More than 60 community members celebrate Houston\u2019s new hub for Jewish young adult life<\/p>\n
More than 60 members of Houston\u2019s Jewish community gathered on Oct. 22 for \u201cSushi and Cocktails Soir\u00e9e: Hey Houston Launch,\u201d held at the home of Bruce and Laura Shelby. The event marked the official launch of Hey Houston, a new digital platform connecting Jewish young adults to events, resources and opportunities across the city. <\/p>\n
Guests included community leaders, young adult representatives, supporters of the initiative and representatives from many local organizations and synagogues. The atmosphere buzzed as attendees mingled, many meeting others for the first time, despite being active in Houston\u2019s Jewish community.<\/p>\n
The strong turnout reflected the excitement around Hey Houston\u2019s mission to make Jewish life easier to find and more connected than ever.<\/p>\n
During the evening, Bruce Shelby shared how his son Riley\u2019s involvement in San Francisco\u2019s vibrant Jewish young adult scene motivated the Shelbys to create something similar in Houston. Under the leadership of co-founders Jake Hoffman and Neil Segel, the team worked with Open Circle, a Jewish business focused on community-building \u2013 soon bringing Hey Houston to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat struck me most was seeing people from so many corners of the Jewish community together in one room,\u201d said Hoffman. \u201cIt\u2019s proof of concept; this is exactly why we built Hey Houston.\u201d<\/p>\n
Segel added, \u201cFor years, many of our community organizations have operated in silos, making it essential to subscribe to as many as several dozen newsletters and email groups to keep a pulse on our city\u2019s vibrant community.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, with Hey Houston, we\u2019re solving this problem and bridging those gaps by making it incredibly easy and efficient for anyone to get involved wherever their interests may lie, whether they\u2019ve lived \u2013 here forever or just moved to town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since its soft launch in July, Hey Houston has gained momentum through growing community partnerships, a team of young adult ambassadors and a steady increase in signups. Following the soir\u00e9e, the platform saw a 22% rise in users.<\/p>\n
Attendees praised both the platform and the event\u2019s energy. One community member noted, \u201cAt most events, you see the same people. But here, I looked around and realized I only knew about 15 of the 60 people in the room. That\u2019s what community-building should look like.\u201d<\/p>\n
With its clean design and curated listings, Hey Houston aims to become the go-to digital hub for young adults to discover Jewish events and opportunities citywide. The initiative continues to evolve, with new partnerships forming and local leaders contributing ideas to grow the platform.<\/p>\n