National Havurah Committee

SUMMER INSTITUTE

August 7-13, 2006Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH

National Havurah Committee(215) 248-1335 • www.havurah.org

Welcome to the NHC!

The National Havurah Committee (NHC) is anetwork of diverse individuals and communi-ties dedicated to Jewish living and learning,community building, and

tikkun olam

(repair-ing the world). For nearly 30 years, the NHChas helped Jews across North America envi-sion a joyful grassroots Judaism, and has pro-vided the tools to help people create empow-ered Jewish lives and communities. The NHCis nondenominational, multigenerational,egalitarian, and volunteer-run.The NHC’s flagship program, the week-longSummer Institute, is a unique opportunity forserious study, moving prayer, spirited conver-sation, late-night jam sessions, singing, danc-ing, swimming, meditation, and hiking – all in the company of morethan 300 people from a wide range of backgrounds. Each year par-ticipants leave the Institute reinvigorated and excited to return totheir home communities to share new ideas and experiences.One of the NHC’s greatest strengths is the diversity of its partici-pants. We are musicians, doctors, students, furniture makers,retirees, Jewish professionals, homemakers, teachers, activists, and just about everything else. At the 2005 Summer Institute, ouryoungest participant was 5 months old and our oldest was over 80,with many participants from all age groups in between. We areJews from birth, Jews by choice, people committed to both tradi-tional and non-traditional Jewish practice, non-Jews, and peopleexploring Judaism; LGBT and straight; people of color, Sefardi,Mizrachi and Ashkenazi; urban, rural, and suburban; Conservative,Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, Renewal, secular, and Jewishwithout labels; and people with no formal Jewish education, peo-ple with Ph.D.’s in Talmud, and people with all other types of Jewishbackgrounds. The dynamic process of exploring together whatJudaism and Jewishness means in our lives is a highlight of theInstitute.At the Institute, every teacher is also a student and every student isalso a teacher. People who are usually called “rabbi” or “professor”throughout the year go by their first names here. And people whorarely take active leadership roles in their communities discover thatthey, too, can teach and contribute to the community.One participant summed it up best when she wrote after attendingher first Havurah Institute: “The Havurah Institute was slightly clos-er to heaven on earth than other places I’ve been before. It was aweek of learning, singing, dancing, talking, thinking, and feel-ing...You could make friends with anyone regardless of age or affil-iation. It was a place full of individuals and families of all ages,shapes, colors, orientations and interests, united by a love of learn-ing and teaching and a desire to make Judaism a positive force intheir lives.”We look forward to creating community with you at this summer’sInstitute!

The 2006 SummerInstitute Theme

The 2006 Summer Institute theme, select-ed by the participants at the 2005 SummerInstitute, is “

Vehayah im shamoa’ tishme’u

/If you really listen...” This theme comes fromDeuteronomy 11:13, in the Torah portionthat will be read during the Institute week.Many of this year’s courses focus on differ-ent ways that we can listen: listening to thesound of the shofar, listening through signlanguage, listening to poetry, listening tothe voices of various groups of people, lis-tening to the voices of our classical texts, lis-tening to the divine voice, and listening when the divine voice is silent. We also lis-ten to each other as we build a participato-ry community together. In order to listenin the languages we can communicate in,there will be special tables in the dining hallfor conversation in Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, American Sign Language, and oth-ers.

A Day at the Institute

During a typical day at the Institute, you will•take two classes with dynamic teachers•attend stimulating optional workshops•choose from exciting prayer, text study,and yoga options•enjoy delicious kosher vegetarian food•spend free time relaxing in a beautiful nat-ural setting•participate in evening programs andentertainment•make and renew friendships, have greatconversations, laugh, think, sing, dance,and learn

Courses

The centerpieces of the Institute are thecourses offered each morning and after-noon. Courses are small, intense, and ledby teachers, Institute participants them-selves, who present material they love in aninclusive style that encourages everyone toparticipate. Choose from classes in tradi-tional texts, Jewish war ethics, Torah com-mentary through dance, the history of Jewish Germans, prayer in Judaism andIslam, and other intriguing subjects. Yourbackground is not important; your desire tolearn is.

Workshops

The Institute also offers informal hour-long workshops led by Institute participants ontopics of their choice. Last year’s workshoptopics included the Friday night liturgy,kippah crocheting, rabbinic texts, the Jewsof Africa, yoga, and Judaism through comicbooks. Participants will decide this year’stopics by volunteering to teach workshops!Please indicate on the registration form if you would like to lead a workshop – weencourage you to share your knowledge andskills.

Minyanim

(Prayer Services)

Every day will offer a different menu of spir-ited prayer (and prayer alternative) options,in a range of styles: praying in Hebrew, inEnglish, in silence, in song, indoors, out-doors, with instruments, without instru-ments, and in any other style that partici-pants bring to the Institute. There is also atraditional egalitarian service three timesdaily. Please indicate on the registrationform if you would like to lead a service in any style.

All minyanim organized and spon-sored by the NHC are fully egalitarian,with equal participation by men andwomen. Individual participants who wishto organize minyanim where eligibility forleading or participation is based on gen-der may contact the NHC office toarrange a meeting space.

Celebrating Shabbat

Shabbat is the culmination of the Institute.The intense experience of Jewish living, thecreation of community, the intellectual andspiritual excitement of the courses, and ournew and renewed friendships all lead to aspecial, joyful Shabbat. Before Shabbatstarts, participants build an

eruv

(boundary)and make other Shabbat preparations.Shabbat then begins with a rousing

kabbal-at shabbat

(welcoming Shabbat) service forthe entire community, followed by a festivedinner and opportunities for text study, sto-rytelling, poetry reading, and singing lateinto the night. A number of differentminyanim meet on Saturday morning, after which the community gathers for lunch,further study and recreational activities, and

seudah shelishit

(the third Shabbat meal).Shabbat ends on a high note with a beauti-ful

havdalah

(end of Shabbat ceremony)under the stars.

Families and Children

The Institute gives families with children aunique opportunity to vacation and learntogether as part of the larger community.Parents and children also enjoy enrichingindependent experiences throughout the week.Evening babysitting is available throughoutthe week for a small additional fee paid inadvance.

The NHC Children’s Camp

At the NHC Children’s Camp, kids enjoy developing their own close-knit communi-ty. The camp is led by a staff of profession-al educators, artists, and musicians, many of whom are long-time Institute participants.The program emphasizes Jewish experi-ences related to the Institute’s theme andbased on the havurah model – participato-ry, diverse, and age-appropriate.Children’s Camp includes:• All-camp gatherings each morning withsongs, prayers, and stories• Supervised outdoor recreation in a safeenvironment with water play or swim-ming each day (weather permitting)• Jewish-oriented playtime for babies andtoddlers• Creative, developmentally appropriate Jewish learning for preschool children• Community building with fun and Judaiccontent for elementary school-age chil-dren.The NHC’s adult teaching faculty, Artists-in-Residence, and other members of theInstitute community also participate in theChildren’s Camp, bringing their areas of expertise to the kids. And, new for Institute2006, we will also have a Children’s CampSpecialist-in-Residence who will developand lead exciting activities for each agegroup.Please note that Children’s Camp isdesigned for kids six months to twelve years