Moishe House getting a $1.25 million grant

The Jim Joseph Foundation recently announced a $1.25 million grant to Moishe House, an organization that provides a communal living experience for 20-something Jews.

The grant by the foundation, which is dedicated to promoting Jewish youth education, will come over the next four years to maintain the houses, support programming and hire Jewish educators. This will coincide with an outside evaluation of the program’s effectiveness, and will provide a major boost to an already vibrant community.

The first Moishe House opened in Oakland in 2006, and the organization now operates 25 houses in seven countries, from South Africa to China. In addition to the Oakland house, there is also a house in San Francisco.

Often called an “urban kibbutz,” the houses provide subsidized rent, communal living and social, intellectual and religious programming.

In addition to the grant, Moishe House recently announced that they will be moving their headquarters to the Bay Area from Southern California.