RRR: MoHoLo

As Boston/Kavod House pointed out, it is rather clear to us that the most effective way to bring people to our House is through recommendations and personal connections. It’s important that people who come to events at the house gradually develop a sense of community – they should feel, welcomed, part of and appreciated by the house and its surrounding peer group. They should not identify as consumers of an event / brand.
Many people come because someone they trust recommended us to them. Or because people are so excited to have found us, that they can’t help but talk about their experiences with us, which is a wonderful compliment.
Here’s a recent post from the journalist Sasha Frieze:

Did a mitzvah tonight.
I was in Kosher Paradise (don't even ask, but basically, buying kosher food) and the guy serving was youngish with a couple of piercings and a slightly Carlebachy-kippah. Great customer service: he told me he just likes to make people happy, and commented on my well-accessorised outfit (I responded that it's not so hard to accessorise when, basically, all your clothes are purple). We chatted a little more, he was local, his accent was just from hanging in Golders Green. He gave the impression he didn't get out so much.
Looking at him, I knew where his friends hung out. "Do you know about the Moishe House?" I asked. He didn't. I told him it was where his chevra were hanging, and he wrote it down, to check it out on Facebook…Me, I'm a connector, innit.
(check out sasha’s regular blog at www.sashinka.blogspot.com )

Now, this could be a sad thing or an exciting opportunity. It could be sad because often the people who feel they don’t fit neatly into the lines of activities already offered by the mainstream British Jewish community often end up leaving the Jewish world entirely, because in the main, conventional European Jewry can be quite concerned about fitting neatly in the lines. So in the past no-one has known that other people understand their situation and their sense of being different (and, to be honest, the majority of people feel they are ‘different’ or somehow ‘misunderstood). Few people have felt it’s okay to self-define. And we give them that space.

We bring people in by co-hosting events with a vast range of other organizations, who bring their audiences with us: the JCC, New Jewish Thought, Tzedek, Jerusalem Peacemakers, the Villages Project, our local apple-picking group, Oxfam, the Jewish Volunteer Network, Jeneration, ReneCassin…there are so many more, and each event attracts people who read the publicity of those organizations, who all make sure to link back to out website or at least use a little blurb to explain who we are. Being able to offer a free space means we also encourage people to use our space when it’s available. It is such a valuable resource to be able to offer people a room free-of-charge. Again people come in (this time often asking ‘what is this place?!’ and leave planning to return for more). Likewise, we encourage individuals to share their skills and knowledge. If people in the city only meet each other for parties and dinner parties, as is normal city-behaviour, they will never know that their friends can teach them to fix their bikes, or make soap, or help them study Spinoza or economics.
Our cross-denominational openness (especially evidenced at our betit midrash, where we’re the only Jewish study group in the UK to have rabbis from all different streams happily come and teach).

We attract other community groups by becoming involved with them, so we’ve hosted the afrmorementioned local apple-pickers, our neighbouring Darfuri community and had events for our neighbours, because an aspect of our work it to improve urban/suburban community cohesion in general, not just Jewish community.

I’d like to develop some leaflets to leave here and there to distribute, but I think it’s important that we have rough edges, that we don’t develop shiny branded leaflets, so that when you come to us, you are taking part in a real community, which you form part of by being there.


Oh, and did I mention that our latest resident is living with us having been recommended to track us down? Whilst he was in Sinai. Not a bad distance for a reputation to spread!