Moishe House Boston: Kavod Jewish Social Justice House http://www.kavodhouse.com Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:56:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 Celebrate with MKH! http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/02/celebrate-with-mkh/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/02/celebrate-with-mkh/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:56:20 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3534

Greetings Moishe Kavodniks,

We have entered into the solar month of February as well as the Hebrew of Shevat. This week’s Parsha or Torah Portion, Beshalach is quite a recognizable one. It is in this portion that the Israelites make their escape from Egypt via the Red Sea and bear witness to miracles in the desert as God brings forth water from a rock and causes mana to fall from the sky to nourish the Israelites. The most recognizable feature of this week’s parsha, though, is The Song of the Sea, sung by Miriam, Moses, and all the Israelites in celebraiton and thanks after they’ve crossed the Red Sea safely. It is from this passage that the Mi Chamocha, one of the daily prayers, comes. This kind of celebration in song is mirrored in this weeks Haftarah Portion, where the prophetess and Judge, Deborah composes a song of celebration to God after her faithful general Barak achieves a victory in battle over the Canaanite king, Jabin.

These songs of praise bring to mind something that doesn’t get said often enough. Celebrating one’s triumphs is in fact part of living a righteous life. It is only when we celebrate and give recognition to the things we’ve accomplished that we fully realize their value. It is celebration that nourishes and replenishes us after we put so much of ourselves into the things that we do. At no time was this more apparent than this past Sunday when the Communications Team finally, after over a year of work, began training Moishe Kavod Leaders to use our brand new membership database. Now that this training is done, I bet you can guess what will be in the agenda at the next Communications Team Meeting. Hint….it has nothing to do with Twitter.

More generally, you all will soon have an opportunity to do some celebrating together as a whole community.  The evening of February 25th will be Moishe Kavod’s first ever community wide celebration. It will be an opportunity to tell our story, to recognize our accomplishmets, to come together and celebrate what we’ve done and accomplished as a community over the past six years, and to refresh the energy of our collective commitment to the building of community and pursuit of social justice. Not to mention we will all get to eat, drink, and dance together. If you feel you have reason to celebrate, this month, we hope to see you there. And if you can’t make it, we hope you can find some smaller ways to celebrate your triumphs and ours in the near future.

In Peace,

Aaron, Annie, Helen, and Tslil

Celebration Tickets Now Available!!!

Join us on February 25th at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline for hors d’oeuvres, storytelling, dancing, and an exciting chance to celebrate our community and build support to preserve our future. Click here to purchase tickets.
Featured Events

Join the Shabbat Team

Do you enjoy Shabbat and holiday celebrations at Moishe Kavod House. Are you passionate about creating spiritual and welcoming space? Do you have ideas about finding new and interesting ways to build community, mark sacred time, and celebrate being Jewish? The Shabbat Team wants your input! Join us Thursday Feb 2nd at 7:45 pm for our first team meeting of 2012 and share your thoughts on Shabbat and Holidays!

First CoFab Meeting

Farm to Shul is excited that you’re interested in being part of the Community Food Advisory Board (CoFAB). The CoFAB will establish recommendations for how to make our community purchases and consumption more sustainable, just and manageable. At our first meeting, we’ll identify our personal interests, goals, and begin to plan how we’ll move forward towards a just, healthy, affordable, and sustainable food system within Moishe Kavod. This will be the 1st of 3-5 meetings between now and June. Agenda coming soon. Interested? Contact Helen helen@kavodhouse.com

Brainstorm with Chesed Team

Moishe-Kavod House’s Chesed (“Love & Kindness”) team is having a brainstorming session this Sunday, February 5th at 11am at Moishe-Kavod house. We’d love to have you at the meeting if you are interested! The Chesed team organizes support for members of our community during the best of times and the most difficult of times. We will be focusing the meeting on planning for the future of Chesed. This will include (1) how to make the Chesed initiative sustainable and (2) incorporating mental health resources into Chesed. Please RSVP to Sara & Molly at chesed.moishe.kavod@gmail.com if you are interested in coming. Snacks will be served! Thanks!

1st Men’s Get Together!

Are you a man or male identified person? A Jewish man or male identified person!? Great! Moishe Kavod wants you! We are trying to get a few good men together to talk about what it might mean to create space at Moishe Kavod House that is all male, progressive, and Jewish. If you find that you are someone who wants male Jewish space in their life, join us for drinks and conversation at The Publick House from 7-8:30 PM on Tuesday February 7th and share your thoughts. aaron@kavodhouse.com Questions? E-mail Aaron Gunning at Aaron@kavodhouse.com

Tu B’Shevat: Exploring Our Relationship with Nature

Moishe Kavod’s Farm to Shul Team is happy to cosponsor a Tu b’Shvat seder, on the eve of the holiday, right across the street at Temple Beth Zion. The annual holiday of Tu B’Shevat offers us the opportunity to reflect on our relationship to the earth—both local and global—through song, storytelling, food, and discussion. Where does our food come from? This year’s seder (ritual gathering) will focus on food, place, and the agricultural cycles in New England, Israel, and other parts of the world. In addition to exploring the traditional symbols of the seder (including fruits, nuts, and juices), we will hear from local farmers, activists, and business people involved in producing and distributing sustainable foods. Tuesday, February 7th 7:30-9pm at TBZ Contact helen@kavodhouse.com if you’d like to help out

Moishe Kavod House Annual Members’ Meeting

Calling all members. Its time to make your voice heard! Moishe Kavod wants your help shaping the direction of this organization for the next year and beyond. Join us for our annual membership meeting! Build community with members, hear accomplishments of the past year, preview the upcoming budget, provide input on the direction of the community and the strategies of the Strategic Plan.Dinner will be served after the meeting.All members are invited! Become a member today: http://www.kavodhouse.com/resources/membership/
Community Allies Announcements

Tu b’Shevat/ Tree b’Earthday

Moishe Kavod’s Farm to Shul Team is happy to be co-sponsoring a Tu b’Shevat retreat at The Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in the Berkshires on February 2-5. Come have a very special Tree b’Earthday with a pluralistic ecologically engaged Jewish community the week before Tu b’Shevat. Return home with (tree)sources to enhance your Tu b’Shevat, which falls on February 8, the following week. The weekend includes spirited egalitarian Shabbat services, guided hikes, workshops, farm-to-table kosher dining, and a beautiful Tu b’Shevat seder on Saturday night. Friday February 3rd to Sunday February 5th.

ReachOut

Grab a ReachOut! monkey and grab a drink- ReachOut! is launching it’s fifth cycle of volunteering! Bring your friends (and prepare to make new friends) as you hobnob with past, present and future members of the ReachOut! community! Learn about our volunteer opportunities and have some fun!  6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Lir, 903 Boylston, Back Bay ]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/02/celebrate-with-mkh/feed/ 0 Come one, come all! http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/come-one-come-all/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/come-one-come-all/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:51:52 +0000 nina.robinson http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3520 …February 25, 7pm-9pm…for a night of dancing, sustainably sourced hors d’oeuvres from the Moishe Kavod House Farm to Shul team, and stories about our work together to build inclusive Jewish community and work for change in the Boston area.

We’re proud to announce our first Moishe Kavod House Celebration and Fundraiser!  As we move to a model where we are required to raise 100% of our operating budget locally or face being closed, we’re counting on the entire community to come out and support our collective efforts.  And have fun too!

Purchase your ticket here

Discounted tickets available for Moishe Kavod House members through February 12, so don’t delay!
We look forward to celebrating with you on February 25!
]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/come-one-come-all/feed/ 0 Democracy Soon to Be in Action at Moishe Kavod http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/democracy-soon-to-be-in-action-at-moishe-kavod/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/democracy-soon-to-be-in-action-at-moishe-kavod/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:33:26 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3392 This space in the weekly e-mail often serves as place for us to share spiritual insight, thoughts on Torah, and timely information about local grassroots social justice efforts. While this week’s parsha or Torah Portion, Bo is both rich and exciting (it includes The ten plagues sent by God against the Egyptians, among other things), we’d like to switch gears a little bit and offer to you all a simple invitation. In just six weeks Massachussetts will hold its presidential primary when voters have the opportunity to pick the presidential candidate of their respective parties.

Another opportunity to excercise the democratic perogative is coming up much sooner. Moishe Kavod House will hold its annual Membership Meeting on February 12th. This is when members of the Moishe Kavod House can come together and struggle as a community with the direction they want this organization to go in.  The issues will of course be a bit different from the up coming election. We don’t get to decide whether our government is committed to maintaining a fair economy that works for all people, will run a balanced budget, or will work with its neighboring governments to ensure a more peaceful world. However wewill have the opportunity to weigh in on whether Moishe Kavod House will ever be a multi-generational community, how we can reach financial viability, and what it means to be a powerful civic entity. It is the chance of every member of the Moishe Kavod House to stand up and make their voice heard. You may not always be able to voice your opinions on where our conuntry should be going in a way you know it will be heard, but you can help to shape the direction of this house.

These meetings help to decide the strategic direction that our house takes, but it is only open to those who have become members of Moishe Kavod House. If you are not yet a member and you want to have a voice in the conversation on where Moishe Kavod is going, it is not too late. You can still become a member. It takes a few minutes and can be done on-line here.

And if you can’t make it, but still need some democracy in your life there’s always Super Tuesday, but we hope we get to see you before then.


]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/democracy-soon-to-be-in-action-at-moishe-kavod/feed/ 0 Gleanings from the 2nd Annual Arts Retreat http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/gleanings-from-the-2nd-annual-arts-retreat/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/gleanings-from-the-2nd-annual-arts-retreat/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:25:55 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3339 This past Sunday and Monday, several of us had the opportunity to take part in the 2nd annual Arts Team Retreat. It, as you probably could have guesses, was about 30 hours or art and retreating which is to say taking time away from the everyday business of the world and making space to create. It was in one of these creative spaces that this week’s e-mail exegesis became apparent. Very often you open this e-mail and find yourself exhorted to look inside yourself and find the strength and conviction to engage in the work of progressive social change in the world. This week, we’d like to send you a slightly different message.

One of the sessions during this past Arts Team Retreat took the form of participants drawing what their spiritual home would look like. Given that these were all Moishe Kavodniks, one would think that if there was a common theme amongst these pictures it might be something symbolizing a thirst for justice. While some did feature this theme, the real common thread between all of the pieces produced during this session was a dwelling place that was still, peaceful, beautiful, and open to nature. What they all suggested was not necessarily a commitment to justice but an openness to radical awe. Now we are not suggesting, (and certainly not on this the day after Martin Luther King Day) that we are abandoning our commitment to action in the pursuit of social justice. However what we would like to suggest is that a well rounded and holistic sense of spirituality takes more than this. It takes an willingness to feel the unexplainable, to see the divinity in all people and all things, and to experience miracles in our everyday existence. Being spiritual person means being able to stand in silent awe of something, whether it be a beautiful sunrise or an unexpected act of loving kindness.  That being said, we would simply like to suggest to all of you that you keep your ears, eyes, and spirits open this week, and find something radically awesome in your life to be witness to.

We also hope that you can find ways to stand in awe with us and experience the divine presence in our Jewish community.

]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2012/01/gleanings-from-the-2nd-annual-arts-retreat/feed/ 0 Bring in the Light With Moishe Kavod House http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/3256/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/3256/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:48:43 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3256
Greetings Moishe Kavodniks,

This week’s parsha or Torah portion is Vayeishev. Near the end of the book of Genesis, this portion, tells the story of Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers’ in which he is thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, and presumed dead by his father (thanks to a little bit of creative story telling from his brothers). Just when it seems things can’t get worse for Joseph, he is falsely accused of attempting to seduce his new masters’ wife when he spurns her advances and very quickly finds himself imprisoned in an Egyptian dungeon for a crime he didn’t commit. Most people would despair at this point of ever seeing the light of day again. Joseph however finds a way, even when he is in this lowest most despised position, to sow the seeds of his own greatness. Joseph quickly wins over his jailors with his charm and wisdom and is put in a position of authoriry over his fellow prisoners. What’s more, it is a this point after he has been betrayed, slandered, persecuted, and incacerated that Joseph meets two servants of pharoah for whom he does some very accurate dream interpretation. It is one of these servants who will pass his name on to Pharaoh when pharoah finds himself being kept up at night by some very disturbing dreams, which as you all know, sets the stage for Joseph’s rise to power as one of Pharoah’s most trusted advisors.

This story is particularly inspiring at this time year as we head into the winter solstace when the days are shortest and darkest. The darkness and chill of this time of year can leave many feeling as hopeless as they would if they themselve had been cast into an Egyptian prison. Even if this is too dramatic to be totally accurate many of us find ourselves lethargic and unmotivated. It is easy to feel, at this time of year, like we should just give up on doing anything worthy or challenging (or that involves going outside for any length of time) until April’s thaw rolls around. What Joesph teaches us however, is that when it is darkest and most dismal is precisely when we should be sowing the seeds of our future accomplishments. Many Moishe Kavodniks have taken that lesson to heart this weekend, spending their presciously short daylight hours with us learning how to better communicate in relationships and friendships with the Sex Ed team or learning recruitment and 1:1 skills with the Social Justice Coordinating Committee. Many more will no doubt take this lesson to heart next Sunday as they intrepidly go fourth with the Housing Justice Team to canvass neighborhoods blighted by foreclosure and inform home owners and tenants alike of their rights.

If you’re still someone who finds the darkness a hard thing to bare, we certainly understand. Fortunately Chanukah is right around the corner and we will be providing several excellent opportunities to bring some more light into your dark days. We hope very much to see you in coming weeks for some warmth, light, and even a little seed sowing.

In Peace,
Aaron Gunning, Tslil Shtulsaft, Annie Fox, Helen Bennett

Important Announcement! Save the Date!
We are proud to anounce the first ever Moishe Kavod Celebration, to be held February 25th at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline.  With hors d’oeuvres, storytelling and dancing, this will be an exciting chance to celebrate our community and build support to preserve our future.
How do you want to celebrate Moishe Kavod?!  We need your ideas and energy to make this event a success.  We need chefs, party planners, music coordinators, turnout chiefs and more!
Email annie@kavodhouse.com to get involved.

Featured Events

Tikkun on Tap is a monthly bar night for young, social justice-minded Jews, who want to mingle, reflect, laugh, be creative, make connections and find out more about on going projects in our community. On December 13th, at 7pm will meet at Boston University Hillel for a look at art as justice and liberation with “Faces of Revival: Postwwar Russia” an Art Exhibition by Felix Lembersky (1913-1970). Viewing will be followed by drinks and discussion at Cornwall’s bar in Kenmore Square.
For more info e-mail Tslil Shtulsaft or Sarah Berry.
Join us for our egalitarian version of this joyous Hasidic gathering. Singing niggunim (songs w/o words), drinking l’chaims (alcohol refreshments), and sharing Torah (teaching)! You are invited to bring songs, drinks/snacks, and wisdom to share. Since Thanksgiving is coming up, feel free to share teachings on giving thanks. But really any and all teachings are welcome. Saturday, December 17th at 3 pm.
Whether or not you went on our tour or Roxbury last month, come discuss the book Death of an American Jewish Community, about the impact of redlining on the Jewish and black communities in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.  Brunch will be served but we do ask for $3 from nonmembers. Sunday, December 18, 11:30 am.
Ever wondered what the Jewish tradition has to say about housing justice? Want to delve into some traditional texts and share your own reflections about why we do this work? On 12/18, door-knocking at 2pm will be followed by hot chocolate, learning, and discussion at 4pm at Ula Cafe, just downstairs from City Life’s office. All are welcome, whether or not you’ve come door-knocking in the past. Emailannie@kavodhouse.com for more information.
Rosh Chodesh TevetJoin our monthly Rosh Chodesh/New Moon celebration, for women identified people, including gender queer and trans people.  This month, we will celebrate Chag Habanot, the North African Jewish women’s celebration of Rosh Chodesh Tevet.  Tevet celebrates the body, so we will be using our bodies to get in touch with our visions of who we want to become in 2012 and begin to manifest! RSVP to margieklein1@gmail.com. Monday, December 19th, 6:45 PM
Light up the December darkness on Tuesday, December 20th from 7-11PM at Moishe-Kavod House! We will continue our traditional of untraditional exotic latkes, which not only taste great but also celebrate diversity, innovation, and wackiness. We will also be serenaded by Dave Keen, klezmer extraordinaire. Bring an empty stomach and your menorah!
The Workmen’s Circle invites you to the latest incarnation of our annual, radical Hanukkah celebration – a dance party! Featuring DJ Ross of Love, DJ Treefingers, a human menorah, and a unique Hanukkah Dance Band performing this night only. We’ll also have homemade jelly doughnuts and you can find greasy (i.e. Hanukkah) food on the bar menu. Just don’t get so full that you can’t dance. Doors open at6pm,  party ends at 10 pm. Sliding Scale $5-10. Or volunteer and get in free! Email Jen Garfield atjsgarfield@gmail.com to sign up for a volunteer shift. Co-sponsored by Keshet and Moishe Kaovd House.

Community Allies Announcements

Christmas Day Volunteer Projects with ReachOut

We’ve put together some really exciting options (learn more about them on the registration page and because the night of the 25th is also the night of the 29th—of Kislev, aka the sixth night of Chanukah—we’re also having a party! (Maybe with scallion pancakes! TBD!) If you’re unable to volunteer during the day, our Chanukah celebration is still open to you—don’t go without seeing your ReachOut! family for the holidays. Obligatory Chrismukkah reference!

From Darkness to Light
Join Navah Tehila with From Darkness to Light: An interfaith evening of participatory Jewish chant and song. Experience a heart-opening evening of sacred chant with musicians Daphna Rosenberg and Navot Ben Barak – visiting direct from Nava Tehila, one of Jerusalem’s most extraordinary prayer communities. Contact Sarah Bracha at sarahgershuny@gmail.com At Wilson Chapel, Hebrew College/ANTS Campus 210 Herrick Road, Newton MA 02459 Entry $15 (full) $10 (concessions/need) $5 (students) Monday 19th December 7:00pm
]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/3256/feed/ 0 MKH to Co-Sponsor Radical Chanukah Dance Party http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/mkh-to-co-sponsor-radical-chanukah-dance-partymkh-to-co-sponsor-radical-chanukah-dance-party/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/mkh-to-co-sponsor-radical-chanukah-dance-partymkh-to-co-sponsor-radical-chanukah-dance-party/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:08:10 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3252 Check it out! Thursday the 22nd , MKH will be cosponsoring the Radical Chanukah Dance Party with Workmen’s Circle and Keshet. Event runs 6-10 pm at AllAsia in Cambridge. Musical guests feature DJ Tree Fingers and DJ Ross of Love. Check out the Facebook Event for More Details. http://www.facebook.com/events/254265131296621/ See you there!

]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/mkh-to-co-sponsor-radical-chanukah-dance-partymkh-to-co-sponsor-radical-chanukah-dance-party/feed/ 0 Wrestling With The Divine: From the 12/6 Weekly E-mail http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/wrestling-with-the-divine-from-the-126-weekly-e-mail/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/wrestling-with-the-divine-from-the-126-weekly-e-mail/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:03:40 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3249
Greetings Moishe Kavodniks,

We are now in the middle of the Hebrew month of Kislev and coming up on Chanukah, the festival of lights. At this time we find ourselves at an interesting cross roads in the Torah Reading cycle. We are nearing the end of Genesis in which the early formative years of the Jewish people take shape. This week’s Parsha or Torah portion, Vayishlach is a particulary momentous chapter in the ethno-genesis of our tribe. It is in this portion that Jacob famously wrestles with an angel and upon vanquishing him is given the name Israel. A name by which our people still go today. Israel for those who don’t know, literally translates into English as “one who wrestles with God”. It is this struggle with the divine which has over the centuries become central to Jewish identity. In fact one could easily say that we often pride ourselves on the gusto with which we throw ourselves into debate over the meaning of scripture, definition of our core values, and the very nature of God.

It is with this in mind that we would like to highlight one of last week’s programs, “Occupy Tikkun on Tap”. Last Wednesday, 26 of us met at Lir Irish Pub to wrestle with the meaning of the Occupy Judaism/Wall Street/Boston movements. We each began by sharing stories of our interest in and/or involvement with the movement and continued on to enagage in discussion about what this movement means in the broader American political context. While it is hard to make a definitive statement of the conclusions that people came to that evening, it can be said that hard questions were asked and the spirit of wrestling with difficult questions is alive and well our little corner of the Jewish community.

If you too value the struggle for understanding that underlies the Jewish spirit, we invite you to join us in the coming weeks to wrestle with other hard questions about sexuality, neighborhood change, and the value of building grassroots power for social change in and around our house. We hope you can join the conversation.

In Peace,
Aaron Gunning, Tslil Shtulsaft, Annie Fox, Helen Bennett

Important Announcement! Save the Date!
We are proud to anounce the first ever Moishe Kavod Celebration, to be held February 25th at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline.  With hors d’oeuvres, storytelling and dancing, this will be an exciting chance to celebrate our community and build support to preserve our future.
How do you want to celebrate Moishe Kavod?!  We need your ideas and energy to make this event a success.  We need chefs, party planners, music coordinators, turnout chiefs and more!
Email annie@kavodhouse.com to get involved.

Featured Events

Tikkun on Tap is a monthly bar night for young, social justice-minded Jews, who want to mingle, reflect, laugh, be creative, make connections and find out more about on going projects in our community. On Tuesday December 13th, at 7pm will meet at Boston University Hillel for a look at art as justice and liberation with “Faces of Revival: Postwwar Russia” an Art Exhibition by Felix Lembersky (1913-1970). Viewing will be followed by drinks and discussion at Cornwall’s bar in Kenmore Square.
For more info e-mail Tslil Shtulsaft or Sarah Berry.
Whether or not you went on our tour or Roxbury last month, come discuss the book Death of an American Jewish Community, about the impact of redlining on the Jewish and black communities in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.  Brunch will be served but we do ask for $3 from nonmembers. Sunday, December 18, 11:30 am.
The Sex Ed Team at Moishe Kavod facilitates in-depth discussions about sex and sexuality in our lives and in our communities. Everyone has needs, wants, and desires, but actually saying what we want can be pretty difficult. Taking steps to express ourselves, and making room for other people to do so, is a crucial part of building healthy, fulfilling relationships. Grounded in Jewish values, this workshop uses personal reflection, group discussion, and skill-building activities to support participants in examining their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences with regard to communicating with friends and partners. Sunday, December 11, 2:30-4:30pm. RSVP strongly recommended. E-mail sexedatmoishekavod@gmail.com
Are a team member at Moishe Kavod looking for leadership development opportunities? Are you interested in honing your organizing and campaign skills? Are you interested in helping Moish Kavod House to build power for affecting grassroots social change? If so, join the SoJoCoCo this month as we learn and strategize. This month, the first half of this session will consist of training in the art of the 1:1 and leadership development. Email Annie Fox  for more information. Sunday December 11th, 5 pm – 7pm
Farm to Shul is now focusing inward, looking at how Moishe Kavod House as a community purchases food.  We aim to create lasting change in making our food consumption more just and sustainable and be a model for other institutions in the Greater Boston area. As part of of this internal campaign to change our food practices we will conduct an audit of current food purchasing, lead a community discussion on our values, form a working group, formally propose guidelines at the community retreat next summer, then continue with implementation and evaluation.  If you are interested in being part of this working group, join us for our meeting Sunday December 11th at 11 am or  to contact Helen-helen@kavodhouse.com
Light up the December darkness on Tuesday, December 20th from 7-11PM at Moishe-Kavod House!  We will continue our traditional of untraditional exotic latkes, which not only taste great but also celebrate diversity, innovation, and wackiness.  We will also be serenaded by Dave Keen, klezmer extraordinaire.  Bring an empty stomach and your menorah! RSVP to info@kavodhouse.com.
]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/wrestling-with-the-divine-from-the-126-weekly-e-mail/feed/ 0 September Board Retreat http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/september-board-retreat/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/september-board-retreat/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:22:54 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3246 On a warm Sunday in September, the Moishe Kavod House Board was hard at work holding our first annual kickoff retreat.  There, we went over how our board works.  To give you a glimpse, the Moishe Kavod House Board consists of the four housemates and five board chairs, and each chair runs at least one management team (including the board itself, which the Board President runs), which in turn manage the various areas of our work.  Participants are welcome to join the management teams and help think through big picture community issues like membership and development, are also welcome to join program teams, or just attend programs.

At our retreat, our board chairs and their housemate sidekicks set goals for each area of management, and then the whole board gave the chairs feedback for how to make the goals even SMARTer.  After the chairs have edited their goals, we will be posting them online in December.

Thanks to the board for all of their great work.

Rabbi Margie Klein

]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/12/september-board-retreat/feed/ 0 MKH – Link in the Chain http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/11/mkh-link-in-the-chain/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/11/mkh-link-in-the-chain/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:35:32 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3228
Greetings Moishe Kavodniks ,

As some of you probably know, writing timely and relevant exegesis this time of year can be diificult as the Jewish calendar is devoid of special occasions between Sukkot and Chanukah. However given the events of this past weekend a particular verse in this week’s parsha or Torah portion caught our collective eye. In this week’s portion, Abraham sends his servant forth into the land to find a wife for his son Isaac. He happens upon Rebecca who shows great kindness in allowing his camels to drink from her family’s well. He then immediately asks her father Bethuel if she can be brought back to become Isaac’s wife. Bethuel initially consents but then recants and says “Let us call the girl and ask for her reply.” This single somewhat obscure passage could pass un-noticed except for the fact that the great rabbinic commentator Rashi examined this phrase and found it to indicate that Jewish law forbids the betrothal of a daughter without her consent. In a sense one could say that this one passage is one of the earliest foundations of Jewish sexual ethics.

This in turn brings us to the present. This past Sunday, thirteen young adults joined our Sex Ed Team for a workshop on Judaism and Sexual Ethics. This session represents not only the culmination of over a year’s worth of work on the part of MKH’s Sex Ed Team, but also a vital link in the chain of Jewish thought concerning relationships and sexuality reaching back over 2,000 years. This workshop was only the first in a series of six and it is our hope that those of you who are interested can join us for December’s, Januuary’s, and so forth. If talking about sexuality isn’t necessarily your thing, then we hope that each of you can join us for one of our many other programs in which we continue the long and vital chain of Jewish learning and intellectual struggle.

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In Peace,
Aaron Gunning, Tslil Shtulsaft, Annie Fox, Helen Bennett

A Note on Membership Renewal - It is that time of year again. Membership renewal!  Please join us in taking the opportunity to say “Hineini! Here I am” and renew your formal commitment to our community or make a new one.  Being a formal member at Moishe Kavod House does not entail more than what you already do for our community but it will afford you the opportunity to voice your stake in our community. As we move toward a self-funding model, we hope you will contribute to keep us going strong. By clicking on http://crm.kavodhouse.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=2you can fill out all of your information and decide to submit dues through paypal or check.  You can email any questions about the process or what being a member means to the MKH Membership Chair, Adina Koch, atadina@kavodhouse.com.

Featured Events

There is more to “Jewish text” than the written word! In this workshop, we will explore two of the most powerful and transformative episodes in the life of the Biblical character of Jacob – through a colorful array of visual art images. First we’ll use partner, hevruta, study, and then create our own images from Jacob’s inspiring journeys, realizing new interpretations from the traditional text. NO prior artistic or text-study experience necessary. This creative text study and art evening is brought to us by Ilana HaCohen from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Contact helen@kavodhouse.comTuesday, November 15th 8-9:30pm
oin us for our egalitarian version of this joyous Hasidic gathering. Singing niggunim (songs w/o words), drinking l’chaims (alcohol refreshments), and sharing Torah (teaching)! You are invited to bring songs, drinks/snacks, and wisdom to share. Since Thanksgiving is coming up, feel free to share teachings on giving thanks. But really any and all teachings are welcome. Saturday, November 19th, 3-5 pm
Join the MKH GBIO and Farm to Shul Teams as we connect with and learn from faith communities about what we’re all doing to stay healthy and promote public health! Sponsored by Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and Health Care for All. At the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC).  Featured Workshops: Chronic Disease Self Management, Food, Diet, and Nutrition, Mental Health, Public Health Trust, Government Resources & Partnerships. Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Gloria White-Hammond Contact azamansk@gmail.com Sunday, November 20th, 2:30-5:30pm
Come to our monthly new moon gathering!  In this new month of Kislev, we’ll be discussing the theme of dreams, both sleeping and waking. Come explore the mysteries, symbols, visions and desires that drive us, and leave with a renewed sense of direction and awakening, propelling us towards our most cherished goals. We will be writing, talking and crafting, warming our hearts and minds around a circle of yummy snacks and glowing candles. Monday, November 24th, 7-8:30 pm
Tikkun on Tap is a monthly bar night for young, social justice-minded Jews, who want to mingle, reflect, laugh, be creative, make connections and find out more about on going projects in our community. This Month we turn our attention to the Occupy Movement. Boston is one of over 900 cities worldwide that has engaged in Occupy demonstrations since Occupy Wall Street protests began in September. Have you been to Dewey Square? Have you been thinking about going or wondering what’s happening there? Are you interested in finding out more about people’s perspectives on and experiences with the Occupy Movement and sharing your own? If so, then come to the next Tikkun on Tap, where conversations will be abuzz with Occupy perceptions, reflections and personal stories. Wednesday, November 30th, 7-9 pm

Community Allies Announcements

Don’t Forget to Register for Limmud Boston

LimmudBoston is an annual celebration of Jewish culture for everyone exploring their Jewish journey. LimmudBoston includes text and study and food and music and all kinds of sessions for all ages and all learners. This is an excellent opportunity learn from people from all over Boston’s Jewish community including teachers from MKH’s very own Farm 2 Shul Team. Check it out Sunday December 4th. Regsitration is required, click here to register
]]> http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/11/mkh-link-in-the-chain/feed/ 0 Learning at Moishe Kavod: Photography, Training, and Tea Time Talks http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/11/learning-at-moishe-kavod-photography-training-and-tea-time-talks/ http://www.kavodhouse.com/2011/11/learning-at-moishe-kavod-photography-training-and-tea-time-talks/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:12:31 +0000 agunning http://www.kavodhouse.com/?p=3218
Greetings Moishe Kavodniks,

The Torah portion or Parasha for this week is Lech L’cha. This is one of the Tanach’s most momentous passages as it is in this piece of text that we read about God speaking to Abraham for the first time and telling him to pack up his things, camels and all, and head to the land of Canaan. There are many striking aspects of this week’s portion, but the most striking, perhaps, is the grammatical structure of the phrase from which the parasha takes its title. The manner in which the phrase Lech L’cha is constructed leaves some ambiguity as its actual meaning. It is the phrase by which God instructs Abraham to go to Canaan and has been translated as “go by yourself”, “go for yourself”, and “go to yourself” by different translators. It is the translation “go to yourself” that is perhaps the most powerful. The implication here is that Abraham must first “go to himself” which is to say know himself or establish who he his before he can undertake his important journey.
This particular interpretation holds a profound lesson for us the Moishe Kavod’s Resident Organizers and anyone reading this who is engaged in community organizing. We are reminded to ask ourselves, “when are we ready for action”, when we have been prepared through learning and self-knowledge. Lately we have been lucky to witness many people and groups in our organization learning who they are in preparation for action. The resident organizers are all new to the world of community organizing and always engaged in a process of mutual mentorship and team learning. The Farm to Shul Team is embarking on a project studying the house’s buying habits in preparation to take their sustainable institutional buying campaign out into the community. The Sex Education Team just this Sunday completed a new round of facilitation training where soon-to-be facilitators got to better know their own understanding Judaism and Sexuality through group dialogue in preparation to pilot our new young adult sex education curriculum later this month. Lastly, the house as a whole is gearing up to begin some substantial conversation around the meaning of the Occupy Movement and what new directions they may take us and the rest of the community.
As usual, Moishe Kavod House is offering a number of opportunities to get to know who you are, what you believe, and what you are capable of. Whether, you are learning ways to fight for better healthcare, discussing the ethical implications of sexuality in your life, or learning to process your personal experience through art, it is our hope that your path to personal empowerment can start here.
Early RSVPs Preferred…
  • Boston Politics Book Club is Back - We’ll be kicking off the new season of Moishe Kavod’s Boston Politics Book Club with a walking tour or Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan Sunday, November 13th. Our monthly book club explores the many interesting aspects of Boston politics, focusing on race, class, housing, neighborhood migration, and the education system, Boston’s Jewish history and other themes. Please email anniedfox@gmail.com to RSVP and to get the recommended selections from this month’s book.
  • Sex Ed Team Presents: Tea Time Discussion - This workshop represents the first in a six-part series of in-depth conversations about sex and sexuality in our lives and in our communities. This month we make space to explore the sources of influence on our sexual decision making, including the ways that Jewish thought can contribute to the formation of individual and communal ethics. Join us in pursuing safe, open, and critical discussion of the influences on our personal values as we support each other in developing personal ethics that guide us in meeting our own needs and the needs of our partners.RSVP Required. To RSVP, please e-mail sexedatmoishekavod@gmail.com Sunday, November 13th, 2:30-4:30.

Featured Events
  • 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, JOI Fellows, Workmen’s Circle community members to learn about the ins and outs of our health care system at one of GBIO’s Regional Webinar Viewings and House Meetings. Wednesday November 2nd from 7-9pm at Workmen’s Circle.
  • Contemplative Photography Workshop – Join us for a fall contemplative photography session- meeting at the Moishe Kavod House both before and after a walk. Our workshop will include sharing of photography tips, insights on contemplation, a meditation, and sharing our images.This event is open to people of all skill-levels. Sunday November 6th, 2:30-4:00 pm
  • Re-Scheduled November Tikkun on Tap Team Planning Meeting - Tikkun on Tap doesn’t plan itself! Are you really into creating welcoming space? Perhaps there’s a social justice project out there that you’d love to see us feature. Either way, get involved and join the team! Join us for our monthly planning meeting Tuesday November 8th from 7:30 to 9:00 pm.
  • GBIO Healthcare Lobby Day – Health Care Payment Reform is in full swing! Governor Patrick has asked the House and the Senate to have a bill on his desk by the New Year. Let’s make sure that the bill is adequate! Come join the Moishe Kavod GBIO Crew (Greater Boston Interfaith Organization) as we lobby for a comprehensive bill that focuses on the consumer voice and emphasizes HEALTH care rather than SICK care.  Thursday November 10th from 12-2pm. Not into lobbying? No worries. The more faces at the pre-lobbying press conference the better! Please RSVP to Alix at azamansk@gmail.com. Lastly, save the date! Public Health Conference. November 20th. 2:30-5:30pm.

And In Other News…

Looking For Part Time Work Connecting with Jewish Youth? – Temple Beth Elohim is  looking for group leaders interested in exploring the connection between Judaism and social action for Ma’asim Tovim, their 6th and 7th grade community service program. The responsibilities for this position are mainly chaperone related, since the sites liaisons typically lead the group once the group arrives at the volunteer location. This is a paid position, typically at a rate of $30 per hour, contact Hannah Richman at hrichman@tbewellesley.org or 781-235-8419 X 216 if interested.

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