This is only my second blog for the Moishe House, but it feels like I've been here forever. The meetings, the phone calls, the constant planning it takes to make a communal house run smoothly have become so natural. I no longer have to remind myself to check our calendar foe the Moishe events we have planned for the week because I do it without thinking. That's what I'm loving most right now - the feeling that in this moment, the work that we do, couldn't be any other way.

And now that we've found our rhythm, we can play within the structure we've developed. We know we need to have two Shabbats and a happy hour every month, but we're getting more creative and exploring outside of ourselves. We choose events that we aren't sure how our community will react to - trial and error each month, so we continue to grow and improve.

In addition, from the beginning, as we are all driven by social justice, we've wanted to incorporate that into our house. What I once thought might not work with our community and its needs has become an intrinsic part of our house's mission statement. Adding a short discussion about modern slavery to our kosher for Passover Shabbat was natural, and for me, deepened the experience.

So we have found our way, and we must continue to push ourselves, but it is really our house now.

Artivism, Thanks to the Moishe House

One year ago, my mentor asked what the Jewish community could do to support young Jewish artists. Today, we have created an answer: Moishe House LA. As a filmmaker, I am thirsty to be around other creative, passionate people. By living in the Moishe House LA, I live with people I admire and who can envision a Jewish community that is diverse, welcoming, inclusive, and fun. And, because of the subsidized rent, I am able to devote real time to my filmmaking. For example, last month I was asked to produce a video art installation - my first! Only because of my living situation, I was able to come up with a concept, interview people in the Mo House community, and spend time and energy editing without worrying about how I was going to pay next month's rent. We seek to reach out and support local artists and activists (we also had our first art gallery opening), including ourselves!

Here's the video piece, a look at 4 laws that limited marriage. I could only have produced this in such a short amount of time because of living in a Moishe House, so let me know your thoughts!