metro >> on the cover

Our Houser

In the Middle of the

Six young Jews move into Motor City Moishe House

to build a community in the city.

Robin Schwartz I

Contributing Writer

Gershon°

Arielia Morrison,

Allie Gross;

Dannierf Nadiv,

Justin Jacobs

T

hey're an eclectic mix — two
graduate students, three business
owners/entrepreneurs, an inner-
city grade school teacher — all living
together under one roof on a tree-lined
Midtown Detroit street. The six Jewish
20-somethings who recently moved into
Motor City Moishe House on East Ferry
Street share a pioneering spirit, a mutual
sense of adventure and hope for a brighter
future.
Not long ago, most of them were total
strangers. But the three men and three
women are now housemates in a seven-
bedroom, 5,000-square-foot home in the
heart of the city's Cultural Center. The
communal house, one of 36 like it in 14
countries (including China, Argentina,
Poland and South Africa), is meant to
serve as a hub of activity for Jewish young
adults.
"The two things I'm most passion-
ate about are Detroit and Judaism:'
said Danniell Nadiv, 23, a Wayne State
University graduate student who was
already living downtown.
She was one of the first to move into
Moishe House, selecting a first-floor bed-
room with two large windows and laven-
der walls.
"I love this house!" she exclaimed.
"There are a few things about it that
remind me of an old house in Huntington
Woods: the hardwood floors, the fireplac-
es, the flickering lights at times. I think
there's going to be a lot of opportunity
here. This is a wonderful endeavor."
Nadiv and the other residents are
required to participate in an orientation,
sign an acknowledgement of Moishe
House's policies including a no-drug
policy, and host five to six monthly
programs from Shabbat dinners to edu-
cational forums and social events. In
exchange, they receive a monthly activities
budget ($375/month) and a subsidized
rent of 50 percent off. The money comes
from private donations held in a philan-
thropic fund by the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit. Leaders of the
California-based Moishe House organiza-
tion estimate each resident will pay about
$200/month to live there.
"Ultimately, Moishe House's goal is to
enable a community for young Jews in
their 20s:' said Jeremy Moskowitz, the
group's eastern regional director. "It also
provides a great opportunity to help revi-
talize Detroit."
Each resident is required to sign a one-
year lease; but there's no penalty for leav-
ing early. Some participants may end up
staying as long as two to three years.
Adam Finkel, 24, of Bloomfield Hills, who
will only say he works in the "Internet
industry," voluntarily led the local Moishe
House fundraising effort. He single-
handedly raised more than $80,000 and
even met with Detroit Mayor Dave Bing to
promote the project. Finkel did not apply

