20 Years of Stories: Meet Cody Greenes
Cody Greenes had been, as he describes, a “completely uninvolved Jew” before discovering Moishe House Philadelphia – but once a law school classmate invited him (and one visit turned into many) something shifted. He began experiencing a “re-connection to Judaism that I hadn’t felt since a kid during Pesach with my grandparents.”
“If not for Moishe House,” Cody says, honestly, “I don’t believe I’d identify as an active Jew.”
In 2010, Cody took the leap from community member to Resident. With the help of his housemates (“great cooks and challah bakers!”) and a “really connected, trusting” community, he found his footing quickly, learning how to host Shabbat dinners, lead a seder, and enjoying many rounds of “Topics on Tap:” long, cozy evenings at a local bar discussing Jewish learning, current events, and more with local lay leaders, rabbis, and friends from other Jewish organizations.
“Moishe House supported me in learning what Judaism in the home, as an independent adult, could be,” he reflects warmly. “It was just as good for soul and spirit as it was for my social and professional life.”
A year into being a Resident, Cody went to a Sukkot-themed learning retreat. He hadn’t celebrated Sukkot (or many Jewish holidays) growing up, but when he returned to Philadelphia, he had an ah-ha moment he’s never forgotten.
“Right as it was time to build [our sukkah],” Cody recalls, the enthusiasm still palpable even years later, “our local park had its overgrown branches cut and placed on its sidewalks. Just weeks earlier, I had learned that in practice, one shouldn’t cut branches specifically for s’chach, but you can use the cuttings if not done for the sukkah roof. It was this natural timing, along with the relevancy of rain for the season and autumnal harvest foods, that Judaism’s relationship within nature became so clear to me.”
Sukkot became his favorite holiday – and today, his family’s sukkah party draws roughly 100 people every year.
It wasn’t long before David Cygielman asked Cody if he would join the Moishe House’s board in a relatively new role: Resident representative.
From the start, Cody was a big fan of the idea to include a young adult on the board, declaring, “I think [it’s] one of their best decisions…it’s reflective of the bottom-up respect that makes Moishe House so successful.” As a young attorney, he was particularly excited to dive into the role, bringing both an analytical mindset and a focus on continuous improvement. At the same time, he saw his role as something distinct: offering the “boots-on-the-ground insight that the Board can’t have.”
“Jews in their twenties lead very different lives than those on the Board and being able to hear and learn from someone in it was important,” he explained pragmatically. “My responsibility was to provide honest feedback and bring ideas – as well as gratitude – from the community and houses to the Board.”
For Cody, that role went both ways. Attending board meetings, he relished the opportunity to learn from its members, mentioning Kevin Waldman, the chair at the time, Mamie Kanfer Stewart, Rob Rubin, Spencer Kallick, Mike Nissenson, and Jill Smith as some of those that he especially connected with.
Today, Cody says, “there’s not a day that goes by I’m not immensely grateful for my time at Moishe House.” Some of his closest friends are old housemates and community members, and he also met his wife at a Moishe House seder shortly before becoming a Resident. (The best man at their wedding? The husband of a Moishe House roommate.)
He continues to be deeply Jewish involved: he’s served as a board member at his synagogue; completed a two-year Jewish learning fellowship; and is sending his sons to kindergarten at a Jewish day school and daycare at their synagogue. “Neither of those I would have ever imagined for a child of mine before being a Moishe House resident,” Cody admits.
“Because I can so easily identify that my path to a Jewish life and family started at Moishe House, I am grateful all the time,” Cody says. After his time on the board, he is particularly attuned to everything that goes into making Moishe House – now Mem Global – possible: “I joined when there were 8 houses; there’s now I believe over 100, including Pods. I know how much effort and time and money it takes to do that for so many across the world.” (As of today, there are 152 Houses and Pods open in 28 countries around the world.)
He remains a dedicated supporter of Moishe House Philadelphia, a philanthropic mindset that was rooted during his days as a Resident. “I remember the first WE ARE campaign,” he says, referencing Mem Global’s yearly fundraising drive led by young adult Community Builders, “and how rewarding it was to share with others who have benefited from…Moishe House.”
That’s the thought that inspires him to give back, year and after year: giving other young adults the same transformative experience. “Each year,” Cody says, “I hope to be able to give more to help ensure that my story is just one of thousands.”
If you want to support more journeys like Cody’s, consider giving to one of our 20 Ways to Give! Created in honor of Mem Global’s 20th anniversary, these are 20 meaningful opportunities to support the programs that make a difference for Jewish young adults around the world, including sponsoring a young adult Community Builder to serve on the Board of Directors.