MOHO Philly

friday evening I ended up in the Moishe House in Philadelphia. People arrived after 7 and at 1.30 a.m. party was still going on. They finished all of the alcohol broght by the guests (wine) and the Moishe bar was opened, as well, as I heard. What a great idea! We never had that in Hungary -  just a small corner...

Four people live here Cody, super nice - and his dog, Chica; Lawrence, a teacher who is currently very much into girls - so yesterday Cody was correcting papers of his pupils....while he was going out in the night - + two Rebeccas - Karp, Moishe house co-founder, works at AJC, and Becca, very nice host, open and friendly- who works in the National Museum of American Jewish History.

Becca cooked pasta with tomato sauce Friday evening, but the menu was basically put together from the food that people brought to the party - at least half of the guests brought something to eat! On such occasions food is vegetarian, and served in plastic utensils - keeping laws of kashrut. The residents co-ordinate with the guests about what kind and how much food there is going to be brought to the event.

There was no Kabalath shabath davening, but there was a big "Pimp my food"-round - when everyone who brought some food could tell about what they brought, how they made it and who they are by the way.

This is the photo wall at the entrance. I have always been wanting one in Budapest, but never got the chance to do it. Its great!!

Moishe House Philly composts food and gets their vegetables through CSA. - Community Supported Agriculture. 

Guests have brought not only food but wine, too. We had Challah here already, from the challach-yoga session from Thursday.It is good to see that here challa is torn, too - and not cut by a knife - I think that is corny. A difference is though that kiddush wine is not passed around / and there were no small cups for wine.

People wash also, and the bracha is printed on a paper with exact instructions and explanations of how to ritually ash your hands according to Jewish tradition. I had a look at it, and realized that I did not know that we can hold our hands upwards - every day something new.

The Philliy MOHO team is very active, too. It was good to hear that they are co-operating with other Jewish young adult organizations here, and there is a meeting once a month where they coordinate their events. They say they reach out to ca. 100-200young adults monthly. People - guests were quite similar to Budapest Moushe House guests - Judaism s more evident here, though, people more involved in jewish stuff, have more background.And there is no Sirály - where people would go after Friday evening dinner. Kiddush was recited by Brian, ex-Moishe House Philly resident (by heart)

A funny custom here is that empty jars are used as glasses- I like it! A local minhag!

They made just one photo about the event and have asked people before if anyone has anything against it - let it be religious concerns or just general photo-phobia. This is interesting because the MOHO Philly residents are otherwise rather non-observant, actually. Was funny when one of them was seriously thinking about turning the music on at 11 p.m. ... in the end he did not do so. So in spite of the residents non-observant life style, they are kosher, eg.g - earlier just vegetarian and not meat and dairy. Of course here it is much more easier to get kosher food than in Hungary, but I still think it is impressive! There are ca. 100 thousand Jews in Philly- Food brought by the guests is served with plastic utensil - and thus there is no problem with cleaning up or kashrut really.

There is a Moishe House Fame of Hall, as well - funny! a photo with Will Smith hugging Cody. we can also see eX-Moishe resident Brian there, too who still has a key to the apartment! This is so nice, I wish I had one too :)! He actually live just two streets down, so he did not move too far to stay connected! Brian teaches math, and he is now trying to set up a record: he wants to visit to the most of the Moishe Houses - ever. I think he is at 8 right now. He will surely visit Budapest in the summer, too, but he will def. not go to Belorus, as the VISA is 400 USD - insane!

Every small detail is worked out here - leaving the house there is a sign where residents wanna make sure if you left your email in case you want to stay connected.

S, its a very cool house, and ist so interesting that it is similar to the Budapest house in so many ways. Of course Budapest is still the closest to my heart - but this was an awesome experience. Thank you, Philly, for having me over shabbath! Special thanks to Cody and Becca who were so caring and attentive!! 

Biking Brooklyn

Finally I had a breakthrough. I got over my "jet-lag" and finally I did not wake up at 4 a.m., and did not suddenly fall asleepin the middle of the sentence before midnight. This breaktrhough had obviously to do with the half a day bike tour in Brooklyn.
Long live those with B - best things in life are B -  Brooklyn Budapest Berlin Bike Barcelona B'reshit Beto Basil - a pro pros Basil! Basil, the sat from Faulty Tower, you know? But also - Basil is the name of the intercultural, kosher dairy restuarant that is here nearby where I live. Pizza is phenomenal - try the one with antichoves! What makes this place special though is not only the good food, but the chasid-ic-carebbean fusion! These two ethnic groups are not mixing too much in general. This restaurant is an interesting attempt to make an orth. kosher place that may have guests who wear tank tops and miniskirts - but it is also a place for people wearing balck kipah. Basil has opened about a year ago in is a must - gastronomically and cross-culturally!

But back to the Bs and bikes - some memorable moments - the first funny experiences - a guy who was jogging with the baby cart ...then biking in Cobble Hills

Tested like Esther

Bruchim ha baim! = Welcome everyone! This is the online roll of Eszter, the first chapter,of a virtual megillah that is being published on the day of Purim - not by chance!

A pros pros - Hag Purim Sameach!

So why today? Anno, in the 5741^st year after the creation of the world my parents gave me the name: Eszter. (= Esther) This is how I became the female version of Adam Paradise: Eszter Shushan. (For those who haven't read the Book of Esther - the story of Esther happened in the city of Shushan.)

The name "Shushan", my father’s family name, is a decent Hungarian name - as far as I know. It’s not a frequent name, but it does exist, and most probably it has nothing to do with neither the Jews nor the Persians.

Shushan and Shushan – are two words with the same letters and pronunciation, the same form and outline – but both denote something different. This is even more interesting as the story of Esther is full of such and similar deceptions and disguises; forms that look the same from the outside, but really are different essentially. Not to mentione the central theme of Fate (Purim = Lots), i.e. about the question if we receive our names / our fate arbitrarily.

"Each of us has a name" – writes the Hebrew poet, Zelda - 

"(...) Each of us has a name

given by our enemies

and given by our love

Each of us has a name

given by our celebrations

and given by our work

Each of us has a name

given by the seasons

and given by our blindness

Each of us has a name

given by the sea

and given by

our death."

The photo is taken in the center of Jerusalem, and represents the same sentence in the form of street art  -  and of course extended by a question mark – and  the end of the tale of an alien slipping into an other dimension(?)

Jerusalem does not only belong to this chapter, as Shushan Purim can be typically related to the city of J'lem, but also, because I will write much more about the „holy city” on this blog, because I moved there for a couple of months. I am also traveling a lot in the meantime - today Budapest - in two days in New York - sand I hope this blog will be a good way to collect and share experiences.

So Purim – or Lots – my parents knew the story of Queen Esther, but they did not remember the name of the city, thus the stylish name-giving was not a conscious act – even if it might not be a coincidence, either.

I was ca. 10 years old when one of my class mates in school has pointed out to me with a weird smile on his face, that I was included in the Bible. I was not very happy about these news, and getting home immediately demanded an answer from my mum – but she was as surprised as myself. This is how it all has started, and from that day the consciousness has evolved gradually that my name has a unique significance to me, and that on a certain intellectual-sensual level my life resonates with my name, including the ancient story of Esther.

I found four concrete things that are relevant to my life from the book of Esther:

1. commitment to Jewry

2. seducement and philters

3. “inter-marriage”

4. objectified women

A strange, holistic solution to the last one…

I found this super hero in a cheap shop in Jerusalem. Yes, it’s man and woman at the same time, and its name is Super Change!

To number 1. so much that Esther has taken on her Jewish identity in a non-Jewish – sometimes anti-Jewish environment. I did the same. Moreover, Esther has committed to the cause of saving the Jewish people – and even if I do not have such a grant assignment – until now – I became an Amazon of the Hungarian Jewish revival. Marom, Siraly, Moishe House Budapest, Dor Hadash – I was there as a founder in all of them, and I am active until today.

 
To number 2 – please feel free to associate!

Point 3 is the story of my parents – and myself  / Hungarian Jewry - being casted in the Diaspora: this uniquely Jewish name, Esther Shushan is actually not Jewish at all! The original name of Esther was Hadassa, and Shushan denotes either the Persian city or my gentile father’s name.   

To number 4 I can only add that the story of Esther is a quite problematic story. It ends with a senseless massacre, and the price of saving of the Jewish people is to use the body of Esther: she needs to give all of her body and herself eventually to be the property of the king – which is – from the side of Mordechai - woman trafficking.  

there is something missing

from this story:

someone

somewhere

doesn't bother to say

whether Esther

actually liked

King A

(Michelene Wandor, excerpt)

So there will be thoughts about Jerusalem, women, super heroes, cities – and all kinds of crazy stuff here in this roll.

Alright, I gotto go to the Purim party tonite, hear the megillah and dance to Oi Va Voi!

In the meantime here is Daniel’s thoughts on Esther: