Saturday, February 05, 2011
Moishe House SF - Dan's Blog
Shabbat Shalom Moish-uginahs!
This is my first Moishe House blog so please be gentle. I have been a part of the Moishe House community for about 2 years now. I was at the tender age of 26 and had been trying to rediscover my Jewish identity. I tried going to services at Temple Emanu-el, danced at Second Saturdays @ the Cellar, attended Mission Minyan and tried other Jewish activities that I found online. However I didn't feel any of these places fit with my unique style of Jewish living or lifestyle. I am a social person by nature and appreciate good conversation with friends and discussing my beliefs or questions with those around me.
In my first year of living in San Francisco I found myself working as a Communications Director at a Non-profit and co-managing a Funk Accordion band called Sex with No Hands...a mix of Kelzmer, Funk and 80's Rock! Half of the band is Jewish (a mix of orthodox and conservative dudes who know how to observe in style!) and introduced me to the Jewish community of San Francisco and to their traditions of holding Seders and Shabbats in their homes. While in New York on the East Coast leg of their 2008 tour I met one of my best friends...Sarah Curtain (and now current roommate) who went to school with two members of the band. Sarah eventually moved out to San Francisco and joined the Moishe House later that Fall. I started attending Shabbats, musical performances, movies and other fun activities that I really enjoyed and I finally felt that I was a part of a larger Jewish Community!
Fast forward a year and a half later...I was getting ready to moved out of the Sunset and was looking for a new place. Three of the current roommates at Moishe House were moving out and had asked me if I wanted to take a spot. It took me all of a week to make up my mind, but I gladly took the offer and have been at the Moishe House SF ever since!
I've had a chance to meet a ton of new people, create some great events and collaborate with some fantastic organizations. Over the months I have been able to bring in friends to play music (The Coo Coo Birds, Moishe House Gypsy Jazz Band and Lautaro D'Amato), made some amazing foods (German Food Themed Shabbat, Hummus Making, Indian Food Shabbat and many Vegan Dishes) and we are starting a Comic Book Club and Rotating Art Gallery which I am super excited to do!
The future is looking bright and I am excited to do so much more! Keep an eye out for our upcoming events:
Friday - February 11 - Pink Pot Luck Shabbat - Breast Cancer Awareness and Valentines Day Shabbat
Saturday - February 12 - Moishe House Wine Tasting
Sunday - February 20 - Food Bank Volunteering!
Tuesday - February 22 - Madhouse Rhythm the comedy of Joshua Walters
Thursday - February 24 - Moishe House Movie Night - Jewish Directors Series
Sunday - February 27 - Moishe House Art Show and Concert
# posted by Moishe House SF @ 11:02 AM
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Building a Jewish Community
One of the confusing things about Jewish community is the feel of it – it’s different from mainstream American community. For folks who aren’t Jewish it can seem to make sense that Jews are different – even if they can’t quite put their finger on why. But for American Jews it can be baffling – why do I feel different or out of place? After all, I grew up here. The American dream is that an individual through hard work can rise to wealth and greater independence. If you become wealthy enough you can pay for your own home, car, health care, vacations, etc. However we never learn about the American Dream as a communal concept, it is an individual goal.
On the other hand, Judaism’s greatest hero is Moses. When Moses rode (or walked) off into the wilderness he took the whole Jewish family along, the women and children, the weak as well as the strong, the complainers with the enthusiasts. The Jewish dream is a time of peace for all the Jews, an end to persecution and the return to Zion. The expectation is that each Jew will care for all the other Jews, sacrificing her/his own needs and desires for the greater needs of the group.
In America we create Jewish community in synagogue. There the multiple burdens – responsibilities – are spread out over the many members so that no one person is expected to do it all. However, synagogues are inherently expensive to be a part of, synagogue dues are currently going up exponentially as synagogue membership is going down, as a way to offset one another. Unfortunately, when you are in your 20's, paying $1,000 or even $2,000 a year to be a part of a "Jewish Community" just is not in the cards. This is where Moishe House steps in. Additionally, there are very few burdens associated with being a part of a Moishe House. There is shopping and preparing food, posting events on the internet, taking pictures, and general event promotions. However, the dividends are endless. We get to create our own community, we get to do the events we want to do, and if the go really well, we get to them again. We get to invite our friends, and have the opportunity to make new friends every single time we have an event. Moishe House is a very informal and comfortable environment, a sad reality that is missing from some synagogue environments.
Countless times, whether it be during Shabbat, a Yom Hashoah dinner, celebrating Hannukah, sharing a tikkun olam experience, playing sports, poker, cooking events, or even picking weeds in a community garden this conversation of how to be a part of a Jewish Community comes up with the people we interact with. What a wonderful outlet for young Jews to be a part of, and not only is of no cost to them, it is with other young Jewish people who are also wanting to be a part of Jewish community, who already are living in the same community. What a wonderful recipe for success that speaks to the groups needs, while also including individuals wants and desires!!
SF monthly blog
On the other hand, Judaism’s greatest hero is Moses. When Moses rode (or walked) off into the wilderness he took the whole Jewish family along, the women and children, the weak as well as the strong, the complainers with the enthusiasts. The Jewish dream is a time of peace for all the Jews, an end to persecution and the return to Zion. The expectation is that each Jew will care for all the other Jews, sacrificing her/his own needs and desires for the greater needs of the group.
In America we create Jewish community in synagogue. There the multiple burdens – responsibilities – are spread out over the many members so that no one person is expected to do it all. However, synagogues are inherently expensive to be a part of, synagogue dues are currently going up exponentially as synagogue membership is going down, as a way to offset one another. Unfortunately, when you are in your 20's, paying $1,000 or even $2,000 a year to be a part of a "Jewish Community" just is not in the cards. This is where Moishe House steps in. Additionally, there are very few burdens associated with being a part of a Moishe House. There is shopping and preparing food, posting events on the internet, taking pictures, and general event promotions. However, the dividends are endless. We get to create our own community, we get to do the events we want to do, and if the go really well, we get to them again. We get to invite our friends, and have the opportunity to make new friends every single time we have an event. Moishe House is a very informal and comfortable environment, a sad reality that is missing from some synagogue environments.
Countless times, whether it be during Shabbat, a Yom Hashoah dinner, celebrating Hannukah, sharing a tikkun olam experience, playing sports, poker, cooking events, or even picking weeds in a community garden this conversation of how to be a part of a Jewish Community comes up with the people we interact with. What a wonderful outlet for young Jews to be a part of, and not only is of no cost to them, it is with other young Jewish people who are also wanting to be a part of Jewish community, who already are living in the same community. What a wonderful recipe for success that speaks to the groups needs, while also including individuals wants and desires!!
SF monthly blog
# posted by Moishe House SF @ 11:57 AM
Monday, June 07, 2010
Building a Jewish Community
One of the confusing things about Jewish community is the feel of it – it’s different from mainstream American community. For folks who aren’t Jewish it can seem to make sense that Jews are different – even if they can’t quite put their finger on why. But for American Jews it can be baffling – why do I feel different or out of place? After all, I grew up here. The American dream is that an individual through hard work can rise to wealth and greater independence. If you become wealthy enough you can pay for your own home, car, health care, vacations, etc. However we never learn about the American Dream as a communal concept, it is an individual goal.
On the other hand, Judaism’s greatest hero is Moses. When Moses rode (or walked) off into the wilderness he took the whole Jewish family along, the women and children, the weak as well as the strong, the complainers with the enthusiasts. The Jewish dream is a time of peace for all the Jews, an end to persecution and the return to Zion. The expectation is that each Jew will care for all the other Jews, sacrificing her/his own needs and desires for the greater needs of the group.
In America we create Jewish community in synagogue. There the multiple burdens – responsibilities – are spread out over the many members so that no one person is expected to do it all. However, synagogues are inherently expensive to be a part of, synagogue dues are currently going up exponentially as synagogue membership is going down, as a way to offset one another. Unfortunately, when you are in your 20's, paying $1,000 or even $2,000 a year to be a part of a "Jewish Community" just is not in the cards. This is where Moishe House steps in. Additionally, there are very few burdens associated with being a part of a Moishe House. There is shopping and preparing food, posting events on the internet, taking pictures, and general event promotions. However, the dividends are endless. We get to create our own community, we get to do the events we want to do, and if the go really well, we get to them again. We get to invite our friends, and have the opportunity to make new friends every single time we have an event. Moishe House is a very informal and comfortable environment, a sad reality that is missing from some synagogue environments.
Countless times, whether it be during Shabbat, a Yom Hashoah dinner, celebrating Hannukah, sharing a tikkun olam experience, playing sports, poker, cooking events, or even picking weeds in a community garden this conversation of how to be a part of a Jewish Community comes up with the people we interact with. What a wonderful outlet for young Jews to be a part of, and not only is of no cost to them, it is with other young Jewish people who are also wanting to be a part of Jewish community, who already are living in the same community. What a wonderful recipe for success that speaks to the groups needs, while also including individuals wants and desires!!
SF monthly blog
On the other hand, Judaism’s greatest hero is Moses. When Moses rode (or walked) off into the wilderness he took the whole Jewish family along, the women and children, the weak as well as the strong, the complainers with the enthusiasts. The Jewish dream is a time of peace for all the Jews, an end to persecution and the return to Zion. The expectation is that each Jew will care for all the other Jews, sacrificing her/his own needs and desires for the greater needs of the group.
In America we create Jewish community in synagogue. There the multiple burdens – responsibilities – are spread out over the many members so that no one person is expected to do it all. However, synagogues are inherently expensive to be a part of, synagogue dues are currently going up exponentially as synagogue membership is going down, as a way to offset one another. Unfortunately, when you are in your 20's, paying $1,000 or even $2,000 a year to be a part of a "Jewish Community" just is not in the cards. This is where Moishe House steps in. Additionally, there are very few burdens associated with being a part of a Moishe House. There is shopping and preparing food, posting events on the internet, taking pictures, and general event promotions. However, the dividends are endless. We get to create our own community, we get to do the events we want to do, and if the go really well, we get to them again. We get to invite our friends, and have the opportunity to make new friends every single time we have an event. Moishe House is a very informal and comfortable environment, a sad reality that is missing from some synagogue environments.
Countless times, whether it be during Shabbat, a Yom Hashoah dinner, celebrating Hannukah, sharing a tikkun olam experience, playing sports, poker, cooking events, or even picking weeds in a community garden this conversation of how to be a part of a Jewish Community comes up with the people we interact with. What a wonderful outlet for young Jews to be a part of, and not only is of no cost to them, it is with other young Jewish people who are also wanting to be a part of Jewish community, who already are living in the same community. What a wonderful recipe for success that speaks to the groups needs, while also including individuals wants and desires!!
SF monthly blog
# posted by Moishe House SF @ 7:51 PM
