Welcome To
he 'Hood
Moishe House
raktotor City draws a
crowd for its debut
backyard barbecue.
Moishe House in Midtown Detroit drew more than 200 young Jews for its first big gathering.
L
ess than 100 hours after placing
their mezuzah, the six residents
of Moishe House welcomed more
than 200 of their peers for a summer bar-
becue on May 25.
"Impressive" seemed to be the term to
describe the rooms, the house, the resi-
dents, the concept, the feel and look of the
neighborhood. When people came to the
house's first large social gathering — one
by one, on foot, on bike, by car — they
saw a side of the city and Jewish com-
munity they had never seen. It was Day
25 of Moishe House Motor City, located in
Midtown Detroit.
Friends from Tamarack Camps and
Hillel Day School and high school, who
had not spoken in a decade, reconnected.
Neighbors from all directions were wel-
comed with open arms.
Here's the really cool thing: showcasing
shown a vision and movement to make a
a powerful Jewish initiative to people who
difference in Jewish Detroit.
don't have roots here, who are
It's no wonder other com-
not familiar with the strength
munities that have had a Moishe
and resourcefulness and
House for several years view it
heritage of Jewish Detroit. You
as a community asset. They've
could spot people in the crowd
provided enriching peer-led
living in Michigan right now
Jewish experiences, such as
for a short-term gig, but who
Shabbat dinners, on a regular
grew up in Russia or Israel or
basis to thousands of people.
in other states. People who had
At a conference in Israel last
wondered if young professional
week that brought together 148
Jews were still around and
young Jewish leaders, including
engaged and committed to the
the founder of Moishe House
Adam Finkel
city received their answer.
and about 10 current or former
Special to the
Young Jews who had made
Moishe House residents, I heard
Jewish News
the migration out but were
firsthand the exciting stories
back for the summer, perhaps
and impact of Moishe House.
for their last few weeks before making the
"The BBQ was a big win," said Allie
big move to Chicago or New York, were
Shipper, a recent graduate of Indiana
University and a new staff member of
CommunityNEXT. "When so many young
adults turn out for a casual gathering in
Detroit, they are sending a message. The
demand for a dynamic urban experience
is clearly here, and Moishe House is going
to be at the heart of developing a Jewish
presence in the city once again."
In addition to the six Moishe House
residents, I came across a half dozen more
young Jewish leaders already planning to
plant residential roots in the city and help
write our community's next chapter.
The event was sponsored by Fuze bev-
erages, with support from community
members, CommunityNEXT and Moishe
House's monthly programming budget. II
Adam Finkel, 24, of Bloomfield Hills raised
$80,000 to help fund Detroit's Moishe House.
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Ken Hansen, West Bloomfield; Gabe
Danielle Golden and Sammi Cutler,
Ari Katz of Waterford and Danny Samet
Neistein and Mlle Shipper, both of
both of West Bloomfield, promote
of Farmington Hills
Detroit; Allie Gross, Moishe House
opportunities to connect with Detroit.
resident
10
July 7 2011
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)66,
t. A
Jack Silver, Katie Katz, Conor
Mendenhall, Ryan Landau, all of Royal
Oak