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Mitchell and I stop by Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee. After securing some (highly competitive) armchairs in a sunbeam, we chat about his journey to (and away from, and back to, and away from, and back to) the DMV, living in a Moishe House, how Moishe House Columbia Heights is changing, food’s role in Judaism, and Dollywood.
Samuel: What brought you to the DMV?
Mitchell: I’ve been here 9 years now – by DC standards, pretty long . I went to undergrad at GW and stayed through the pandemic. I tried to leave a couple times – first for Fort Lauderdale, then for Austin – but I keep coming back to DC, knowing there’s no place that is warmer than here with as good public transportation. I’ve been at the same company for 6.5 years, so I’ve stayed for where work is. Plus, I love DC’s small city feel, as well as the Jewish community that I’ve been a part of for the past six years.
Samuel: What else is keeping you here?
Mitchell: I fell in love with the people in DC. There’s always a passionate group of individuals coming into the city every two years, and that makes the Jewish community pretty robust. Being in a Moishe House, I see a lot of new faces all the time, but I also have those long-term friendships with people in DC. Those community aspects really keep me here, in addition to the ability to go down to Rock Creek Park, to go to Navy Yard and see a baseball game, to just sit up here in Columbia Heights…and it’s all in walking distance!
Samuel: How long have you been a Moishe House resident?
Mitchell: I’m going on a year-and-a-half. So, I’m the longest-[running] of the current Columbia Heights residents.
Samuel: What inspired you to become a resident after being in the DMV already for several years?
Mitchell: I was a community member first. It’s actually not that common – often, residents come straight out of undergrad, or were involved in BBYO or another Jewish youth group and want to have that same organizational element. After my second move back here from Austin, my friends at that time had all moved, and I wanted to get back into the Jewish community. I became really close with the residents at Moishe House Columbia Heights, and knew I really wanted to be a part of the organization. It took some convincing, but as one of the members transitioned out, I joined as a resident.
Samuel: How do you think that non-traditional pathway, joining after already being a community member, has changed how you operate as a resident?
Mitchell: It’s very much about knowing the different types of community members. There’s some, like myself, that fell in love with the resident part of it – they’re really close to the residents and want to build community with them. There’s other [community members] who are using the Moishe House as a space for Shabbat dinners and meeting other friends that they know from the community. There’s others who just favor having a lively environment with a lot of Jewish people that they might not get through their existing friend groups.
So, I definitely see the different types of people wanting to come to Moishe House. I can envision the path I followed as a community member but I also saw all the other approaches.
Samuel: How do you navigate this situation where you and your housemates are roommates, but also have this shared project that you’re in charge of?
Mitchell: I grew up as one of five siblings, so I’ve always been used to having roommates and people in the house. I always want to live with people, and I’ve lived in two group houses before. Every one has its own dynamic, but I think what we have at Moishe House Columbia Heights is really special. Daniel, Adin, and I are really close [with each other], as well as our non-resident roommates. We have two roommates who live in the house, but don’t participate in Moishe House activities.
But we’re all extremely close – most nights, we’re up until midnight talking, watching TV, planning. In the house, I don’t think there’s a strict cutoff between where we’re residents and where we’re roommates. We’re always discussing new things we need for the house, or what we’re going to be cooking. It’s a continuous thing, and it’s really beneficial that we’re all so close. [Those relationships] are something I really value, and it’s probably the closest I’ve ever been with roommates.
I think we have a nice balance in the house. I personally love organizing, cooking, and cleaning. Each of us has a different skill that we bring, and it creates a fun atmosphere of us playing on each others’ strengths and weaknesses.
Samuel: How has your personal Jewish practice changed since you’ve been at Moishe House Columbia Heights?
Mitchell: Shabbat has definitely evolved. I’ve done different styles of keeping Shabbat; I was Shomer Shabbos for a tiny bit, I went to Chabad in college…it’s nice – living in this house where one of us is Shomer Shabbos and the other two are not, but have grown up in those sort of spaces – knowing that we’re always going to do a Shabbat, whether that’s us hosting or finding a random OneTable to go to.
From the perspective of pure ritual within Shabbat, we prioritize hitting the highlights – the blessings, Shalom Aleichem – and building community around that. The other evolution is that moving forward, we’re trying to become a kosher house. We’re making steps in that direction. The broader relationship is that I’ve prioritized the dinner and space aspect on Fridays. I’ve historically gone back and forth whether I like religious and prayer-based services…I’d much rather have a home-cooked meal and discussion. I’ve been playing with those concepts.
Samuel: Why is exploring different ideas around kashrut something you’ve focused on?
Mitchell: What I’ve come to realize and appreciate about kashrut rules is that it defines the community around food, and that’s a very important part of Judaism. Kashrut is a lens for us to be able to think about Judaism as we eat and participate with other Jews.
Samuel: A few quick ones to end. What’s something you’re bad at?
Mitchell: Introducing myself to everybody in the room. I think it’s important to be open and outgoing, and I definitely am at the very beginning of an event…but I forget sometimes that I need to be reaching out to people.
Samuel: What are you feeling proud about?
Mitchell: Our cooking skills. I think we are pretty good for being a vegetarian house [serving] meat eaters.
Samuel: You’re hosting Shabbat dinner and can invite any three people. Who are you bringing?
Mitchell: This is a hard one. I would say Dolly Parton, since she is one of my favorite artists and owns my favorite amusement park. Maybe Jose Andres, since he will bring really good food and have fascinating stories from traveling the world. And finally maybe the Rebbe – it’s Shabbat after all. We need to have a Jewish leader, and my family also emigrated from the former Soviet Union. Wow, this is going to be an interesting Shabbat!
Samuel: Last one. Finish the sentence: When Jews of the DMV gather…
Mitchell: They eat and build lasting relationships.
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