Moishe House’s Work in Brazil: 6 years of Successful Programming
With Over 800 Programs for more than 8,200 Unique Participants, Moishe Houses 4 Houses and 5 Moishe House Without Walls Hosts Reflect Impactful Programming in Brazil
November 17, 2023 – After launching their first Brazilian house in 2017, Moishe House, the global leader in empowering young Jewish adults to create meaningful Jewish experiences, highlights six years of successful programming with five Moishe House Without Walls hosts across the country and four houses in Rio de Janeiro, Porto Allegre, and two locations in São Paulo. The most recent house in São Paulo—Vila Madalena—opened this past August.
“Brazil is the second largest Jewish community in Latin America,” said Raanan Eliaz, Moishe House Senior VP Global Development. “Through our programs in Brazil, as well as unique experiences including Moishe House’s Jewish learning retreats and ‘LatiCon’ programs, we empower Jewish young adults to be the creators of their own peer-led Jewish experiences. In partnership with the broader Jewish community in Brazil, the Jewish young adult community is certainly thriving and building upon the overwhelming participation and expansion of the Moishe House Brazil programs in just six years.”
Moishe House expanded to Brazil in 2017, with the opening of Moishe House Porto Alegre, the country’s largest Jewish hub outside of the major cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Moishe Houses in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro were soon to follow, with their own peer-led communities for young Jewish adults launching in 2018 and 2019 respectively. And, for the first time in 2023, Moishe House added five Moishe House Without Walls hosts in Tibau do Sul, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, and Recife to meet the demand of Jewish young adults looking to create vibrant Jewish communities for their peers. This year alone, Moishe Houses and Moishe House Without Walls hosts in Brazil have held over 230 programs for more than 1,600 unique participants
“As Jews in the diaspora, we’ve had to deal with antisemitism and assimilation all life long,” said local translator and Moishe House Rio resident Júlia Crenzel Hor-Meyll Alvares. “Having a Moishe House in Rio is having a safe haven for young Jews, regardless of gender, sexuality, level of observance, and an opportunity to bring them closer to their Judaism, no matter if they’ve never invested in that part of themselves before. It’s both a blessing and an important responsibility, this being able to provide such a welcoming community, and I love being an active part of that.”
Moishe House “On the Road Brazil” and “LatiCon”
Earlier this month, the Moishe House “On the Road” Brazil event included an immersive experience that enabled Jewish communal lay leaders, philanthropists, and donors across North America to experience the local Jewish community through the eyes of young adults. Previous “On the Roads” were held in Montreal, Mexico City, Paris, Budapest, Brussels, and London. Moishe House’s global model relies upon support from the Moishe House International Fund.
The “On the Road Brazil” 7-day itinerary also included an opportunity for trip participants to connect and bond with fellow leaders from the wider Moishe House family at “LatiCon,” a weekend long gathering of all of the Moishe House community builders from across Latin America, where they enjoyed learning sessions, including a panel discussion on “What it Means to be Jewish in Brazil today.” Participants also met with local politicians, lay leaders and philanthropists and enjoyed the local sights including a tour of Museu Judaico de São Paulo, and Shabbat services and dinner with the local São Paulo community at Congregação Israelita Paulista.
Moishe House Rio de Janeiro residents and community members welcome “On The Road – Brazil” participants to their home for Shabbat dinner.
Jill Smith, Moishe House supporter and On The Road trip Co-Chair shared, “It was wonderful to partake in a new culture and enjoy Brazil while at the same time recognizing that Jews the world over share so much in common. We learned a bit about life for young Jews in Latin America and were so impressed with the importance of the work they are doing by enriching their local Jewish communities with their passion for learning, social justice and Tikkun Olam.”
