Oct 18, 2011

Moishe House Miami: The New Address for Young Jewish Adults

Once a concept, Moishe House now has a local address. A downtown Miami high-rise apartment is the new base for Moishe House Miami, where a range of Jewish programming is being hosted by and for post-college adults. Weeks after moving into their new home, the three residents, ages 23 to 25, have held Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, community service projects, group learning sessions and social gatherings. House residents recently participated in a volunteer opportunity to benefit the JCS’ Kosher Food Bank; this month, seven programs are already planned, including a Friday night Shabbat dinner co-hosted with Birthright Next.

Moishe House Miami is the result of a year-long planning process by the Jewish Engagement Commission, an initiative of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation to engage more Jews from different backgrounds. To fill the need for programming and available services, the Commission recommended the launch of a Moishe House in this community.

Federation donors generously responded to this need and within weeks underwrote two years of funding that made possible an additional third year of operation subsidized by the Jim Joseph Foundation.

The Moishe House set-up is simple: three to five young Jews (typically young professionals or graduate students) live together in a home, are provided with a rent subsidy, a Jewish library and a programming budget in exchange for hosting at least 60 programs that will annually draw over 1,000 participants in total attendance. The new Moishe House Miami will serve as a hub for young adults to become part of a stronger, more vibrant Jewish community.

Numbering 18,000, post-college Jewish young adults account for about 16% of the Jewish population in Miami-Dade County. Miami’s active young professional population, numerous universities and colleges with post-graduate programs and diverse, multicultural community make it a perfect city for a Moishe House.

Founded in 2006, Moishe House has grown from four friends building a Jewish community for young adults in Oakland, California, to today having a global reach of 40 Houses spanning 13 countries. Moishe Houses host more than 2,300 programs for more than 43,000 attendees annually.

For more information about Moishe House Miami in general and to participate in its programs, please click here or email [email protected].