A fresh take on a Chicago original

For young Jews seeking an entry point to Jewish life, Moishe House has offered a great way to get involved for the last 15 years. With 150 locations in 30 countries, there is no shortage of “opportunities for meaningful engagement for young adults in Jewish life that are genuine and authentic,” said Larry Gast, Moishe House’s Vice President of Advancement.

All Moishe Houses are comprised of 3-5 young adults who plan at least 5 programs a month hosted from their subsidized home-turned-community center. But some Moishe Houses have a special twist–like Chicago’s Russian-speaking Moishe House, the first of its kind outside the former Soviet Union.

That the house is Russian-speaking house doesn’t mean that events are held exclusively in Russian or that people who don’t speak Russian aren’t welcome. But it does provide a space for people who grew up with a cultural background from the former Soviet Union to “not have to explain yourself or your traditions and feel like you’re at home with family,” said Alex Kislov, a former organizer of Chicago’s Russian-speaking Moishe House who now works for JUF’s Russian-speaking Jewish Division.

Kislov described a cultural divide between American Jews and Jews raised by parents from the former Soviet Union. Due to persecution and a lack of opportunities for Jews–especially those who practiced openly–cultural Judaism became increasingly important.

“We knew we were Jewish, but didn’t know what that meant,” Kislov said. “Moishe House gave us as leaders the opportunity to explore ourselves and Judaism, and for our participants it brought us closer together.”

Kislov and his roommates developed programs that included celebrating Jewish holidays, learning Jewish concepts, volunteering, and enjoying time together. They cultivated the community of attendees to the point that their home became the international Moishe House of the Month, a rare accomplishment. “We were very much making waves,” said Kislov, who described his Moishe House as his “pride and joy” and where he spent the “best four years of my life.”

However, every time at Moishe House has to end–and now, Chicago’s Russian-speaking house is about to welcome new residents who will shape the home in their own way.

One of the new residents, Taly Kazimirsky, first started attending Moishe House events when Kislov ran the house in 2017. Encouraged by Kislov–her childhood friend–Kazimirsky started going to more Shabbat dinners and dance parties with Russian music.

“I deeply craved that connection with Jewish people, but at the same time was trying to figure out my identity within my religion. It was confusing, but I always felt at home with Russian-speaking Jews,” she said.

Over time, she realized “how important it is to be around people who share the same culture, values, and morals. It became really important in my life and very necessary for my soul and spiritual health.”

Now, after becoming certified as a dietitian, Kazimirsky is ready to join her future roommates–a chef and an artist–as they plan for their new home. The three hope to combine their talents to create unique events. Kazimirsky, who grew up in Israel, envisioned one event in which her artist roommate could teach people how to paint the moon, followed by a discussion of whether the moon rules the Jewish calendar.

First on the docket will be a housewarming party, as soon as Kazimirsky and her future roommates find a new place to live. Once they’ve found a location, they can continue the tradition of a place where “you don’t have to explain yourself to everyone, you can make jokes, there’s no antisemitism… it’s a safe space.”

For more information about traditional and Russian-speaking Moishe Houses in Chicago, visit moishehouse.org/chicago .