Community Connection is in the House

by Kevin Fritz

Leora Lindenbaum, a Milwaukee native and recent graduate of Indiana University, and Stephanie Schwartz, a University of Central Florida alum from Tampa, were strangers living more than a thousand miles away from each other when 2021 began. Neither imagined they would become not only fast friends but roommates playing a major role in assisting other twenty-somethings to actively engage in the Jewish community. The two young women are resident hosts of the region’s first-ever Moishe House in Orlando.

“The concept of a Moishe House is simple,” says local grad Lander Gold, associate vice president of advancement of Moishe House, the 15-year-old entity that launched its first house in California. “It’s a group of two to five young Jewish adults who agree to find a residence in which to live and host programs for other young Jewish adults.”

If there are only two residents, like Leora and Stephanie, it’s called a Moishe Pod. There are now more than 140 such Houses and Pods worldwide. Lander says 30 new ones opened this year alone, including the Orlando location.

Houses or Pods, the arrangement is the same. The Moishe House organization subsidizes the rent and, in exchange, the residents create programs to engage other Jewish peers – get-togethers, community events, fundraising projects, etc. The hosts report results back to Moishe House and are reimbursed for expenses.

Once their college days are over, Lander explains, many young Jewish adults often find it harder to stay involved in the Jewish community. In grade school there are camps; in college, Hillels are at the center of Jewish life. Moishe Houses are intended to fill the after-college void.

“Jewish adults in their 20s are too old for Jewish life on campus and too young for traditional family programs,” he says.

Stephanie, 23, found herself in that exact position.

“Growing up in a Jewish family, everything is accessible, but after college it all changes,” she says. “I had heard about Moishe Houses for about a year and decided why not become that hub? Judaism is a big part of my life, and I didn’t want it to go away.”

Like Stephanie, Leora, 22, stayed involved with Judaism throughout her childhood and double majored in psychology and Jewish studies at Indiana University. She also studied abroad in Jerusalem.

“I was still searching,” Leora says of her post-college plans, “but I always gravitated back toward Judaism.”

Creating a Community

As Stephanie became more interested in the idea of being the host of a Moishe House, she still needed an ideal roommate who would commit to the program. That’s when a coworker of Leora’s, who had met Stephanie, sensed the pair would make great friends.

“Leora and I started Facetiming more about Moishe House, and then it just kind of fell into our laps,” says Stephanie. “It turned out they had been looking for people to set up a House in Orlando for some time.”

Leora decided to make the move and headed south in July. 

By September, the two were moving into their new home in Baldwin Park.

“We wanted it to be central,” Leora says of the location. “For this to be a success, we needed housing that was easy to get to with plenty of parking.”

The pair began their programming in September with a meet-the-residents wine and cheese event followed by a pool party and then a Shabbat dinner that attracted 20 people, about the number of young adults Stephanie and Leora are hoping to host at each event. In October, the ladies hosted a Pink Challah party, and the group participated in a Breast Cancer Walk.

Lander says the core of the Moishe House initiative is for resident hosts to take the lead in creating programs that engage other young Jewish adults. Programs can be book clubs, a holiday celebration, or a current-events discussion.

“Peer-led is the key,” explains Lander, who raises financial support for Moishe House’s work in its respective communities. “It should be programs by young adults for young adults, without someone telling them how it’s going to be. Jewish young adults who want to live in a Moishe House intuitively play to their own strengths.”

Undeniably, Leora and Stephanie bring a wealth of personal strengths to their Pod. Leora works for Central Florida Hillel at UCF while Stephanie works as a UCF event planner. Moreover, because of her big move from the Upper Midwest to Central Florida, Leora is starting a new chapter in her life and wants to make friends.

“We really want to create a community,” says Leora. “It’s a way to make friends and meet new people. A Moishe House builds great life lessons and teaches us different things, but it’s the community aspect of it. At the end of the day, it’s just bringing people together.”

Stephanie adds that spending time with like-minded people is something she truly appreciates.

“I lived in Israel before the pandemic, and I never felt so safe,” she says. “They understand our past. I enjoy being with other  Jewish people.”

“Young peoples’ connection with Judaism is dropping off,” adds Lander, “and our goal is to energize a community in Jewish life that can thrive in the future.”