Finally.. feeling guilty about playing your ipod on a massive sound system whilst running the washing machine and using a hair dryer??? worry no more - Sign up to Good Energy, save money and ease your conscience.. email us about that one..
Very much love until next month..
Moholo Crew (in the new pimp palace..)
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Moishe House London, in Willesden Green, is part of Moishe House, a worldwide network of houses that are centres for grassroots Jewish community. From our own home, we aim to bring exciting, creative, post-denominational Jewish community to London.
www.moishehouse.org
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Russian Moishe House is approaching its 1 year anniversary!!
Almost a year flew by...that's incredible, time flies fast! And what a year it's been...Last July we set out to create a more unified local Russian-Jewish community. Our first goal was to get our name out there and make Russian Moishe House a recognizable name in the community. We have definitely achieved that goal - I am proud to say that not only every major Jewish and Russian Jewish organization in the Chicagoland area knows us, most of the people in the community are at least aware of our existence. We provide interesting, fun programming in the comfort of our home and that is appealing. Sometimes it amazes me that our members travel for an hour just to come our to events, especially in bad weather. We have also succeeded in introducing Jewish content to our community. Our Shabbat dinners are definitely a success and we often have to turn people down because we can only accommodate a certain number. However, this area still needs improvement - as Dima mentioned in his October post, Russian-Jewish community is skeptical and careful about Jewish content. Some of our more Jewish events have not been as successful as we would have liked, so this is something we are still working on. Right now we are going through a transition as two of our roommates moving out in the less than two months. So for the next three months or so our goal is find the right candidates and smoothly transition into our second year without having the quality of our events suffer. I feel we are definitely moving towards a more tight-knit community. I think our next step would be to work on creating a core group of people passionate about the project who can help us take Russian Moishe House to the next level. I'm very excited...
Love,
Rostik
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