GBIO Healthcare Webinar, Tikkun on Tap: October, Community Sukkot Party

Greetings Moishe Kavodniks,

We hope all of you had a meaningful Yom Kippur and a delicious Break the Fast this past weekend. As you all may have noticed, if you’ve been reading these e-mails the days leading up to Yom Kippur are generally a time set aside for self reflection. It is a time when many Jews the world over are focused internally on themselves, on their shortcomings, their priorities, and their relationship with God and the Community. While this sort of internally focused reflection is both growthful and often necessary it can be quite tiring. It’s a good thing then, that Sukkot is right around the corner. Sukkot is a time when we change directions and face outwards towards our friends, our families, our neighbors, and the world. It is a time to invite people into our homes to eat, drink, and celebrate all the goodness that the harvest has to offer. To symbolize this new orientation we build sukkot or small huts which allow us to literally move part of our home into the outside world.

We hope that you all are able to focus this new outward orientation towards not only celebrating with friends and neighbors but also towards living the Moral and ethical priorities that you’ve set for yourself during Yom Kippur. As always we offer many avenues to live your values. If you’ve decided that this year you want to fight for better healthcare, a more sustainable Jewish Community, or the ability to have shame-free truthful conversations around sexuality we have projects for you. If there are other ways you’d like to live your values in this new year, let us know. We’re always here to help you make an impact on the world around you.

Featured Events

Community Sukkot Party – Don’t dwell on it – dwell IN it! Join us this Sunday, October 16th from 5-9 pm and celebrate in and decorate our sukkah, and enjoy and evening of music, food, learning, lulav shaking, and other fun. We’ll have plenty of stuff to eat, but please BYOB.

GBIO Healthcare Webinar – Are you interested in learning about and supporting the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization’s Healthcare Cost Control Campaign, but don’t know where to start? Join Moishe Kavod’s GBIO Team, along with TBZ leaders and JOI Fellows, to learn about the ins and outs of our health care system at one of GBIO’s Regional Webinar Viewings and House Meetings on Wednesday October 26th from 7-9pm.

Tikkun on Tap – Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up and why? This October, our monthly networking and learning bar night is focusing on the issue of education reform. We’re joined by a couple representatives of the Boston Teacher’s Union who will be bringing a unique perspective to a number of complex issues. Tuesday October 25th 7:30-9:30 pm.

Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan – We are having our 1st Rosh Chodesh meeting and New Moon Gathering of the year at the end of October, date TBA. Any women or female identified people who want to join us to learn, create, and celebrate the new month are welcome. We’d love to see many new and familiar faces so if you are interested in our New Moon Gatherings in general and have not gotten e-mails from newmoonkavod@gmail.com, please email us to get on the mailing list

Other Announcements

Want to Use Our Sukkah? – Want to fulfill the commandment to eat outside but missing your own sukkah? Our Community Sukkah is open to the public, October 12th-18th. Enjoy dinner in the beautiful Moishe Kavod Sukkah. You must reserve time and space to make use of our sukkah, but once you do, the sukkah is yours from 5 pm – 9 pm. Click here to sign up, space is limited. Please bring your own dinner (vegetarian only).

We wish you the best in turning outwards to the world and hope we can be a part of your new year!

In Peace,

Aaron Gunning, Tslil Shtulsaft, Annie Fox, and Helen Bennett

Community Calendar

Sunday October 16, 2011 -
Sex Ed Team Faciliator Training, 1:30-4:30 pm
Community Sukkot Party 5-9 pm
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 – Benefit Planning Meeting, 7-9 pm
Friday, October 21, 2011 – Shabbat Service and Potluck 6:30 pm
Tuesday October 25, 2011 – Tikkun on Tap 7:30-9:30 pm
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 – GBIO Healthcare Webinar 7 pm

Well Moishe Kavodniks,

This is it. Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe. Last chance to be written down in the book of life before it gets sealed til next year. For some of you, this means that God is literally writing down your name. For others, perhaps it means you are writing your own name in a metaphorical book of life by committing to living fully and according to your highest ideals. Whatever your belief, soon many of us will stand in the waning light of the autumn sun and recite the ancient words of Ne’ilah, Yom Kippur’s concluding service. “What are we? What is our life? What is our piety? What is our virtue? What is our salvation? What is our strength? What is our accomplishment? What shall we say before You, O Lord our God and God of our ancestors?”

Well, what will we say, whether to God or to our fellow human beings, when we are confronted with that which is wrong? When faced with unjust foreclosure, the threat of sexual violence, or callous indifference towards workers and the environment, will we say that we are too busy to get involved? That we’re not strong enough to help? That this was not our fight? Or will we make a firm declaration, when all is said and done? The buck stops here! This is our responsibility! We will stand up and we will do something!

That’s a pretty heavy line of questioning, no? Fortunately for you, the book of life is never really closed and The Moishe Kavod House always has opportunities for you to get involved and stand up for what’s right. Take a look at our featured events and get started writing yourself down the in Book of Life.

*First a Note to Our Members – As Yom Kippur approaches, it is time to think about how you will be contributing to our community in the coming year. Please take a moment to fill out this short time commitment form by October 12th to help us ensure that everyone does their part to make our community personally meaningful and politically powerful!

Featured Events
Yom Kippur Breakfast – Come join us as the sun sets on Yom Kippur. and we communally break the fast. This Saturday October 8th, 8 pm. Bagels never tasted so good! Food will be provided.
Sukkah Decorating – Please join us on Sunday, October 9, 3:00 – 5:30 as we build our very own Sukkah in the Sky and create colorful recycled decorations, which our community will use to adorn the Sukkah during the party on the 16th.
Sukkot Party – Don’t dwell on it – dwell IN it! Come celebrate in our sukkah, and enjoy and evening of music, food, learning, lulav shaking, and other fun. Food will be provided, but please BYOB. Sunday, October 16 from 5-7 pm
SojoCoCo Kick Off – If you’re a new leader or a seasoned veteran, we encourage one and all who are interested in helping Moishe Kavod House to build it’s power and become an effective force for social justice within the Jewish community and without to attend this meeting. Join us Monday, October 9th at 5 pm for discussion and training around campaign planning and Moishe Kavod’s ten year strategic plan.
GBIO Healthcare Webinar – Are you interested in learning about and supporting the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization’s Healthcare Cost Control Campaign, but don’t know where to start? Join Moishe Kavod’s GBIO Team, along with TBZ leaders and JOI Fellows, to learn about the ins and outs of our health care system at one of GBIO’s Regional Webinar Viewings and House Meetings on Monday October 24th from 7-9pm.
Tikkun on Tap – Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up and why? This October, our monthly networking and learning bar night is focusing on the issue of education reform. We’re joined by a couple representatives of the Boston Teacher’s Union who will be bringing a unique perspective to a number of complex issues. Tuesday October 25th 7:30-9:30 pm.

Community Allies Events

Little Bride – Check out this world premiere song and story event that follows a Jewish mail order bride on her journey into the American West. TONIGHT Tuesday October 4, 2011 at Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge.
Jewish Identity Focus Group – Want to make a few bucks and help provide valuable information on Jewish identity and continuity? The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies is conducting a focus group in Brookline on Wednesday October 5th. Interested? E-mail Dina Bleckman at bleckman@brandeis.edu for more information.

We at Moishe Kavod of wish everyone an easy and meaningful fast this weekend and all the best in your efforts to inscribe yourself in the book of life.

Shana Tova,

Aaron Gunning, Annie Fox, Helen Bennett, Tslil Shtulsaft

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 8, 2011 – Break the Fast, 8pm
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Sukkah Decorating – 3 pm
Farm to Shul Meeting – 7 pm
Monday October 10, 2011 – SoJoCoCo Kick Off 5 pm
Sunday October 16, 2011
Sex Ed Team Facilitator Training 1:30 pm
Sukkot Party 5 pm
Friday October 21, 2011 – Shabbat/Simchat Torah 6:30 pm
Monday October 24, 2011 – GBIO Webinar
Tuesday October 25, 2011 – Tikkun on Tap

Greetings Moishe Kavodniks,

Welcome to Fall at Kavod House! I (new housemate Aaron Gunning) am very excited to be writing to you all with my first Moishe Kavod Weekly e-mail at such a hopeful time on the Jewish Calendar. The lunar month of of Av is passed and Elul has just begun. Av which has just passed is a month set aside for mourning the loss of the 2nd Temple and remembering the expulsion, persecution, and privation borne by our Ancestors. Elul, which officially began last Wednesday, is a different beast entirely.  Elul is a time of action and of preparing ourselves for new beginnings. In Elul, we prepare ourselves for the High Holidays – taking action to realign our lives and our world with our vision of how we want them to be.

It is in that spirit of action and new beginnings, Moishe House is shaking off the summer doldrums and taking a running start at the new year with a slate of exciting opportunities to rededicate ourselves to our mission of repairing the world.

• Sex Ed. Team is kicking off its year with a gathering Sunday September 11th – If youre interested in helping to promote healthy and ethical sexuality in our community and elsewhere, stop on by.

• Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT) Interactive Workshop: Removing Personal Roadblocks in Social Justice - The Arts Team will be offering an opportunity on Tuesday September 13th to remove personal roadblocks to being a social justice justice. Join the Arts Team and MKH community member Cherina Eisenberg for an interactive workshop designed to help participants release trauma and eliminate negative beliefs.

• Pupusa Party: Insights from El Salvador – On Thursday September 15th, community member Eli Latto will be hosting a Pupusa Party and discussion. Join us for insights and inspiration from a long oppressed country undergoing a process of progressive self reinvention as well as for some delicious Salvadoran treats.

• Tikkun on Tap – We are also pleased to announce the return of our monthly social justice themed bar night from its August hiatus. Check us out this Wednesday September 21st  at Lir Irish Pub in Back Bay where well be joined by prominent feminist writer, performer, and activist, Jaclyn Friedman who will be giving us a sneak peek at her new book, What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girls Shame-Free Guide to Sex & Safety (out 11/1 from Seal Press).

Lastly, again in the spirit of new beginnings, Helen, Tslil, and I would all very much like to thank everyone for welcoming us into this community and making our transition into being your new resident organizers a joyous and exciting one.

In peace,

Aaron Gunning on behalf of Tslil Shtulsaft, Helen Bennett, and Annie Fox

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The Chesed [Love and Kindness] Team at Moishe Kavod can be a powerful and warm supportive force for members of our community during the best of times and the most difficult of times. If you or someone else in our community is experiencing a joyful event such as a birth or a challenging event such as a death, illness, and so on, please contact the Chesed Team at chesed.moishe.kavod@gmail.com to let us know how we can help.

Greetings!

We hope you have survived Hurricane Irene, and enjoyed the copious opportunities this past weekend for hunkering down, urban homesteading, or bonding with the people stuck with you wherever you were. We send our blessings to those in hard hit areas.

Summer is coming to an end and Elul, the month of preparation before the High Holidays, is approaching, and with it comes some exciting transitions at Moishe Kavod House. Check out our website, which has a bunch of updates, including our new and improved media page.  More updates coming soon!

After six years of serving as a Resident Organizer, Moishe Kavod Founder Margie Klein will be stepping down as a Resident Organizer, and will be pursuing her work as a congregational rabbi in Ashland, MA.  Margie will remain involved as the new MKH Communications Chair, and will also be working to create a national network of Jewish social justice houses based on the Moishe Kavod model.  Alix Zamansky will also be stepping down from her role as a Resident Organizer, as she focuses on pursuing her Masters in Social Work.  Alix will remain involved through her work with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and through her work the Chesed Committee.  We thank Margie and Alix for all of their hard work to help us get to where we are today. We also thank Meira Soloff and Dekel Luban for their help as interim-housemates this summer.

Once again, congratulations to Aaron Gunning, Helen Bennett, and Tslil Shtulsaft, are three newest Resident Organizers! Learn more about them (and about long time housemate Annie Fox) by clicking here.

Until Later,
Aaron, Alix, Annie, Helen, Margie, Meira, and Tslil!

On the Calendar:

Tuesday August 30th – Rosh Chodesh/New Moon Gathering

Wednesday August 31st – Membership Team Meeting

Friday September 2nd – Shabbat Services and Potluck

Sunday September 11th – Sex Ed Team Kickoff

Thursday September 15th – Pupusa Party: Insights from El Salvador

Friday September 16th – Newcomers Shabbat

*            *              *

The Chesed [Love and Kindness] Team at Moishe Kavod can be a powerful and warm supportive force for members of our community during the best of times and the most difficult of times. If you or someone else in our community is experiencing a joyful event such as a birth or a challenging event such as a death, illness, and so on, please contact the Chesed Team atchesed.moishe.kavod@gmail.com to let us know how we can help.

Shalom, Moishe Kavod!

I am writing in my capacity as the new communications chair, and outgoing housemate.  Thank you for six amazing years, and thank you to Lauren Jacobson Spokane (outgoing communications chair) for all of her great work.

I wanted to let you know that we are in the process of updating the website, after a bunch of communications team folks conducted a web-audit.  See http://www.kavodhouse.com/about/media/ for our new-and-improved media page, with more articles coming in the next few weeks.  If you have suggestions for ways to improve the website, please send them Lauren, who has generously offered to finish this process from Seattle, at laurenspokane@gmail.com.

If you have other communications questions or comments, please direct them to me -margieklein1@gmail.com, and for general comments or questions, please email moishehouseboston@gmail.com.

Best,
Rabbi Margie Klein, Moishe Kavod Founder and Communications Chair

Catch Farm to Shul and Ganei Beantown: Beantown Jewish Gardens at the Wild Edibles and the 7th year,Thursday, August 25, 6-8pm in Arlington. If every seven years we are commanded to observe a Shmita, a year without planting, a year of rest and rejuvenation, what might our options be? The session includes a text study on Shmita combined with learning to identify and eat what grows around us as we continue in the cycle and will be lead by Rabbi Jacob Fine (Jewish Farm School) and Rakia Shemaya Chandle. Cost is $11.54 – pre-registration is required. Register HERE.

All are welcome to join us as we doorknock with City Life/Vida Urbana to inform homeowners and tenants of their rights as their dwellings are foreclosed upon and help them organize to fight unfair foreclosures and evictions. We will start with a brief training, and newer volunteers will be paired with a seasoned volunteer or tenant who has become a leader in the Bank Tenants Union to protect their own homes. Contact darya.mattes@gmail.com for RSVP and/or questions.

And, next Tuesday, join us for our Rosh Chodesh/New Moon Gathering to reflect on our lives and set intentions for Elul, the month of spiritual preparation for the High Holidays.  Women-identified people, including trans- and gender queer people are welcome.

Until Later,
Aaron, Alix, Annie, Margie, and Meira

P. S. Looking for High Holidays services that are right for you?  Join Moishe Kavod folks at our own Rabbi Margie Klein’s services in Ashland – more details to follow. Or, click here for more service options from Jewishboston.com at the right price and location for you.

Some upcoming events:

Thursday August 25th – F2S Wild Edibles and the 7th Year (Shmita)

Sunday August 28th – Canvassing with City Life/Vida Urbana

Tuesday August 30th – Rosh Chodesh/New Moon Gathering

Please visit our calendar page for a complete listing of events and event details.

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The Chesed [Love and Kindness] Team at Moishe Kavod can be a powerful and warm supportive force for members of our community during the best of times and the most difficult of times.  If you or someone else in our community is experiencing a joyful event such as a birth or a challenging event such as a death, illness, and so on, please contact the Chesed Team at chesed.moishe.kavod@gmail.com to let us know how we can help.

Nows your chance to run for the Moishe Kavod House Board!  Serving on the board is a tremendous way to give back to your community and develop skills that can be useful in both your professional and personal life.  Want to learn more about working with the media?  Run for Communications Chair!  Want to try your hand at broad community engagement and recruitment?  Run for Membership Chair!  Since its inaugural year in 09-10, the Moishe Kavod House Board has been an exciting and energizing forum to join with other talented leaders to envision the future of our community and create the infrastructure to make it happen. If you are interested in running, contact any of the housemates or elected board members to learn more about what its like – you can find their contact information here.  More information on board positions can be found at here.  Applications can be submitted via this form and are due June 14th, 2011. Responses will be distributed to the Moishe Kavod House membership via email on June 17th. ELECTIONS will occur at our community weekend retreat on Sunday, June 26th at Prindle Pond in Charlton, MA.  If you are unable to attend the retreat, you may still run for the board and vote in the election (only requirement is that you must be a Moishe Kavod member visit the membership page to join). Upon receiving the candidate slate by email on June 17th, members may submit absentee votes by emailing Riana at rianagood@gmail.com up until June 23rd.

Ever had a question about how to put on an event at Moishe Kavod?  Puzzled about how you get your event publicized in our sweet weekly email?  Wish you knew what to do with your receipts so you could get reimbursed for the Thai food you bought for last week’s event?  Wonder no more!  Click here to read our thorough guide on all the nitty gritty of how events work at Moishe Kavod.

Happy planning!

- The MKH Communications Team

We want YOU to consider becoming a HOUSEMATE! We are looking for 2-4 housemates and will have openings as early as June. Housemates work 10-15 hours a week as community organizers and receive a substantial rent subsidy from Moishe House National in exchange for their tremendous contribution to the community. Housemates may live in the house at 165 Winthrop Road, but we are also considering a move to a new space in September, perhaps in a new area – housemate candidates would have voice in this process. The APPLICATION is here, and is due MARCH 30th (see attachment below). Want to learn more about being a housemate? Please e-mail azamansk@gmail.com.

MKH joins Boston Jews to Stand Up for Farmworkers, Photo by Hannah Levine

Last week, several dozen Moishe Kavodniks joined hundreds of protesters from around the region to stand up for the rights of Immokolee, FL farmworkers.  See below for MKH leader Aliza Wasserman’s reflection on the rally and march:

This past Sunday, as I marched with nearly 1,000 others, passing by 5-star hotels, bewildered tourists and students, I felt proud to be holding the new “Boston Jews for Fair Food” banner. A group of interfaith individuals, we were marching in support of the Coalition for Immokalee Workers and the “penny per pound” campaign. The campaign, which Whole Foods, Taco Bell and even McDonalds have already signed on to, promises one more cent paid per pound of tomatoes collected by workers in the Immokalee section of Florida, one of the largest tomato growing regions in the country (workers currently receive 50 cents for every 32 pounds they pick.) More specifically, we were protesting the Massachusetts-based Ahold company, which owns Stop and Shop grocery stores, and has refused to sign on to the agreement. …