The Stanford Tree

I'd like to make a few comments about the Stanford Tree. For those of you that don't know, the Stanford Tree is the mascot for Stanford University. The tree has nothing to do with the school's mascot, the Cardinal, yet all the students and fans seem to love it. I have no idea why, particularly cause I think the Stanford mascot is pretty stupid.

Just as I'm confused with what the Stansford Tree has to do with anything, some people come to Moishe House wondering what our activities have to do with Judaism. Last night we had a Shabbat dinner with about 35 guests, many of whom have never attended a Moishe House event before. A couple guests asked me if we were going to do anything more "Jewish" besides the 5 minutes of traditional Shabbat prayers. The thought to do more Jewish "stuff" didn't occur to me because I thought the idea of 35 people hanging out and sharing a Shabbat dinner was about as Jewish as it gets. There were many people meeting others for the first time, sharing some amazing food, and plenty of wine. But hearing questions about whether we were going to do anything more "Jewish" made me wonder if what Moishe House's goals were set in the right direction. After 3 weeks of living in Moishe House SF, and after this first major event, I have absolutely decided that Moishe House's goals are perfect and in line with my view of the most efficient use of the Forest Foundation's resources. Jewish people represent one of America's smallest minorities, and Jewish culture often falls into the America's social melting pot. Moishe House allows for Jewish culture to sustain itself in every community where a Moishe House community exists, and I'm happy to be a part of it.