Jessie loves Jewish summer camp, hosting her friends for events, and the ASU Sun Devils! Read more about her below!
Alyssa: Tell us how you ended up in Houston!
Jessie: I was born in South Carolina, but moved to Austin when I was three, Austin is pretty much my home. I went to Arizona State, GO DEVILS, the better Arizona school. After graduating, I moved back home for a year, did some work in Austin, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. I found a job in Houston, and moved here in the summer of 2018, and have been here ever since. I really love Houston.
Alyssa: When you moved to Houston, did you already know people?
Jessie: I did, summer camp friends and NFTY friends lived here, I was lucky that I already knew people. There were also people from Austin that knew people that I would meet in Houston, so it worked out!
Alyssa: It sounds like Jewish summer camp is a really important part of your Jewish identity. Can you share a little bit about that?
Jessie: Yes, I went to Greene Family Camp, it’s an hour north of Austin. I went there for ten years as a camper/counselor in training, and then two years as a counselor. Those twelve summers really made me into the Jewish person I am today! Summer camp helped me to socialize with people who were Jewish. It showed me that I wasn’t a loner, that there were kids just like me, and it made being Jewish a positive thing in my life. Jewish summer camp was always something that I looked forward to, and made me proud of being Jewish. Summer camp helped me realize that Judaism could be a part of my life socially and culturally, and it gave me the tools to seek out Jewish opportunities throughout my life. If I hadn’t gone to camp, I wouldn’t have known about NFTY, If I hadn’t done NFTY, I would have never known about Hillel, If I hadn’t started going to Hillel I would have never heard about Moishe House, and now I live in a Moishe House!
Alyssa: What is Moishe House? What’s special about your Moishe House?
Jessie: Moishe House is a home where Jewish roommates volunteer to host a few events a month for young Jewish adults, ages twenty two to thirty two. The whole purpose of Moishe House is to create a home away from home, especially for Jewish young adults who may not be from Houston, or even Texas. We want to create programs that are fun and low stress, not intimidating, and accessible to everyone. Moishe House Houston is special because we have a dog! No, but really, I have two awesome roommates, Daniel Huvard (AKA Pops) and Sam Wooten. Moishe House Houston is the best because everyone is made up of a close, tight knit community, but a large one! We get a lot of people at home for events, but anyone who is new is immediately welcome into our home by everyone, and it’s a safe space for all. That’s something that stood out to me about Moishe House events, is that this is someone’s home that they are inviting me into, it’s more comfortable.
Alyssa: What would you say is your Moishe Talent?
Jessie: Honestly, I’ve heard that I’m really good at working the room. While people are settling in and food is being put out, I’ll have conversations with everyone. Also, I am the first female roommate in the house ever, since the inception of Moishe House Houston, which is a huge asset to the community. It’s not a skill, but it’s definitely important to mention!
Alyssa: What do you like to do for fun in Houston?
Jessie: I’ve started walking around Buffalo Bayou, I like taking walks, It’s very relaxing. I enjoy going to museums like the Menil and other art museums. I’m an avid singer! I like singing, but I don’t produce or make music, but I love to sing in the car! Hanging out with friends is also something I love to do.
Alyssa: What’s something we might not know about you?
Jessie: Ok, I have three:
1) I played in a competitive kickball league for 14 years.
2) I have perfect pitch! I can sing any note you give me.
3) I am very accident prone, and I’ve broken my nose twice.
Alyssa: When Jewston comes together, we…
Jessie: Connect
Email Alyssa (asilva@houstonhillel.org) to nominate your friend to be our next Jewston Mensch of the week!