Spotlight on MHWOW Host Alex Tikhomirov

Moishe House Without Walls (MHWOW) host Alex Tikhomirov is no stranger to planning events that help engage his peers in Jewish life. In fact, he has been fostering community since age sixteen as an active Hillel member and a madrich of the Jewish Agency for Israel informal education program. Alex has previously worked in his local JCC and is credited for developing the Yekaterinburg Jewish History exhibition and permanent installations at the Jewish Museum of Moscow. Alex, one of Moishe House’s Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ) community builders, is a trained Jewish Educator and Jewish Studies scholar who now lives in Batumi, Georgia with his wife and co-host Aleksandra. He is also an avid traveler, and a host of the Jewish studies podcast Tamid. “When I studied in Europe, I led international student communities in Stockholm and Heidelberg, hosting study sessions and events. I have visited fifteen Moishe Houses from Stockholm to Beijing so far,” he said. Alex was fortunate to join Orthodox, Chabad, Reformed, Conservative, and Reconstructionist communities in his various homes, shaping his respect and a post-denominational view of transient community building. Prior to becoming a Moishe House community builder, he led Jewish study sessions and lectures as an educator for Hillel, JCCs, and other diverse organizations. He developed personal projects on Jewish art as an identity medium, and Israeli body practices based on gaga. He is also an alumnus of the Paideia One-Year, an intensive Jewish studies program, and courses of the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien in Heidelberg University. With so much experience under his belt, it’s no wonder that Alex was drawn to Moishe House and the MHWOW program. In November 2022, he attended a virtual edition of Moishe House’s signature Retreatology program, the premier training in the art of Jewish retreat-making, to hone his program planning skills. The following month, he began his journey to become an MHWOW host. Now, in Batumi, Alex leads Jewish education study sessions and networking events that help Jewish locals and participants who fled their home countries due to the horrific war to feel mutual support and a greater connection to their heritage. “I’m proud to be an MHWOW host here, using my community-building and Jewish education skills to let my people feel a part of our peoplehood,” he said. Alex draws motivation for his MHWOW programming from his experience as a participant in Moishe House’s 4HQ program, a yearlong program of webinars, mentoring sessions, and a one-week-long trip through Israel that equips Moishe House residents and MHWOW hosts with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to create and facilitate meaningful programs about Israel. “4HQ was a major source of inspiration for my development as a host. Its approach to Israeli topics offers hope, even though these subjects can be quite complex. If I could write a “thank you” card to Moishe House, I would simply say, how grateful I am for putting your trust in us,” he said. See more of Alex’s MHWOW journey on our Instagram feed. Learn more about Moishe House programs.