Plans unveiled to open Moishe House for young Russian speakers

An ambitious plan to open a dedicated “Moishe House” for young Russian-speaking Jews in Britain is being made possible by major grants from the Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG).

GPG, co-founded by the Russian-born businessman Mikhail Fridman, focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on strengthening Jewish identity among Jews from the Former Soviet Union.

The “Moishe House” programme already exists in the UK, with a house shared by three to six young adults in Willesden Green, which forms a hub for a breadth of social and educational activities. The GPG grant aid will enable the expansion of the Willesden Green house, the establishment of a separate house for young Russian speakers, and, it is hoped, the ability to reach 4,500 young adults through 260 peer-led programmes in the next year.

In parallel, GPG is also giving new funds to PJ Library, an international programme run in the UK with the Pears Foundation. PJ Library provides Jewish books and music to children aged six months to eight years old.

The new grants will allow PJ Library to focus on hard-to-reach communities, families who are disconnected from organised Jewish life, whether they were born in the UK, speak Russian, come from Israel or elsewhere.

Overall, the grant also seeks to achieve more than 25 pervcent annual growth in PJ Library’s British subscriber base. A concerted effort will be made to reach families outside London, particularly in Leeds, Manchester, Blackpool, Glasgow, Cambridge and elsewhere.