Pluralism, Hegemony and Communitas: Moishe House and the Changing American Jewish World
Date
2014
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Haverford College. Department of Religion
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Thesis
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The Religion Prize
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eng
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Abstract
Moishe House (MH) is an international organization conceived of in 2006 by a Jewish philanthropist concerned about the dwindling numbers of young American Jews who remain affiliated with their Jewish communities after college. It provides partial rent subsidies for 3-6 Jewish adults in their twenties, in 32 cities in the United States and 19 more throughout the world. The organization also provides grants to cover events that house residents facilitate, some for activities relating to Jewish holidays and some for secular activities for the purpose of bringing together young adult members of the local Jewish community, called "participants" in the organization's jargon. In return the young adults, called "residents" at MH, behave as leaders in their Jewish community, organizing events within and outside of the houses. This thesis draws from my research as a participant observer at MH events, as well as interviews with current and former residents and some administrators. I examine how the pluralism that MH advertises is manifested in its houses, how it serves to prepare young adults for leadership positions, and the relative levels of autonomy enjoyed by individual houses versus control held by donors and administrators. My research has revealed that is largely a reflection of the anxieties of the older generations--and of dominant voices within the new generations.
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Violet Baron was a Bryn Mawr College student.