Moishe House and Base Boston Offer Community and Refuge
By Kara Baskin for JewishBoston
For Jewish young adults looking to find community—especially during dark times—Moishe House is a haven. Think of it as the dorm of your Jewish dreams: The nationwide network offers living opportunities and programmatic support for up to four people who host gatherings and conversations for the broader Jewish community. Residents receive rent subsidies and food budgets, and there are locations throughout the Boston area.
Not ready to take that leap? Moishe House also offers “Base” programming, newly launched in Cambridge. Here, rabbinic couples welcome young adults into their homes for socializing, learning, volunteer service and more. They’re mentors, friends and support systems. Locally, Rabbi Jackson Mercer and his partner, Rachel Jackson, host a wealth of public activities from Hanukkah parties to Shabbat meals to leading a night of niggunim (wordless melodies) with area partners such as Hadar’s Rising Song Institute and Temple Beth Zion in Brookline. (Browse future events here.)
Both groups serve as a refuge and a gathering space at a time when people crave kinship on their own terms. I talked to Mercer and Moishe senior community manager Adena Walker about their importance and expansiveness.
