A new normal is emerging to greet us in the years post the "Great Recession"; the harsh reality of foreclosures, unemployment, diminished opportunities, and the associated problems are hitting close to home, not only in the Jewish Community, but in the cities we live in. In the non-profit world we use terms like donor fatigue or overextended, to explain why people aren't giving. The hard part is looking inwards and asking if our own policies and procedures are sustainable in the long term; if the answer is yes, then the next question is: "What will inspire people to give?" These hard questions challenge the ego and our sense of identity.
Moishe House OC is confronting such a crisis of identity, we are facing a possible Cultural Foreclosure in July, and just like with Jack Bauer in 24, the cliché ticking clock is doing what it does best. Dwindling. Unfortunately in this episode, we don't have a staff of crack writers making sure we make it out just in time for dinner. Inside of our circle we see the good the house is doing in the community - the results are sometimes only visible when looked at over the course of the past years.
Let me paraphrase the organization's tag-line, "Letting 20-somethings in the Jewish Community be the Jews they want to be." I read this unofficial mission statement as granting us the right to operate and maintain a safe space where Jews of all backgrounds and abilities can come out and be part of the larger community; in academic terms I would call Moishe House OC a "Safe Space." Jewish Family Services called me up and asked if we are accepting of people with social disorders - ADD, social anxiety, high functioning autism - to name a few, and if the community would be accepting, the simple answer is yes.
Our house's doors are open to anyone, and we strive to do our best to give everyone a space to express themselves Jewishly. I think we have succeeded. It seems telling that we are the front line for integrating people into the community that might not have had a place to go, or a place to go where they felt comfortable. Just the mere fact that our doors might have to close, is both indicative of the times we live in and a greater problem in the community.
What we do here at our house goes beyond parties, Shabbats, or service projects. Every event is a chance for us to come from a place of service; the emails we receive from parents grateful that their adult child has a place to meet people and be social, are quite touching.
If we close our doors there are members of our community who might not have a place to go. For years we have pulled close together, called ourselves a tribe, and yet now, for whatever reasons: intangible metrics, subtle results, a lack of understanding; there is not enough funding in our community to keep alive an organization providing a place in the tribe for everyone. This is what I referred to as cultural foreclosure, we banked on funding from the community and yet when it is needed most we are having the hardest time finding it.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Montgomery County Community in Action
Last year at this time, MHMoCo was unpacking, revamping and making a final decision about our name change. Decisions were made, new sofas acquired and boxes unpacked (with the help of our community members). We even discovered that our old dining room table had built in leaves that allowed the table to accommodate up to 20 people. We were a bit uncertain what would happen to our community and how it would change when we moved from one side of the D.C. metro to the other but were excited for the adventure. In our new Moishe House on Luxmanor Road, we welcomed newcomers and old timers alike, folk who were thrilled by our backyard, deck, two fire places and a close proximity to the metro and many local synagogues but the best part about our new-old Moishe House is the community itself.
Following the move, housemates discussed our interest in getting our community members more involved in planning and dictating the types of programs and activities they wanted to see. That is all fine and good, but our community members have gone above and beyond. In the last six months, our community members have shown their commitment to Moishe house, as well as demonstrated their individual skills, talents and interests, the elements that make up our diverse community.
Reflecting on the past six months, and some of the programs we planned, our community m embers were what made each of these events successful as well as unique. On Shavuot, Erica Allen wowed us with her Torah and Tanach knowledge, leading a winning team in Torahial Pursuit. During World Refugee Shabbat, Emmalee June and Bella Flores amazed us with their exceptional chopping and cooking skills and for dishes that they’d never even heard of. When we hosted a local photographer and art show which brought over 80 people to MHMoCo, Ilana Schafer graced us with her harp playing, Jessica Simon moved us with her poems and Mario Stylianou amazed us with his awesome photography. Throughout the summer, our BBQ’s were a hit, helped by Adam Marker and Jeffrey Reynolds participation in a brew test and with Andrew Brenner’s hammock village. As we moved into the high holidays, our community members continued to amaze us. Rebecca Lemus and I worked together to lead a reflective writing experience for Slichot. Ellen Abramowitz and Tamar Vardi were essential in the construction of a Kosher and standing Sukkah. Amy Egan rescued us from a maze of corn and Briana Levine co-created a do-it-yourself Zumba with Rachael. Jared Tannenbaum is so patient while teaching games at our monthly game nights and Eli Allen makes sure all of our bonfires are safe and properly extinguished. Alex Tharp made fabulous sufganiyot over Hannukah and Abby Robinson talked all about Jewish online dating just before Hamza Khan facilitated an intergroup discussion with the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society of Greater Washington.
I am so lucky to live in MH MoCo and have such wonderful, talented individuals around me in my community. I look forward to seeing what our community members will do in 2012.-Jordy Snyder
Ben Blatteis from Beijing!
If there is light in the soul,
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
Chinese Proverb - from China Leaders Magazine, David Harris January 2012
There continues to be unprecedented interest in China from western
businesses, universities, and entrepreneurs, and at Moishe House
Beijing we are at the epicenter of this exciting trend. The profiles
of individuals who are comfortable learning a new language, traveling
thousands of miles for personal development, and succeeding in a
completely foreign and, in some cases, uncomfortable environment share
some common features. Many of our participants in events from our
first month are:
1. Highly independent
2. Young and entrepreneurial
3. Transient population
As a result of the above, there is strong demand for a
comfortable and stable social structure for young professionals in
Beijing.
Young professionals who have established careers for themselves
in China tend to be highly entrepreneurial, hardworking, forward
thinking, and independent. Moishe House in Beijing has access to one
of the most interesting demographics in the world as the small
population of westerners established in China is at the forefront of
one of the world’s biggest growth stories of the century. As more and
more young westerners arrive in China, there is a growing void in many
of their lives as many have already prioritized their career and
future goals in China above all else.
Outreach to these individuals is crucial to regain the
work-life balance and to provide a much needed welcoming, stable,
Jewish home environment that is currently not being provided. Moishe
House Beijing seeks to welcome a key demographic of young professional
Jews and non-Jews alike to create engaging, memorable, and fun
experiences for the Beijing and Greater China twenty (to
thirty)-something community.
I am excited to work with my fellow directors of Moishe House
Beijing on the Speaker’s Series, Sunday bagel brunches, professional
classes, book clubs, wine & cheese nights, yoga, movie screenings,
parties and myriad of other programs and events in the heart of
Beijing’s Central Business District.
If you are ever in Beijing be sure to come by and say hello,
we'll keep the light on for you.
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
Chinese Proverb - from China Leaders Magazine, David Harris January 2012
There continues to be unprecedented interest in China from western
businesses, universities, and entrepreneurs, and at Moishe House
Beijing we are at the epicenter of this exciting trend. The profiles
of individuals who are comfortable learning a new language, traveling
thousands of miles for personal development, and succeeding in a
completely foreign and, in some cases, uncomfortable environment share
some common features. Many of our participants in events from our
first month are:
1. Highly independent
2. Young and entrepreneurial
3. Transient population
As a result of the above, there is strong demand for a
comfortable and stable social structure for young professionals in
Beijing.
Young professionals who have established careers for themselves
in China tend to be highly entrepreneurial, hardworking, forward
thinking, and independent. Moishe House in Beijing has access to one
of the most interesting demographics in the world as the small
population of westerners established in China is at the forefront of
one of the world’s biggest growth stories of the century. As more and
more young westerners arrive in China, there is a growing void in many
of their lives as many have already prioritized their career and
future goals in China above all else.
Outreach to these individuals is crucial to regain the
work-life balance and to provide a much needed welcoming, stable,
Jewish home environment that is currently not being provided. Moishe
House Beijing seeks to welcome a key demographic of young professional
Jews and non-Jews alike to create engaging, memorable, and fun
experiences for the Beijing and Greater China twenty (to
thirty)-something community.
I am excited to work with my fellow directors of Moishe House
Beijing on the Speaker’s Series, Sunday bagel brunches, professional
classes, book clubs, wine & cheese nights, yoga, movie screenings,
parties and myriad of other programs and events in the heart of
Beijing’s Central Business District.
If you are ever in Beijing be sure to come by and say hello,
we'll keep the light on for you.
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Scalability of Dreams
Moishe House is universally acknowledged by those it touches as a hugely positive force in the Jewish world and beyond.
In some places more than others.
Many Jewish people are so acclimatised to being raised in community that they are quite unsurprised by another such initiative. But for so many urban dwellers, such possibilities of communal creation and re-creation revolutionise the very fabric of their day to day lives.
Moishe House HQ has great social action supervisors, spiritual content supervisors, geographically-related supervisors.
What it would be great to have at Moishe House is more research on effective community models.
Because we are at the next step.
We are the next step of recreating meaningful community in the urban jungle.
It is all very well to consistently encourage a Moishe House to bring in new residents, and with them, new circles of friends,
but as another resident leaves, whole circles are lost, too. In some cities, this causes no problem, as there are plenty of places to go to explore cultural identity. In many American cities there are great swathes of venues where people can find comon ground whilst proudly putting their own stamp on their cultural identity, but MoHoLo is an island at the moment.
There are some amazing independent minyanim, but the House is the only physical centre, where people can meet and re-meet time and time again.
It empowers the change-makers through small simple steps, and leaves space for people to take initiative.
It reminds participants that true community is created by self-inclusion and action.
There are no spectators. We are all participants in the circle of those, and consequently in our society.
Active or passive. Positive, negative, indifferent.
What we do in our daily actions creates the community we are a part of, whether or not we think ourselves a part of it.
So, what next in London?
When Moishe House began, it galvanised funders to address the shift in Jewish community dynamics. It highlighted the post-college community drop-out rate, as many people in their 20s no longer rushed to marry, settle down and fit into synagogue-centric life. But in some cities, community demographics have raced way ahead even of Moishe House's expectations. People who come to our house range in general from 20-40, with many people not fitting into the conventional family model. We are part of such a family, tribal culture, and many traditional funders are so concerned about intergenerational continuity, they may underestimate the potential of the single, the unconventional, the childless-by-choice-or-otherwise in our extended family that intersects through common ground.
But you never know how the ripples of the pond will affect the water and stir the depths.
The MH website boasts a 'scalable approach'. It would be wonderful if the creators and supporters of Moishe House would fully acknowledge the huge impact they've had in certain cities, and took some responsibility (deeper than the recent 'Moishe House Without Walls' funding) for the gap of knowledge that goes into scaling beyond what was dreamed at the beginning. It would be wonderful if they would face the consequences of success in providing meaningful Jewish experiences, supporting leaders and creating vibrant home-based Jewish communities.
Because if they don't, in some places, (such as London, say), all the circles that Moishe House has joined together may just as soon melt away if the knowledge to empower them doesn't match the speed at which they are shifting.
In some places more than others.
Many Jewish people are so acclimatised to being raised in community that they are quite unsurprised by another such initiative. But for so many urban dwellers, such possibilities of communal creation and re-creation revolutionise the very fabric of their day to day lives.
Moishe House HQ has great social action supervisors, spiritual content supervisors, geographically-related supervisors.
What it would be great to have at Moishe House is more research on effective community models.
Because we are at the next step.
We are the next step of recreating meaningful community in the urban jungle.
It is all very well to consistently encourage a Moishe House to bring in new residents, and with them, new circles of friends,
but as another resident leaves, whole circles are lost, too. In some cities, this causes no problem, as there are plenty of places to go to explore cultural identity. In many American cities there are great swathes of venues where people can find comon ground whilst proudly putting their own stamp on their cultural identity, but MoHoLo is an island at the moment.
There are some amazing independent minyanim, but the House is the only physical centre, where people can meet and re-meet time and time again.
It empowers the change-makers through small simple steps, and leaves space for people to take initiative.
It reminds participants that true community is created by self-inclusion and action.
There are no spectators. We are all participants in the circle of those, and consequently in our society.
Active or passive. Positive, negative, indifferent.
What we do in our daily actions creates the community we are a part of, whether or not we think ourselves a part of it.
So, what next in London?
When Moishe House began, it galvanised funders to address the shift in Jewish community dynamics. It highlighted the post-college community drop-out rate, as many people in their 20s no longer rushed to marry, settle down and fit into synagogue-centric life. But in some cities, community demographics have raced way ahead even of Moishe House's expectations. People who come to our house range in general from 20-40, with many people not fitting into the conventional family model. We are part of such a family, tribal culture, and many traditional funders are so concerned about intergenerational continuity, they may underestimate the potential of the single, the unconventional, the childless-by-choice-or-otherwise in our extended family that intersects through common ground.
But you never know how the ripples of the pond will affect the water and stir the depths.
The MH website boasts a 'scalable approach'. It would be wonderful if the creators and supporters of Moishe House would fully acknowledge the huge impact they've had in certain cities, and took some responsibility (deeper than the recent 'Moishe House Without Walls' funding) for the gap of knowledge that goes into scaling beyond what was dreamed at the beginning. It would be wonderful if they would face the consequences of success in providing meaningful Jewish experiences, supporting leaders and creating vibrant home-based Jewish communities.
Because if they don't, in some places, (such as London, say), all the circles that Moishe House has joined together may just as soon melt away if the knowledge to empower them doesn't match the speed at which they are shifting.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Moishe House STL: A Sign of Things to Come.
As Moishe House STL welcomes 2012, I can’t help but feel confident that 2012 will be a good year. After a year of transition, that saw two residents move on to the next step in their lives and two new residents welcomed into the Moishe House community, things have slowed down for MHSTL. This change in pace is a great thing for us as we have begun to build steam for 2012. Over the past couple of months we have really laid the framework for the type of programming and turnout that we have striven for; with the focus being on diverse programming and continuing organizational relationships.
Over the past few months we have started to develop a relationship with the Jewish Food Pantry. We feel that in creating an ongoing relationship with the Jewish Food Pantry, we are able to better serve the community in times of need. In addition to planning events every few months, we have “friended” members of the Jewish Food Pantry Staff on Facebook. This allows them the ability to ask our community for help when they need it.
This is the first of multiple partnerships for MHSTL and will allow for us to continue to plan diverse events, while creating meaningful ties to the community, as well. In addition to helping the community, we have had great results with these types of events, in terms of turnout and new people. Hopefully, as we continue this partnership and create new partnerships, we will also be appealing to more and more Jewish young adults. Then this, really, will end up being a good year.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Moishe House East Bay: A Time of Transition
We used to have a dining room table, until about two hours ago. That table had seen a lot of memories: Had us holding a lot of hands, supported a Challah or two and some of our amazing dinners together. With the exit of our Captain and beloved roommate, Glenn Howe, our sturdy steed of a table sailed with him. He wasn’t the first to go and wont be the last to leave. In December, Jack Cohen made his grand exit from Moishe House and took with him a real genuineness and love for his community. He’s not far, and as a Moishe resident, created a program that gained so much following, he has no choice but continue it. The people have spoken; they want Torah the Explorah!
There seems to be a trend forming for me, as I watch furniture disappear and new “stuff” emerge. It was clear our home is entering a major transitional phase, and having only been a Moishe for seven months, I knew I wouldn’t be the new kid on the block much longer. As any group forms, storms and norms, our roles become better defined. We start to get a feel for what we are as individuals and who we are within the group. As one member leaves, the roles shift and a new dynamic take shape. We teach one another without even knowing that a larger lesson in life enters the foreground of your existence.
The beauty of Moishe House isn’t just the community currently being cultivated; it’s an awareness and honor of all that has come and gone before you. Although Oakland is now on the NYTimes top 45 Places to go IN THE WORLD, http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/travel/45-places-to-go-in-2012.html?pagewanted=all , Moishe House Oakland left something to be desired in a past life. Senior Moishinik, Joshua Walters, sat me down one night and told me how they struggled to keep the project afloat just two years ago. They held an open house and only two people showed up and ended up being our roommates, Eli Zaturanski and Jack Cohen. Now, in Berkeley, we’ve got emails, calls and drop bys of people from all over the East Bay wanting to join as a resident.
We’ve got a good thing going on over here, and it wouldn’t be without those that came before us, and the promise of new energy from those yet to come. Moishe House’s decentralized leadership gives us the power of our process as a home, to create the community we love. The more of us out there that can come in and leave a little goodness behind, the better for the vision and reach of our community as a whole.
So, let this be an homage to my Moishemen: the guys who brought me in, who taught and fed me well—with knowledge, acceptance and a leg of lamb. I feel confident moving forward with your spirit and support behind us.
-Katherine Bruce
There seems to be a trend forming for me, as I watch furniture disappear and new “stuff” emerge. It was clear our home is entering a major transitional phase, and having only been a Moishe for seven months, I knew I wouldn’t be the new kid on the block much longer. As any group forms, storms and norms, our roles become better defined. We start to get a feel for what we are as individuals and who we are within the group. As one member leaves, the roles shift and a new dynamic take shape. We teach one another without even knowing that a larger lesson in life enters the foreground of your existence.
The beauty of Moishe House isn’t just the community currently being cultivated; it’s an awareness and honor of all that has come and gone before you. Although Oakland is now on the NYTimes top 45 Places to go IN THE WORLD, http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/travel/45-places-to-go-in-2012.html?pagewanted=all , Moishe House Oakland left something to be desired in a past life. Senior Moishinik, Joshua Walters, sat me down one night and told me how they struggled to keep the project afloat just two years ago. They held an open house and only two people showed up and ended up being our roommates, Eli Zaturanski and Jack Cohen. Now, in Berkeley, we’ve got emails, calls and drop bys of people from all over the East Bay wanting to join as a resident.
We’ve got a good thing going on over here, and it wouldn’t be without those that came before us, and the promise of new energy from those yet to come. Moishe House’s decentralized leadership gives us the power of our process as a home, to create the community we love. The more of us out there that can come in and leave a little goodness behind, the better for the vision and reach of our community as a whole.
So, let this be an homage to my Moishemen: the guys who brought me in, who taught and fed me well—with knowledge, acceptance and a leg of lamb. I feel confident moving forward with your spirit and support behind us.
-Katherine Bruce
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
You Never Know...
...who you're going to meet along the way.
A week after we moved into the new West LA Moishe House, I was going through that all-too-familiar process of scouring Craigslist for a few little things we still needed to make the house feel more like home. Of course, Craigslist is always an adventure (I've met my share of unsavory characters and oddly scented furniture along the way) and you never know exactly what you're in for. This time, however, I responded to a random ad for a 'lightly used' bed frame, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the woman who had posted the ad was not only Jewish, but was also active in our community (she happens to run a website called All Things Jewish dot com )
I asked if she knew about Moishe House and told her a little about what were doing, and suddenly we went from guarded Craigslist strangers to new friends. "Wow," she said excitedly. "Now that I know where it's going, I've got some other furniture I'd be happy to donate to you guys."
Not only that, but she took the time to write a really nice blog entry about Moishe House which you can read here: http://allthingsjewish.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/allthingsjewish-discovers-moishe-house-in-la/
One more reminder of how fantastic our community is.
You can check out her website at allthingsjewish.com
A week after we moved into the new West LA Moishe House, I was going through that all-too-familiar process of scouring Craigslist for a few little things we still needed to make the house feel more like home. Of course, Craigslist is always an adventure (I've met my share of unsavory characters and oddly scented furniture along the way) and you never know exactly what you're in for. This time, however, I responded to a random ad for a 'lightly used' bed frame, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the woman who had posted the ad was not only Jewish, but was also active in our community (she happens to run a website called All Things Jewish dot com )
I asked if she knew about Moishe House and told her a little about what were doing, and suddenly we went from guarded Craigslist strangers to new friends. "Wow," she said excitedly. "Now that I know where it's going, I've got some other furniture I'd be happy to donate to you guys."
Not only that, but she took the time to write a really nice blog entry about Moishe House which you can read here: http://allthingsjewish.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/allthingsjewish-discovers-moishe-house-in-la/
One more reminder of how fantastic our community is.
You can check out her website at allthingsjewish.com
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