PRESS RELEASE: Moishe House and Repair the World to Open First Houses Dedicated to Service in Detroit and Chicago This Fall

–Young Adults Committed to Giving Back Locally Share Residence—

NEW YORK, NY, AUGUST 9, 2012 – Following a national search for outstanding young leaders dedicated to serving those in need, Repair the World, a national organization that works to inspire American Jews and their communities to volunteer, and Moishe House, an international organization focused on building community for Jews in their twenties, will open two Repair the World Moishe Houses to serve as communal residences for young adults in Detroit and Chicago. The houses will act as hubs for volunteer and service activity in each city as their residents engage local young people in addressing pressing social issues and humanitarian needs such as educational inequality, homelessness, poverty, hunger and domestic violence.

The Repair the World Moishe House project builds on Moishe House’s communal living model, which brings together small groups (3-5) of young Jews who turn their homes into centers from which they organize informal Jewish activities such as Friday night dinners and social mixers for a city’s greater Jewish young adult population. There are currently 44 Moishe Houses in 13 different countries, engaging more than 53,000 young people each year. The Repair the World-Moishe House collaboration enhances this model with an increased service requirement, tapping into Repair the World’s expertise in building effective service and Jewish service-learning programs while also bolstering existing Repair the World service projects.

For each house, two groups of four residents will receive a modest rent subsidy and budget to build service-related programming for other Jews in their twenties, as they work to improve social conditions and then relate this volunteerism to their Jewish heritage, history and values. The residents are expected to move into the homes – which they are currently identifying – in August and begin programming by September 1, 2012.

The opening of Repair the World Moishe House represents a growing partnership between the two organizations who earlier this summer co-sponsored a Jewish service-learning retreat in Maryland focused on training Moishe House residents and community members across the country on methods by which to engage their peers in meaningful, effective service.

“The Repair the World Moishe House project will be a tremendous addition to our growing network. We are extremely excited about the opportunity to create a Moishe House that will have a deep focus on promoting community service,” said David Cygielman, Moishe House’s CEO. “We have been working with Repair the World for more than a year to strengthen our service-oriented program offerings at Moishe Houses around the globe. The opening of the Repair the World Moishe House represents the next step in our partnership, cementing our commitment to providing high-quality Tikkun Olam opportunities to Jewish young adults.”

“In our work building a generation of young Jews committed to service, the Repair the World Moishe Houses will play a critical role in inspiring young adults to make a commitment to promoting service, giving residents and their peers an excellent opportunity to make a difference in their local communities,” said Repair the World’s CEO, Jon Rosenberg. “We’re excited about this expanded partnership and its potential to see real impact on the ground,” said Rosenberg.

ABOUT Moishe House

Moishe House provides meaningful Jewish experiences for young adults by supporting leaders in their twenties as they create vibrant, home-based Jewish communities. The organization has pioneered a creative and cost-effective model where three to five resident volunteer leaders create a home that becomes a hub of Jewish life for the young adult community. Moishe House has global reach and impact through its network of 45 houses in 13 countries, across North & South America, Europe, the Former Soviet Union, South Africa, and China. In 2011, Moishe House hosted nearly 2,900 programs for more than 53,000 participants. For additional information, visit www.moishehouse.org.

ABOUT Repair the World

Repair the World is a national nonprofit organization that mobilizes Jewish Americans to address the world’s most pressing issues through volunteering.  Headquartered in New York City, we connect individuals with meaningful service opportunities to help their local, national and global communities, and enable individuals and organizations to run effective programs rooted in Jewish values. For more information, visit weRepair.org. Follow us on Twitter @RepairtheWorld.

CONTACTS:

Jen Kraus Rosen, Moishe House / 980.225.7667 / [email protected]

Dara Lehon, Repair the World / 646.695.2700*18 / [email protected]