Since Moishe House's West Coast director, Summer Shapiro, will be visiting us starting Wednesday, and she hopes to get to know us better and more fully understand what our house is trying to achieve, this seems like a good moment to reflect on my time thus far at Moishe House Seattle. I became a resident at a time (last August) when I was still hurting from a fairly recent breakup and in need of community more than ever, and I found a tremendously lively, enjoyable group of people -- new friends, in practically no time -- at the little house on 23rd Avenue Northeast.
The first event I attended was Coffeehouse, and I remember thinking: Who are all these passionate, interesting, smart, wonderfully nutty people? I'd been attending a potluck at another communal house for a couple of years, and I liked the people there and came to expect great food every Tuesday, but my experience didn't always end up being greater than the sum of its parts -- I was recognized and appreciated, but I didn't quite belong. Almost immediately at MH Seattle, I realized that my sense of humor, my point of view, and my idiosyncrasies would all be "gotten" by pretty much everyone, whether Russian, American, Israeli, or Iranian. I'd never understood how spending time with a group of Jews could be more comfortable, at least in certain ways, than being in a random crowd, but it finally made sense by the end of Coffeehouse. When Tamar and one of the guests performed a number from Fiddler on the Roof that elicited gales of laughter from the audience, I saw a liveliness and humor and ease of being -- the sign of people who have let their guard down -- I'd rarely witnessed in group settings in Seattle.
For me, MH Seattle has been not only the answer to the questions "How do I take part in the Jewish community without feeling uncomfortable?" and "How do I find a community where I feel like I belong?" but also a solution to the problem of Seattle's notorious social chilliness, which means superficial friendliness without a deeper, more lasting warmth (and investment of energy) to follow. At Moishe House, residents and regular guests alike have committed to building a community unlike all the others in town, a place where people who don't fit in elsewhere, or simply want a quirky alternative (or supplement) to the other Jewish events they frequent, can feel at home. Because a sense of home is what our Moishe House has given me, as well as the countless people who have come through our door. And in these turbulent times -- amid economic recession and swine flu -- the ability to feel happy at home is a true privilege.
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