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Jersey Party / Last hurrah BBQ - (7/24/2010)
We dressed up in our Jersey (and Jersey shore) finest, teased our hair and fired up the grill for one last rooftop blowout. We went from afternoon to latenight and saw a lot of new and old faces come through our beloved Moishe House door. Now it's time to slowly dismantle our place and move it all over to the new one!
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Future of Moishe House Beijing: The Dinner - (7/14/2010)
We gathered the regulars from Moishe House who are staying and the people who expressed interest in continuing the magic for a neighborhood dinner. In a few days we will have figured out who is best suited to carry the torch!
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Great Wall Village Retreat! - (7/5/2010)
Another long-standing Moishe House Beijing dream comes true...and overnight retreat outside the city! Some friends from the Jewish community in Beijing generously donated their newly built country house in the mountains by the Great Wall, an we went there for 1 night, 3 meals and an infinite amount of star-gazing.
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Scavenger Hunt and July 4th BBQ - (7/4/2010)
Finally, the ultimate Moishe House Beijing scavenger hunt! Under the sweltering Beijing sun, six teams scoured the neighborhood, bugged locals to take photos with their Moishe House signs, and drank lots of beer along the way. Prizes were awarded to the first team to finish and the most creative photos. All teams won a delicious rooftop BBQ to celebrate our 国庆节
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Moishe House Goes to Services! - (7/2/2010)
A joint effort between Moishe House Beijing and our city's 20+ year-old lay-led egalitarian minyan. Our members collectively lead services at the synagogue and bring in some fun new activities and learning to do, and the community sponsors the dinner and wine. Our amazing turnout of young people, especially for a summer Shabbat service, inspired the community and Moishe House members to be more active. (Note: count includes about 20 Moishe House people and 40 community members)
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THE LAST YOGA (and supper) - (6/21/2010)
So sad to float through our final chaturanga with Jen leading us. Instead of tears, though, we simply sweat out all our emotions. This yoga class has gone from the dead of winter (when we really needed to warm up before we did the hard moves) to essentially a hot yoga class. Thanks to everyone for making this a popular program and allowing Moishe House Beijing to host a successful weekly event.
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Dragonboat Festival - (6/15/2010)
The summer is not just dry in Beijing, but also dry when it comes to fun Jewish Holidays (read: not fast days). China to the rescue! A brief respite from work in honor of the Dragonboat Festival, and Moishe provides a fun dinner for those of us who didn't take a vacation out of the city.
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Weekly yoga and dinner - (6/14/2010)
Second to last week of having instructor Jen in Beijing! So sad she's leaving!
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Shabbat dinner- the real deal BBQ - (6/11/2010)
After our multi-part Shabbat BBQ last month, where we didn't have the grill working in time to do a whole lamb leg and instead rented the chuan'r grill and did lots of little pieces of meat and veggies on chuan'r sticks, this time we got it going and Colin created a masterpiece. New guests joined us and Marc led the prayers masterfully.
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Yoga returns - (6/7/2010)
Working on beach bodies for the blazing summer.
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Yoga and Shavuot dairy party - (5/17/2010)
With the cheesecake baking in the oven, our yoga class turned into hot yoga! We earned back our calories by eating a quick dinner and then eating lots of homemade dairy desserts, plus an ice cream sundae bar. We talked about Shavuot and met some new friends.
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Shabbat dinner - (5/14/2010)
When our BBQ had a malfunction (getting out those beginning of the season kinks) we improvised! Brought our food to a local grill restaurant that we frequent, and had them do it for us! Though now those laobans will never believe Alison is a vegetarian ever again...
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Lag Ba'omer Day at the Park! - (5/2/2010)
Following last year's B'omer on a Boat at Houhai Lake was a challenge, but the gorgeous weather may have made this year's 33rd day of the Omer as good if not better. We had a picnic with tunes and ice-cold beverages, and played with all kinds of rackets and balls and juggling pins. We even made an impromptu appearance in someone else's outdoor aerobics class--- and discussed the meaning of the holiday too.
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Weekly Yoga and dinner - (4/26/2010)
This time we host our seder leader Veronica's mom while she's visiting China. Otherwise, our regular routine and a delicious dinner of dumplings and shao kao.
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Jewish Identity: Brunch and Text Study - (4/25/2010)
Jen leads us in a poetry reading on Jewish identity, with works by Kenneth Koch and Adrienne Rich (with a Lenny Bruce addition from Marc). Delicious brunch of fritatas and hash browns made by Colin, gluten-free in Jen's honor.
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Yom Ha'atzmaut post-yoga celebration - (4/19/2010)
Our weekly yoga night followed by an Israeli feast in celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut. Falafel, hummus, and pita, oh my!
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Weekly Yoga - (4/12/2010)
After a hiatus due to Beijing Literary Festival and Passover, two events that took up our yoga master Jen's time and energy, we are happy to be back to a regular routine once again. Working on getting back to our previous 软 capabilities. Some healthy (and not healthy) snacks to follow.
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Weekly Yoga + matzah pizza dinner - (4/5/2010)
After our Monday yoga we attempt to cook up the leftover boxes (yes, plural. very much plural) of matzah. Of course, the best way we could think of was what we always miss in Beijing---- pizza!
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Community seder! - (3/29/2010)
Over 30 people, over a dozen seder plates, more brisket, matzah balls and wine bottles than you can throw a stick at. It's Passover in Beijing! Providing a place for old friends and new ones to gather for the first night of Pesach in a far away land.
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Text Study and Passover Cooking - (3/28/2010)
We discussed a little bit of the science behind the plagues and cooked up a storm for our seder the following day.
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Purim celebration! - (3/7/2010)
Hamantaschen making and an improv Purim spiel, one week later :)
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"Fry-night" Friday Shabbos dinner - (3/5/2010)
Homemade in a big wok of oil: falafel, eggplant salad, chicken wings. Also all kinds of dips and salads. Challah too. Don't you wish you were there!
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Sext Discussion and brunchin - (2/28/2010)
A MHBJ regular led us in a text discussion about ancient and modern Jewish views of sex and sexuality.
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Yoga! - (2/15/2010)
Weekly yoga continues
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Chinese New Year bagel-making - (2/14/2010)
At first we thought we'd make dumplings, a traditional Spring Festival food...but once Jed taught us how to make bagels, we couldn't resist. This time Marc and Veronica led us in making about 2 dozen home-made bagels, and we feasted by dinner time! Oh, and a few heart-shaped ones in honor of Valentine's day.
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Weekly Yoga and dinner - (2/8/2010)
We went for a more "ying" session, holding a lot of poses and opening our hips especially! Discussed as well the possibility of pre-minyan yoga, over dinner of jiachang cai.
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Beginner's Hebrew workshop, and pickle-making - (2/7/2010)
Alison teaches and refreshes our aleph-bet knowledge, and adds some new info about gematriah and other tricks. Beforehand Colin leads us in a pickle-making lesson, and we eat the results at the end!
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Weekly Yoga - (2/1/2010)
Jen leads us in finding some spiritual peace and calm, not to mention flexibility, in the cold and dirty Beijing winter. We're all about "adding heat!"
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Weekly Yoga and dinner - (1/25/2010)
We get our qi flowing and gather afterwards for a dinner of traditional Beijing food.
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Text Discussion and Bagel Brunch - (1/24/2010)
A look into the changing world of Jewish genetic studies and what it means for medicine, ethics, and Jewish identity.
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Weekly Yoga - (1/18/2010)
Monday night yoga continues followed by treats to indulge our slimmer, limber, selves.
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Yoga and dinner discussion - (1/11/2010)
Our weekly yoga session followed by pizza and a discussion about Jews in the American South. Led by visiting scholar (and Alison's brother) Matthew Klayman.
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First monday yoga - (1/4/2010)
The inaugural event of our weekly yoga sessions led by our very own yogi, Jen.
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New Year's Planning Brunch - (12/27/2009)
We get together for bagels and shared resolutions: how to grow and learn Jewishly this year. We planned regular classes in everything from text studies to yoga. One highlight will include a comparison of Maimonides and Confucious.
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Movie Night: Religulous - (12/21/2009)
Watching Bill Maher be a jerk, but giving us something deeper to discuss nonetheless.
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Annual Hanukkah party! - (12/17/2009)
Candles, latkes, dreidels and for the first time ever, a gift exchange! Warm up in the winter with us.
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Hanukkah & Shabbat dinner - (12/11/2009)
Ali's finally home after 2 months in the US, it's the first night of Hanukkah AND Shabbat. What more do you want?
2 kinds of latkes, eggplant parm, lentil wars, pies, quiche, mulled wine, a sing-a-long...oh yeah!
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Lady Gaga Thanksgiving - (11/26/2009)
Annual potluck Thanksgiving with glorious amounts of food and many new faces. A Lady Gaga theme with her music blasting all night long made everyone extra thankful to celebrate at MHBJ.
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Shabbat Dinner - (11/20/2009)
Our monthly potluck Shabbat dinner. Freshly baked Challah and delicious mulled wine made the night extra special.
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Poker Night - (11/18/2009)
A relaxing weeknight of losing (or winning) a few extra RMBs to pay the rent.
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Sukkah dinner - (10/8/2009)
All vegetarian! Enjoy the last night of sukkot, and the fact that our sukkah is still standing tall and proud and warm on the blustery roof.
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Sidney Rittenberg in the sukkah - (10/4/2009)
Join us for tea with Sidney Rittenberg this Sunday, October 4th, at 2pm. Reception in sukkah to follow.
Born in the U.S., Rittenberg (李敦白) arrived in China during World War II. After the war, he joined the Communists at their base in Yan’an, where he worked as a translator for Chairman Mao, and worked closely with Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and the other leaders behind the Communist victory in 1949. As the only American admitted to the CCP before the Cultural Revolution, and through his 35 years of service to the New China, Rittenberg had a privileged look at the inner workings of the CCP. At Moishe House, Rittenberg will share his experiences as a young Jewish-American in revolutionary China.
More on Sidney (wikipedia):
"Sidney Rittenberg has known several generations of Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, the notorious “Gang of Four,” and Deng Xiaoping. Born in the United States, Sidney spent 35 years after World War II living and working in China, forming friendships with Zhou Enlai and becoming a leading translator for the Works of Mao Zedong. He is the only American citizen to be accepted into the Chinese Communist Party, from which he withdrew following the Cultural Revolution. During that tumultuous period, Sidney spent 16 years in prison in solitary confinement on false charges of being an American spy, and was freed in 1977.
The post-Cultural Revolution Chinese government has honored him as a prominent friend of China. Sidney and his wife, Yulin, are now consultants and he frequently gives seminars on doing business in China. He has been professor of History at the University of North Carolina, where an endowed chair has been announced in his honor; he is currently Visiting Professor of China Studies at Pacific Lutheran University. His 35 years in China are chronicled in The Man Who Stayed Behind, a book Sidney co-authored with Amanda Bennett, a senior Wall Street Journal writer who was based in Beijing for The Journal in the 1980’s."
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60 years of Communism, 25 years of Ali - (10/1/2009)
Moishe House arranged for a jaw-dropping fireworks display at Tiananmen square in honor of the house's founder, Ali, as she turns 25. We also heard China's National Day celebrations would be taking place as well. We can watch from the roof, eat dinner and cake and generally be merry.
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Break fast and 周年！ - (9/28/2009)
Moishe's 1st anniversary! Last year we had our first event on break fast. Even Anna Sophie's dad is back for more. In the tradition of MHBJ, and Jews everywhere, come eat bagels and the proper fixings after you have completed your atonement. Where better than China to go through a day of healthy self-criticism/struggle sessions?
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Tashlich (on a boat!) - (9/20/2009)
We bring some Rosh potluck leftovers, including bread, to the lake at Houhai/Qianhai. Readings and singing, then enjoying the end of the boating season around the lake. Not too many ducks were harmed in the throwing of bread.
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Rosh Hashanah dinner - (9/19/2009)
Havdalah, readings, (plastic) shofar blowing, discussions on atonement and the public option, potluck with copious amounts of delicious food.
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Dinner and discussion- China at 60 - (9/14/2009)
Grilled pizza and roundtable rooftop discussion (last week of gorgeous weather?)
China's 60th is around the corner. How far have we come and what came we expect in the next decade?
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Cooking with Colin - (8/26/2009)
An old member of the community comes back to visit. Colin prepares dinner for old time's sake, and we all gathered to discuss High Holiday plans.
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Jewish movie night & discussion - (8/10/2009)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Holocaust discussion and snacks!
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Shabbat dinner - (8/7/2009)
Join us this Friday night at Moishe House for a cozy and peaceful Shabbos meal, on the roof if the weather complies. Traditional challah and Thai food will be served.
Come on time to watch Tyler light the candles, hear Ali bless the wine and Rei sing "Shabbat shalom" before the meal.
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All-star August BBQ - (8/2/2009)
At first this was just planned to be a relaxing big gathering to enjoy our grill in August. But it became the All-Star BBQ because: 1) we had AMAZING weather; 2) Xiyun and Ben prepared and grilled fajitas for us; 3) the night before Tyler was crowned the All-star Beer King after winning a chugging contest. The prize: 100 cans of (free!) Qingdao. Needless to say, they went to good use at the BBQ. Everyone was an all-star.
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Sustainability in creation - (7/26/2009)
Tonight at 9pm we are having a post-dinner discussion at Moishe House Beijing led by Dani Passow, a rabbinical student visiting from the US. He is going to talk about lessons on sustainability that can be found in the Biblical creation story, and how the Shabbat day fits in with the concept of sustainable living.
I would love it if you could make it. Dani and I went to school together in Philly from kindergarten through 12th grade. He's a thoughtful guy, eats vegetarian except one day a year (turkey on Thanksgiving), and used to frequently copy my homework and ask me after every exam, "What grade did you get?" Since high school, he studied in Israel and then graduated from Cooper Union. Now he is studying to be a rabbi at a small yeshiva in NYC and traveling in China this summer.
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Happy Birthday, Hello, Goodbye - (7/12/2009)
Birthday party for our housemate, Steph, a welcome party for new housemates Rei and Tyler and a goodbye party for Max.
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Independence BBQ - (7/4/2009)
Finally we found a real grilling master. Cara will show her skills and we will all benefit! Lots of new friends and old ones.
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Summer Solstice BBQ - (6/22/2009)
Summer solstice was yesterday, but who is keeping track besides your calendar? Grilled veggies, fish and wings on our roof.
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Craft night! - (6/16/2009)
Because we're all a bunch of crafty Jews
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Home-cooked Chinese Shabbat dinner - (6/12/2009)
Alison and Xuwei come together again to cook a delicious pesco-vegetarian Chinese dinner. Rooftop dining. Challah. Old and new friends.
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Flash mob BBQ - (6/7/2009)
"Moishe House is now the proud owner of a flashy gas grill, and a dabble of patio furnishing.
FLASH MOB style BBQ this evening (Sunday)...come after 6, bring a friend, bring a beer, bring something to throw on the grill."
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Shavuot Sundaes on Sunday - (5/31/2009)
Shavuot meals are typically dairy. Have dessert at Moishe house, and make your own sundae: ice cream, oreos, gummy worms etc will be provided.
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Inaugural Roof Party - (5/16/2009)
It's already May, and the weather should be warm enough. Roof party with all your Moishe friends!
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B'omer on a boat - (5/10/2009)
Boat "racing" for a Beijing (Lag) B'omer field day adventure at Houhai/Qianhai lakes at sunset. Because we like being on a boat.
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brunch Brunch BRUNCH - (4/26/2009)
Brunch at noon is more like lunch, but whatever. The weather has been great lately- come eat bagels, eggs etc with us in STYLE on our awesome roof.
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Matzah Brie Making - (4/13/2009)
Mmmmm matzah brie! Enjoy everyone's favorite passover food. It's like french toast, except with matzah instead of bread. Also featuring: matzah pizza!
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Movie Night - (4/1/2009)
Originally the idea was Heathers, but because of technical difficulties we switched to Batman Begins. APRIL FOOLS! Middle eastern food and jiaozi, popcorn and snacks- all in all a good start to the month of matzah.
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Game Night - (3/18/2009)
Chinese card games, poker, jenga, boggle...chill out midweek and defend your honor/RMB at MH Beijing.
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Hamantaschen Baking - (3/7/2009)
Hamantaschen are a traditional type of three-cornered cookie that is eaten on Purim. Come learn how to make them, and then eat them, at MHBJ.
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Purim KTV - (3/6/2009)
Post-Purim schpiel at Kehillat Beijing, we are going to head over to KTV and sing until we don't know the difference between Mordechai and Haman.
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Kosher Sex - (2/25/2009)
Local Chabad rabbi, the young Nosson, will come to speak about Jewish "intimacy and relationships." Kosher snacks and sensual discussion.
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Moishe Movie Screening - (2/22/2009)
We will be screening Leaving The Fold, a film about young people who leave the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish world. Food will be provided.
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Two 15ths - (2/9/2009)
Tu B'Shevat, the 15th of the Jewish month of Shevat and the New Year of trees, is Sunday night. Chinese Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the lunar year, is Monday night. Come celebrate both with Moishe House Beijing. Watch the fireworks (if you can still stand them) from our amazing roof, and feast on fruit, nuts and tangyuan (sticky rice balls with a sweet filling).
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Obamarama - (1/20/2009)
Inauguration watching party. Including call-in interview with "As it Happens" CBC newsradio show getting reactions from around the world.
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Havdalah + KTV - (1/17/2009)
Get together for Havdalah (which separates Shabbat from the rest of the week.) Then, impress everyone with how well you sing "The Boy is Mine" or "Piano Man" at Cashbox Partyworld KTV. Or maybe just embarrass yourself.
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Fake meat - (1/12/2009)
Vegetarian dinner with all kinds of fake meats (Chinese vegetarian deliciousness) and a movie/planning session for an online magazine we want to start.
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Kanye Day - (11/1/2008)
Whether or not you have a Kanye ticket, come eat pizza and get pumped up in the middle of the afternoon with your Moishe House friends. Music, drinks, a chance to make plans for election day revelry around the corner.
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