National Havurah Committee Summer Institute 2005

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August 1-7, 2005

Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH

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

expertise. All participants are invited to contribute their knowledge and skills. Please indicate on the registration form if you would like to lead a workshop.

The National Havurah Committee The National Havurah Committee (NHC) is a diverse network of individuals and communities dedicated to Jewish living and learning, community building, and tikkun olam (repairing the world).

Minyanim (Prayer Services) There will be a number of different minyanim on both weekdays and Shabbat. The NHC is fully committed to egalitarianism. We welcome participants from all backgrounds; however, minyanim and services organized by the planning committee are egalitarian, with equal participation by men and women. Participants who wish to organize singlegender prayer services at the Institute should contact the Institute office to arrange for a meeting space.

As individuals, we seek fellowship (havurah) through study, worship, music, social action, and shared life-cycle rituals both at home and as part of a national havurah community. At the Summer Institute we study, pray, sing, dance, eat, talk, play, work, and relax together, forming a special community that celebrates the participatory, Havurah style of Judaism in North America. We learn from each other, formally and informally, and often bring our experiences at the NHC to enrich our communities back home. We hold egalitarianism as a fundamental principle for renewing Jewish values in our Jewish communities and in the world. We welcome Jews of all backgrounds and those exploring Judaism as a spiritual path. The NHC publishes the Havurah! newsletter, the www.havurah.org web site, and hosts various Internet e-mail lists, enabling individuals to share or discuss havurah issues with members of other havurot and the Jewish community at large. At the core of the NHC is a group of dedicated volunteers who plan the annual Summer Institute and regional weekend retreats throughout the country during the year. We welcome you to become involved in the NHC.

The Summer Institute

Celebrating Shabbat

The NHC Summer Institute is a weeklong celebration of Jewish living and learning. During a typical day at the Institute, you will • study with others in small groups • attend two classes • attend optional workshops • join together for communal meals and communal prayer • participate in a variety of informal gatherings • enjoy evening entertainment

Shabbat culminates the Institute week. The intense experience in Jewish living, the creation of community, the intellectual and spiritual excitement of the courses and workshops, and the new and renewed friendships all lead to a special Shabbat. We join together as a community for a Kabbalat Shabbat service and a festive meal on Friday evening. Various minyanim meet in the morning. Later we gather for study and celebration, song and dance, a Shabbat afternoon Seudah Shlishit meal, and a celebratory siyyum. Havdalah under the stars ends Shabbat on a high note.

Courses The centerpieces of the Institute are the two courses each participant elects to take. Choose to study about prayer or musical tradition, friendship in Judaism, the history of the Hebrew calendar or the secrets of the Passover Hagaddah. Courses are small, intense, and led by teachers, Institute participants themselves, who present material they love in an inclusive style that encourages everyone to participate. Your background is not important; your desire to learn is.

Workshops The Institute will also include informal learning with workshops in Jewish religious skills, art and dance, research projects, creative liturgy, and extended discussions on social concerns or special interests within the havurah movement. Workshops are led by Institute participants on topics of particular interest to them in which they have special

The NHC Children’s Camp The NHC children’s camp is guided by a staff of professional educators many of whom have been returning to the Institute for years. They create Jewish

(blessings), songs, group challenges, and other engaging activities, we will explore everything nature has to offer us. Finally, we will develop a project that will teach others how to act responsibly to conserve our planet.

About Franklin Pierce

experiences based on the havurah model — participatory, diverse, and ageappropriate. The program also makes full use of the adult teaching faculty, Artistsin-Residence, and other members of the Institute community. It operates during scheduled program times, offering children the opportunity to create their own havurah community at the Institute. • Jewish-oriented playtime for babies and toddlers • Creative, developmentally appropriate Jewish learning for preschool children • Community building with fun and Judaic content for children of elementary school age • Short, meaningful prayer services each morning • Field trips around campus • Creative Shabbat services developed and led by the children themselves • The Great Outdoors — supervised recreation in a safe environment The Children’s Camp is designed for children from six months to twelve years old who can participate in an all-day creative program. We do our best to accommodate all children. Please contact the office if your child receives special assistance in school during the year, so we can help you plan for your child’s needs in the context of the children’s community as a whole. Babysitting will be available for a subsidized fee of $45 for the first child and $30 for each additional child (6 nights and Shabbat morning). After June 15, the price will be $60 for the first child and $45 for each additional child.

The Teen Program Every year teenagers at the Institute build a teen community. Its purpose is to complement the adult activities and classes in which the teens participate. The community provides a home base and an inclusive and spirited group of friends for all NHC teen participants, some of whom attend with their families. Adult advisors, themselves Institute attendees, are available to teenagers for checking in and trouble shooting. Teens may work in the Children’s Camp or the institute office for a reduction in registration fees. Call the NHC office for more information.

Franklin Pierce College is situated amid forests, lakes, and mountains in southern New Hampshire. The modern campus, just 90 minutes from Boston and 4 hours from New York City, has two small theaters, large meeting areas, well-lit classrooms and a dining room with terraces and views. Mt. Monadnock and the White Mountains overlook a beautiful campus with hiking trails and a lake with canoeing, sailing, fishing and a swimming beach with lifeguard. Recreational facilities include tennis, soccer, baseball, a fitness center, and an indoor sports dome. Housing options include apartments, dormitory suites and townhouses.

Special Program Just For Teens (ages 13 to 15) With the rocks and trees as our guides, we will spend each morning together wandering in the woods, asking and answering questions, as well as forming a strong sense of community. We will integrate basic ecology with Jewish ethics in order to understand the connections within the forest ecosystem, and the relationship between humans and the natural world. Through brachot

The Everett Fellows A generous grant from Edith and Henry Everett Philanthropic Fund underwrites the Everett Fellows Program for young adults who have demonstrated their potential to be advocates for Jewish causes. The Everett Program recruits from the population that is engaged in defining their post-college relationship to their Jewish communities, havurot, or synagogues. Fellows participate in the full Institute program and in special activities designed for them. Everett Fellowships provide 90% scholarships to first-time fellows. There are a limited number of half-scholarships for returning Fellows. Applications may be obtained from the NHC office. Please apply before May 1, 2005. 1

Poretsky Artists-in-Residence Special Workshops Jewish Liturgical Music for the New Millennium Norma Brooks, Natasha Hirschhorn and Ramón Tasat

Sephardic Musical Traditions From Italy, Spain, and Tangiers Ramón Tasat

Old Roots and New Branches: Jewish Music from Russia Natasha J. Hirschhorn

Listen and sing as this course explores the origins and musical legacy created by the Jews of Italy, Tangiers, and Spain. We will learn about the influence of Italian popular music dating back to the 16th century, as well as the operatic styles of Verdi and Rossini in the Sephardic music of Italy. We will survey the diverse liturgical musical practices of the Jews of Tangiers – a richly cosmopolitan city at the junction between Africa and Europe. And we will taste the extraordinary Ladino ballads and synagogue music of the Jews of Spain.

Take a musical journey from 19th century shtetl life to the 1920s “Vitebsk Renaissance” of Marc Chagall and his fellow-artists; from the repressions of the 1930s and accusations in “dangerous formalism” against Schostakovich and his contemporaries to the blossoming of Jewish cultural and academic institutions in Russia and Ukraine today. This course will explore the story of suppression and unprecedented awakening of the Jewish culture and identity in the former Soviet Union through the personal experience of a Kiev-born musicologist, composer and performer. Come prepared to sing.

Ramon is a musicologist, composer, conductor, and the creator of numerous choral arrangements. Born in Buenos Aires, he sings in in Hebrew, Ladino, Spanish, Italian, and English. Ramon was educated at the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary; the Manuel de Falla Conservatory of Music; the University of Siena, Italy; and the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a doctorate in voice performance. He has served as cantor of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia, and Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and released two CDs of his original compositions. Ramon is the president and founder of Shalshelet: the Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music.

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Natasha is a music director of Congregation Ansche Chesed in NYC, conductor of the Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus and a faculty member of the Academy for Jewish Religion, where she was ordained in 1999. A native of Ukraine, Natasha has been exploring the music of Russian and Ukrainian Jewry since her studies in musicology, piano and composition at the Gnesin Music College in Moscow and Kiev State Conservatory. Her latest CD is called “They Call Me, 9 Meditations on Hebrew Prayers.” Natasha is the vice president of Shalshelet: the Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music.

Congregational singing is one sign of the vitality of a community. Singing new melodies can be invigorating and in composing new music for Jewish prayers, we participate in the chain of tradition. Sing and listen to new music with Norma Brooks, Natasha Hirschhorn and Ramón Tasat. This multi-part workshop will introduce tunes by some of the winners of the 2004 Shalshelet festival in Washington, D.C. and compositions by the workshop leaders whose roots extend from the Ukraine to Argentina. Translations, transliterations and sheet music will be provided where appropriate; feel free to bring your tape recorder! Norma is a composer and singer who grew up in Borough Park, Brooklyn, in a Yiddishand English-speaking family. In 1984 she composed her first melody for a Jewish liturgical text. Fourteen of her songs have been recorded on a CD, “Your Bountiful Light” and collected in a companion book. Norma is a member of Fabrangen, and a vice president and co-founder of Shalshelet: the Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music. The Artists-in-Residence will be giving a concert on Saturday evening. Peace is Greater than any Commandment (Hezekiah) Hanoch Guy In four sessions we will explore the wisdom, humor and surprising ways Jewish stories and legends humanize ethical precepts about the nature of peace within oneself and with family, strangers and within a community. Each session will include reading, writing, and enacting scenes to help participants engage with the stories of Hayyim of Zanz; the woman who spat in the face of Rabbi Meir; Eleazar ben Simeon who learned to “be soft as a reed”; and the

Course Descriptions lion, mouse and the snare, whose tale suggests a framework for creating peace in the land. Hanoch Guy, associate professor emeritus of Hebrew literature at Temple University, has taught Hebrew literature and writing for forty years. He combines Sam Lauechli’s “Mimesis” myth reenacting model with movement, drawing and meditation. In 2003, he won an award for his poetry.

Morning Courses M1 Sephardic Musical Traditions From Italy, Tangiers and Spain Ramón Tasat, Poretsky Artist-in-Residence See page 2 for description. M3 Bruchim Habaim – Welcome! A Course of Introduction to Judaism Alison Adler This special course welcomes haverim (friends) who may be unfamiliar with or new to Jewish study and practice. Incorporating hevruta (partner) study of classical and modern texts, and the experience of traditional and new rituals, this course will explore the themes, structure, and spiritual meanings of tefillah (prayer), and the experience and meanings of Shabbat. Participants’ experiences in this course will be supplemented by the complete range of Institute activities: workshops, prayer services, hikes, meals, and communitywide evening activities. First-time attendees of the Summer

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Institute who register for this class are eligible for a $100 credit on their Institute registration, courtesy of the Albin Family Foundation. [A] Alison is a rabbinical student in the new transdenominational program at Hebrew College, Newton MA. She is an educator at Temple Aliyah in Needham MA. Her background includes an MA in Jewish studies and an MA in Counseling Psychology. This is her tenth NHC Institute. M5 Sefat Emet: A Spiritual Bridge from the 19th to the 21st Century Mitchell Chefitz Profound positive expressions of love, value, and partnership with the Creator are at the core of Art Green’s Sefat Emet: The Language of Truth, the Torah commentary of Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger, written in 19th century Poland. Can the spiritual values of Europe before the Shoah bridge the gap to 21st century America? Yes, with some foundation work on our side of the pond. Spirituality and Religious Life [I]

Catholic and evangelical Christian organizations have established a visible charitable presence on the front lines – in Africa, the Caribbean, Central America and elsewhere – while Jews and Jewish organizations have been conspicuous by their absence. Why? What can we do to address this global tragedy in a meaningful and Jewish way? This course explores the dimensions of the pandemic, and invites participants to visualize and define a spiritually authentic Jewish response to the health crisis of our lifetimes. [C]

Mitch is a novelist (The Seventh Telling and The Thirty-third Hour). He is also a rabbi at Temple Israel in Miami. For over 20 years he was director of the Havurah of South Florida and is a past chair of the NHC.

Sheila retired in 2003 from her position as senior vice president of human resources and communications from a multi-national pharmacy company. Since then, she has been actively involved with the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, with a focus on Africa, South America and the Caribbean.

M7 “The Soul of a Stranger”: A Call for a Jewish Response to the World AIDS Crisis Sheila Coop In the current world AIDS crisis,

M9 Midrashim on Creation Richard Friedman Midrashim are stories, speculations, observations and arguments by the Rabbis, which expound, expand, apply or supplement something in the text of the Bible. We will study sections in Midrash Rabba about the creation story in Genesis. These midrashim raise basic issues of Jewish values and philosophy. The class will be an opportunity for close study of a text, but it will be appropriate for total novices as well as for those who have studied midrash before. We will use a bilingual text; some knowledge of Biblical Hebrew will be invaluable though not necessary. [A] Richard has taught text classes at several Institutes. He also teaches Talmud and Rashi’s 3

Course Descriptions continued Torah commentary at his shul (synagogue). He is a lawyer with the federal government M11 Zionism Reconsidered: Is a Jewish State an Anachronism in the 21st Century? Harold Gorvine This course will provide the opportunity for a reconsideration of classical Zionist thinkers. These will include Herzl, Ahad Ha-am, Ben Gurion, Jabotinsky, HaRav Avraham HaCohen Kook, his son HaRav Tzvi Yehudah HaCohen Kook, Buber and Magnes. Can Israel be both a democracy and a Jewish state? Can a Jewish state fully welcome strangers? We will consider the views of Boas Evron, Amnon Rubinstein and Geoffrey Wheatcroft as they bear on these two questions. History and Culture [C] Harold was honored in June 2001 by the Alumni Association of Akiba Hebrew Academy (suburban Philadelphia) for 35 years of being an outstanding teacher of history and Jewish studies. This is his 8th NHC Institute. M13 Jewish Africana Midrash: a Jewish Reading of African American Texts on the Tanach Carolivia Herron This course highlights the use and interpretations of Hebraic themes in African American literature. From wellknown African American authors such as Zora Neale Hurston, (Moses, Man of the Mountain), to obscure poets such as Adah Menken, the Tanach (bible) has inspired literary and spiritual elaborations that reveal a profound dialogue between African Americans and Jews. Our dialogue continues with a reading and analysis of selected African American texts that function as midrash (commentary). Additional authors

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include Phillis Wheatley, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, Charles Chesnutt and Ishmael Reed. Arts and Literature [A] Carolivia is a novelist and retired English professor who has taught comparative literature, creative writing and African American Studies at Harvard University, Mt. Holyoke College, and the College of William and Mary. Her publications include Thereafter Johnnie, Nappy Hair, and the short story “Chamisa,” a midrash on the Abraham-Sarah-Hagar story published in Beginning Anew: A Woman’s Companion to the High Holy Days. Carolivia is an African American Jew descended from Sephardic Jews who came to the Georgia Sea Islands from North Africa in the early 19th century. M15 “The Soul of a Stranger” is the Face of the Other: Jewish Phenomenology and the Philosophy of Emanuel Levinas Diane Klein Lithuanian-born French Jewish philosopher Emanuel Levinas (1906-1995) posits an ethics that originates mysteriously but decisively in the “face” of “the Other.” His philosophy is closely related to his understanding of Judaism and Jewish, especially Talmudic, ethical themes and outlooks. In this course, we will familiarize ourselves with Levinas’ life and work, taking a close look at both his secular philosophical work and his explicitly Jewish (what Levinas called

“confessional”) writings about “the stranger.” History and Culture [AD] Diane is a law professor, most recently at Albany Law School in New York, and the University of LaVerne College of Law in Ontario, California, and a long-time graduate student in philosophy at U.C. Berkeley. She taught courses in Jewish Law and Rebbe Nachman at two prior NHC Summer Institutes. M17 Revisiting the Second Commandment: Jewish Arts from the Bible to the Present Eleni Litt The second commandment states, “You are not to make yourself a carved image or any figure...” (EXODUS 20:4). Interpretations of this commandment range from a total prohibition on making images and sculptures to permitted creation of a wide variety of art forms. Join me for an ambitious journey (using texts and images) that considers the responses to this commandment over time (and space!) in the Jewish world. From explorations of the floor plans and interior design of the mishkan (sanctuary) through the design of ritual objects in the Middle Ages, the modern work of Soutine, Modigliani, Mark Rothko and Judy Chicago, and considerations about creating Jewish art after Auschwitz, we’ll ask the question: “What is Jewish art?” Arts and Literature [C] Eleni majored in Art and Art History as an

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undergraduate before switching to Anthropology for her Ph.D. She has since returned to her first intellectual love, making and thinking about art, and has combined these interests with perspectives from anthropology and Jewish Studies. Eleni is a long-time Havurah teacher, having most recently taught about drawing as a Jewish spiritual practice. She lives and davvens (prays) in Princeton, NJ. M19 Positioning Ourselves for Prayer Joe Rosenstein In this course we will explore some of the attitudes that are fundamental to Jewish prayer – acknowledging our blessings, living in God’s house, asking God for assistance and bringing God into our lives. These attitudes reflect choices we make. Do we, for example, choose to focus on our blessings (adopting an attitude of gratitude) or on our misfortunes? These attitudes are the ways we position ourselves for prayer in relation to what’s larger than ourselves. The course will involve text study, discussion, guided meditation and prayers. Spirituality and Religious Life [A] Joe is a founder and past chair of the NHC and its Summer Institute, and of the Highland Park (NJ) Minyan. He is the author of the new Siddur Eit Ratzon (www.newsiddur.org). In real life, he is a professor of mathematics at Rutgers.

M21 The Emergence and Development of Jewish Liturgy David Shneyer The class will explore the origins of Jewish liturgy (prayer); the motivations and the concepts that have shaped our people’s prayer experience. We will examine the impact of the Babylonian Exile and the destruction of the 2nd Temple on our liturgy and spirituality. Participants will learn about the origins of the siddur (prayerbook) and our relationship to prayer throughout the ages. The extraordinary innovations in

Oberlin student Aviva Richman (center) first came to the Summer Institute as a ten-year-old. More than a decade later she feels that her NHC peer group have found “a way of struggling with and celebrating Judaism in our lives.” Between Institutes, the group has planned its own winter reunions and keeps in touch over an internet listserver. As a child, Aviva and her sister Naomi came to the Institute in order to be independent. “When we were little we didn't want to sit with our Dad during meals,” she remembers with a smile. Now as an adult she relishes the opportunity to study with her father on an equal footing.

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Course Descriptions continued Jewish prayer since the beginnings of the Havurah movement 36 year ago will also be considered. History and Culture, Spirituality and Religious Life [A] David is a singing guitar-playing activist rabbi and cantor living in Rockville, Maryland. A founder of the Fabrangen, he is director of Am Kolel, a Judaic Resource and Renewal Center, and the president of Maalot, a local seminary devoted to Jewish music, liturgy and ceremonial arts. M23 Improvising Our Way to God Tracey Erin Smith Improvisation: the art of creating something out of nothing. The spontaneity of improvisation can open you to extraordinary surprises, unknown abilities, even to brilliance. Improvisation permits you to draw from mind, heart and body. In this fun and highly interactive course you will participate in group and solo theatre games. Together we will improvise new rituals, prayers and blessings. Arts and Literature, Spirituality and Religious Life Tracey is a performer and instructor at Ryerson University in Toronto. She designs and leads Improvisation and Creativity Playshops in Canada and America for people of all ages in corporate, private and spiritual settings (www.traceyerinsmith.com). Tracey was an Artist in Residence at the 2003 NHC Institute.

Afternoon Courses A2 Old Roots and New Branches: Jewish Music from Russia Natasha J. Hirschhorn, Poretsky Artist-in-Residence See page 2 for description. A4 Illuminating the New Year Sarah Beller and Laura Bellows A rich liturgy washes over us each year during services for the Yamim Nora’im (High Holidays). But how often do we really internalize these words and bring them alive? In this course we will explore the relationship between text, ideas and images, and transform selections from the holiday prayers and readings into 2 – or 3-dimensional visual art works. Each participant will create a 6

Shana Tova/New Year’s card or another piece. While no artistic experience or knowledge of High Holiday liturgy is necessary, do bring a sense of playful exploration. All texts will be provided in Hebrew and English. (Limited enrollment: 15) Arts and Literature [A,F] Laura is a life-long havurahnik and multimedia artist from Washington, D.C. Her love of art, Judaism and meaning is expressed in everything from kite-making to Kabbalistic (mystical) color associations, and from poetry to hands-on Jewish education. She regularly uses art in her teaching to explore, challenge and elucidate Jewish text and traditions. Laura is completing her final year at Oberlin College in environmental studies. Sarah has been avidly creating calligraphic artwork since she picked up her mother's rusting calligraphy set in fourth grade. Her designs have illuminated Hillel publications, wedding and bar mitzvah invitations, and commissioned pieces. With a degree in social anthropology from Harvard University, she is now a fifth-grade teacher at a public charter school in Washington, DC. A6 History and Mathematics of the Hebrew Calendar Ben Dreyfus Why do some Hebrew years have 12 months and others have 13? Why did some of the Jewish world observe the holidays two days earlier than everyone else in 922 CE? Why will Passover fall in July in about 20,000 years? This class

tells the story of the complex Hebrew calendar from the early days of witnessing the crescent moon to our current mathematical algorithms. By the end, you will be able to calculate what day of the week Purim will fall in 5800, armed with only a pencil and paper. History and Culture [A] Prerequisites: Familiarity with addition, subtraction, and multiplication required; division recommended. Texts will be provided in Hebrew and in English. Ben teaches physics at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. He is a founder of the Kol Zimrah havurah, and has studied Jewish texts while riding the New York City subway and the Jerusalem bus system. A8 Ruth: A Woman’s Reply to the Book of Judges? Bob Freedman We’ll examine the stories, literary styles and contexts of the biblical books of Judges and Ruth. We’ll see how Judges, using the metaphor of the gradual degradation of the institutions that regulate relationships between men and women, recounts the unraveling of the social fabric producing moral and civil anarchy in tribal Israel. Ruth heralds the return of order and the coming of salvation, exemplified by Ruth’s marriage to Boaz in the correct legal manner. Was the book of Ruth a woman’s answer to the mess made by men in the time of the judges? History and Culture [A] After a career as a cantor, Bob received ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2000 and from the ALEPH Jewish Renewal Rabbinic Program in 2001. He is fascinated by various spiritual technologies. Currently Bob is the rabbi of Israel Congregation in Manchester Center, VT, and lives there with his wife, Sally, among the beautiful mountains. A10 “Give me Friendship or Give me Death!”/”O Hevruta o Mitutah!” Friendship in Judaism Marisa Harford Would you risk your life for a friend? Have your friendships defined your fundamental beliefs and values? Is a friend the best teacher? We will explore

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what Jewish sources have to say about friendship, including Biblical and Rabbinic stories about friends, the experience of learning with a study partner (hevruta), and the moral obligations and limits of friendship. We will be relating these texts to our own experiences and dilemmas, and will use art, drama, creative writing and journaling in addition to text study (in hevruta, of course!) to explore these issues. [A,F,C] Marisa spends her days analyzing literature with high-school freshmen in the Bronx. She has learned more than she ever thought possible from her wonderful hevruta (study partner) of three years, has a Master’s degree in secondary English education, and likes to sing whenever possible. A12 Just One Page Marga Hirsch We are called “The People of the Book,” but we are actually The People of Many Books. We will look at just one page of several of our key books – the Torah, commentaries on the Torah, the Mishnah, Midrash and the Talmud (law codes). By learning how each is read, and how they relate to each other, we will discover what these texts have meant in our tradition and what they say to us today. Ability to follow a Hebrew text with a translation will be a plus, but is not required, as all materials will be provided in English. [A] Marga teaches Adult Education in Philadelphia, both as Program Director at

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Har Zion Temple and in the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Parent Education Program. After attending Summer Institutes for 25 years, and even co-chairing one, she is teaching a course for the first time this summer. A14 Let’s Play Jewish Geography Sherry Israel Jews are one of the most mobile subgroups in America today, with serious, and often overlooked, consequences for Jewish life. This class will examine data from the National Jewish Population Study and related sources to learn about some of the causes and consequences of Jewish mobility. Each session will combine exploration of data, class members’ own relevant experiences, and discussions about the meaning of it all for us as individuals and for our Jewish communities. [C]

Every summer engineer Martin Manley comes to the NHC Institute from his home in Connecticut knowing he will stretch his expectations and recharge his batteries. Some years, the excitement has come from immersion in Jewish texts. Other years it has flowed from meeting people who are “caring and bright and fun.” Sometimes the highlight of his week is the spiritual energy of Shabbat. Martin attends Orthodox religious services at home, but at the institute he has tried out a range of new experiences: traditional egalitarian services, Four Worlds “renewal” services, services that focus on chanting or on meditation and the musical services led by guitar-strumming members of Kol Zimrah, a group of young havurahniks from New York City. “Once a person gets a taste of it,” Martin says, “it's an exciting mix.” 7

Course Descriptions continued Larry is a cantor and author of articles on Bible and liturgy in Jewish Bible Quarterly and Kerem. He has prepared “Haftarah Notes” for his synagogue’s weekly newsletter for four years and has taught traditional texts at a number of NHC regional retreats and at the Institute. Larry is a labor and benefits attorney.

Sherry does Jewish demography, and teaches and consults about Jewish institutions. She is active in many professional groups and is a founding and active member of the Newton Center Minyan. Her four children and their families live in four different cities, on both coasts, so Sherry has a first-hand acquaintance with Jewish mobility. A16 Where is Talmud? Modern Echoes of the Ancient Text Neil Litt The Talmud (law codes) is full of strange and unbelievable situations that can bewilder the modern reader. Bewilderment can be transformed to delight, however, when corresponding scenarios are discovered in the creative work of twentieth-century Jews who have been unknowing conduits for this oral tradition. While this course does not set out to prove that Bud Abbott, the Three Stooges, Jerry Seinfeld and others are Talmud scholars, we will discover Talmudic questions and discourse playing unexpected roles in contemporary popular culture. Arts and Literature [A,C] Neil has been reading Talmud every day for the past five years, completing nineteen tractates and still going strong. He is past-chair of the National Havurah Committee and a member of the Library Minyan at the Princeton Jewish Center in NJ. His audio blog (http://mywebpages.comcast.net/amidlifecrisis) is a running audio journal that includes interviews with authors and a broad selection of music. 8

A18 Hane’emarim B’emet, Spoken in Truth: Finding Meaning in Haftarah Larry Magarik The Haftarah, a selection from the Prophets, concludes each Torah reading on Shabbat and festivals. Its pleasant melody and use in bar/bat mitzvah celebrations often obscure the challenging meaning of its prose or poetry. We will examine the historical origin and selection of haftarot and their blessings, learn about their musical dimensions, and study four haftarot in depth, including the haftarah for the Shabbat at the Institute. All texts will be studied with clear, easy-to-understand English translations. Spirituality and Religious Life [A]

A20 B’otot Uvmoftim (With Signs and Wonders): Secrets of the Passover Haggadah Elizabeth Richman How and why does the haggadah go to great lengths to exclude Moses from its retelling of the Passover story, even though he represents a central figure in the Exodus tale? How may the rabbis have used the Rasha (the wicked child) to construct a subtle textual rebuke to Jesus and the early Jewish-Christian sects? How many questions were in the original Mah Nishtanah (“four questions”) and why? And what theological messages can we find embodied in all of this? After reviewing the overarching structure of the haggadah, we will use a close reading of Tanach (bible), Mishnah and Talmud, and other sources in Rabbinic literature to explore these and other questions. Text will be provided in English and Hebrew. Spirituality and Religious Life [I] Elizabeth is a graduate of the Beit Midrash program at the Drisha Institute for Jewish

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Studies and is currently a rabbinical student. She is also a seder (festive Passover meal) leader who grew up not only with the traditional haggadah, but also, depending on the year, with her family’s homemade haggadah, a vegetarian haggadah, and a feminist haggadah. A22 Reading the Divine Body: the Relationship of Text and Body in Classical Jewish Mysticism Bill Shackman This course is designed as an introduction to the canonical texts of medieval Spanish Kabbalah (mystical writings): the Sefer Yetsirah, the Sefer Bahir and the Zohar. We will explore how each of these texts describes the divine in terms of the human body, or anthropos, including the Bahir’s theory of divine organs and the Zohar’s doctrine of divine faces. What is implied about the relation between the heavenly body and our own physical bodies? How does the notion of a language of creation mediate the bold anthropomorphism of these texts? Texts will be in Hebrew and Aramaic with translations into English provided. Familiarity with the basic ideas of the Kabbalah will be helpful, but not necessary. Spirituality and Religious Life [I] Bill is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU specializing in medieval Jewish mysticism. Besides meditating on the mysteries of the Zohar, he enjoys playing bluegrass guitar with his wife, Emily, and practicing the Taoist martial art of Ba Gua Zhang. A24 Elisha ben Avuyah, the Outsider Max Weinryb Elisha ben Avuyah was a leading rabbi of the 2nd century, a colleague of R. Akivah, teacher of R. Meir, and one of the “four that entered Pardes (engaged in esoteric practices).” He became an unbeliever and probably an adherent of the outside (Hellenistic) civilization. We’ll read the original midrashim (stories) about him and consider him in his historical context and as a precursor of modern Jews struggling with unbelief versus tradition. History and Culture [I]

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text for ALL INTERMEDIATE text ADVANCED text CONTEMPORARY Issues suitable for entire FAMILY

Max has been a participant, leader and teacher in SF Bay Area havurot for many years. He has taught Hebrew, Talmud, and Rabbinic texts in havurot, congregations, and at the NHC Summer Institute and regional retreats. Max is a software consultant and urban homesteader in Berkeley.

Thank You The Institute 2004 Planning and Course Committee members are grateful to all those whose time and energy make the NHC Summer Institute possible. We always receive more wonderful proposals for courses, workshops, and programs than we can accommodate. The participation and generosity of so many different individuals demonstrates the breadth and vitality of havurah Judaism in North America. A special thank you to: • The Albin Family Foundation for underwriting outreach and programming to enrich Jewish Practice. • The Edith and Henry Everett Philanthropic Fund that underwrites the Everett Fellows program and has been supporting the NHC for a number of years. • The Rita Poretsky Foundation for supporting the Artist-in-Residence Program and the NHC. • Fran Zeitler, who innovated the Teen Environmental Program, and has been a long-time NHC volunteer and supporter of the Children’s Program.

Sandy Sussman first attended the NHC Institute in 1991, hoping to re-experience “the warmth and intensity” she associated with Jewish youth group and camp experiences. She found it. Six years later her husband, Ron Schnur, joined her at the Institute for the first time, and has been a regular ever since: “The Institute is an active, participatory, multigenerational Jewish ‘Brigadoon,’” Ron says. “It exists for one week a year. I really enjoy being with both the kids and the older people.” Over the years, Ron and Sandy say they have learned that “people you see only once a year can become dear friends.” Adds Sandy: “The Havurah Institute is too good not to share.” 9

Housing Three housing options are available on the Franklin Pierce campus. The suites building is air-conditioned, handicapped accessible and in the center of campus. Each suite has 6 bedrooms with 2 twin beds per room, one bathroom with 3 showers, sinks and stalls; and a living room and a kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave oven. Suites will be used for families with children under the age of 10 (to facilitate babysitting) and people with mobility issues. The apartments are located next to the suites. Each has 2 bedrooms, with 2 twin beds per room, 1 1/2 baths and a living room with a kitchen with refrigerator, stove, and dining area. The apartments do not have air-conditioning. This summer we are also offering housing in townhouses next to the lake. These are a 7 – 10 minute walk to the dining hall which is located near the classroom buildings. There is a handicapped accessible studio apartment on the first floor. The second and third floors are a townhouse with 3 bedrooms, with 2 twin beds each, 3 full bathrooms and a kitchen and living room area. The townhouses are air-conditioned. All accommodations have parking and washers and dryers nearby. Please indicate your housing preference on the registration form.

Commuters Anyone who lives near the campus can participate at a reduced cost by registering as a commuter. Commuter registration includes all meals and full participation in the program. Commuters who wish to stay on campus for Shabbat should contact the NHC office.

Meals The NHC and Franklin Pierce College have selected a vegetarian and fish menu with a wide variety of options. All food will be either dairy or pareve. Each meal will also have vegan options. Kashrut is observed under the supervision of a mashgiach who also participates in the Institute. If you require a special diet or have food allergies or sensitivities, please indicate this on the registration form and provide a detailed explanation of your needs by June 15. Call the NHC office for more information. 10

Shabbat Guests

Transportation

Friends and family members of Institute participants and other NHC members are welcome to join us for Shabbat. Although classes will be over, special programs are planned for the weekend. Shabbat guests should plan to arrive on Friday, August 6 between 1:30 and 3:20 pm. Programs for the entire community will be starting at 3:15 pm. Our Artistsin-Residence will be giving a special Saturday evening concert.

Franklin Pierce College is located off Route 119 in Rindge, NH, just north of the Massachusetts border. Approximate driving time is 4.5 hours from New York City and 90 minutes from Boston. There are airports in Manchester, NH, and Boston, MA. Information about ride share arrangements will appear in the confirmation e-mail.

REGISTRATION FORM Who will be attending? (please print)

Class Preferences List three class choices per sessions, in order of preference. List each course by its number (e.g., M3, A2). Classes are filled in order of postmark; you are assigned to your highest preference course that is open. If there are additional adults or teens taking courses, please enclose an additional sheet with their choices.

Adult # 1 Name Age

Gender M / F

Occupation

Day Phone Eve Phone

Adult # 1 Classes

Adult # 2 Classes

E-mail*

Morning

Morning

Address

Afternoon

Afternoon

1st choice

City

State

Zip

2nd choice 3rd choice

Adult # 2 Name

Fee Schedule

Age

Gender M / F

before June 15

Occupation

after June 15

How Many

$ DUE

*NHC Membership dues

Day Phone Eve Phone

($36 per adult or $72 per household)

E-mail*

Adult Resident

$795

$820

^Adult Commuter

$675

$700

*Registration confirmation will be sent by e-mail. If you would like additional postal confirmation, check here. ■

Full-time Student Resident

$595

$620

^Full-time Student Commuter $495

$520

Children/Teens Attending Institute*

Children (6 months to 12 years)

Address City

State

Zip

#1 Name

Age

Grade

M / F

#1 Child

$350

$375

#2 Name

Age

Grade

M / F

#2 Child

$250

$275

#3 Name

Age

Grade

M / F

Additional children

$150

$175

#4 Name

Age

Grade

M / F

Pre-paid babysitting (6 nights) $45

$60

($45 first child; $30 additional child – subsidized rate)

*Indicate age as of August 2005 and the grade the child will be entering in September 2005. Make additional copies of this form to add class preferences and address information for teens and full-time students as needed.

Limited-Income Resident

$595

$620

^Limited-Income Commuter

$495

$520

■

+Shabbat only Adult

$275

$300

+Shabbat only Child (6 mos to 12 year)

$125

$150

Check here to sign up for Teen Environmental Program (see pg. 3).

PLEASE REGISTER EARLY Your registration implies that you have read and agree to the financial terms stated in this brochure. If you live in another country, please obtain payment in U.S. dollars. Mail this form with your credit card information or check payable to “National Havurah Committee” to: National Havurah Committee 7135 Germantown Avenue, 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19119-1842

Questions? Call (215) 248-1335 or e-mail [email protected]

Single-room supplement

$125

Additional per person. Shared bath.

Private apartment/townhouse $250 Additional per apartment.

Private use Golf Cart

$250

SUBTOTAL FEES ABOVE Optional cancellation insurance (Multiply subtotal above by .05.)

Tax-deductible scholarship fund contribution Registering for M3 deduct $100.

BALANCE DUE BY JUNE 15

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ■ Applying for Everett Fellowship. (See pg. 3 regarding this program.)

■ Applying for work study. (See www.havurah.org for work-study job descriptions.)

AMOUNT ENCLOSED (Minimum 50% of total, after June 15, balance in total.) *Required and tax deductible. ^Includes full program and all meals, including Shabbat. + Friday-Sunday room and meals from Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast.

PLEASE COMPLETE QUESTIONNAIRE ON REVERSE BEFORE MAILING

REGISTRATION FORM cont’d Volunteer

Housing Preference

All adult and teen participants are asked to volunteer a few hours during the Institute. Please indicate where each family member would like to serve.

If you have mobility issues that impact the distance you can walk, please call the office to discuss your housing options.

Adult #1

Adult #2

Teen #1

Teen #2

Registration/Check-out Sales table/Fundraising Errands Shabbat preparation Mentor first-timer Clean-up Anywhere needed

YEAR ROUND Outreach

If you are attending with children we will try to house you in the suites to facilitate evening babysitting. If you are not attending with children, please indicate your housing preference.

■ townhouses near lake, (air-conditioned) or ■ main campus apartments (not air-conditioned) Permission to be Photographed In submitting this registration form, I hereby grant permission for my images and/or the images of my child[ren], captured at the Institute through video, photo, and digital camera, to be used in official NHC promotional material, including but not limited to news releases, publications, videos, and the NHC web site. I further waive rights of compensation or ownership thereto.

Lead Services (July 5 Deadline)

Cancellation Policy and Cancellation Insurance

Please indicate if you would like to lead services (specify which services/parts, and in what style, e.g., havurah, traditional-egalitarian, feminist, hasidic, four-worlds, meditation, movement, etc.) or if you would like to read Torah, chant haftarah, or give a D’var Torah at the Institute.

Purchasing Cancellation Insurance at the rate of 5% of your institute total fee will enable you to receive a refund of all of your fees minus your membership dues and a $25 administrative fee per person, in the event that you must cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. If you do not purchase cancellation insurance at the time that you register, refunds will be allocated as follows: • Cancel by May 31: All fees refunded minus membership dues and $75 administrative fee per person. • Cancel between June 1 and July 15: All fees refunded minus membership dues and $150 administrative fee per person. • Cancel between July 16 and July 27, 2005: All fees refunded minus membership dues and $225 administrative fee per person. No refund will be given for those who do not attend, or cancel after July 28, 2005. You must call the office and let us know that you are cancelling in order to receive a refund.

Propose A Workshop (July 5 Deadline) If you would like to lead a workshop, please let us know by July 5. Send an e-mail to [email protected] with “Workshop” in the subject line, along with a brief description of the workshop and a short bio of yourself. Topic:

Tell Us About Yourself Is this your first Institute? Y / N How did you hear about the Summer Institute?

Payment Information ■ Check payable to “National Havurah Committee” ■ Please charge my credit card:

Do you or your children have a roommate or suitemate request?

■ Visa

■ MasterCard

Credit card # Name (as it appears on card) Expiration date

Do you use electricity on Shabbat? Y / N If yes, are you willing to accommodate roommates? Y / N Are you a member of a havurah? Y / N If yes, please provide name of havurah and contact information:

If your health requires any special food, housing, or other arrangements, please attach a note with specific information.

Please fill out both sides of this form completely and return it with your payment to: National Havurah Committee 7135 Germantown Avenue, 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19119-1842 Questions? Call (215) 248-1335 or e-mail [email protected]

BALANCE DUE BY JUNE 15 PLEASE COMPLETE ENROLLMENT INFORMATION ON REVERSE SIDE BEFORE MAILING

Work Study Assistance A limited number of work-study positions are available. In exchange for a week-long commitment to work at the Institute, participants can attend the Institute for $500 plus NHC membership and participate fully in the rest of the program. Most work-study positions are in one of three areas: the Institute office, the childrens program or kashrut supervision. To apply for a work-study position, check www.havurah.org to see the open positions and call the Institute office (215-248-1335) to apply. All requests are confidential and must be submitted by June 15, 2005.

Cancellation Policy and Cancellation Insurance Purchasing Cancellation Insurance at the rate of 5% of your institute total fee will enable you to receive a refund of all of your fees minus your membership dues and a $25 administrative fee per person, in the event that you must cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. If you do not purchase cancellation insurance at the time that you register, refunds will be allocated as follows: • Cancel by May 31: All fees refunded minus membership dues and $75 administrative fee per person.

NHC Online Check out the NHCs web site at www.havurah.org for late-breaking Institute information and updates on courses and programs. All Institute registrants are automatically subscribed to nhc-announce, an email list for announcements from the NHC related to its upcoming programs. The NHC offers two online discussion groups, nhc-havurah, limited to NHC and havurah related issues, and nhc-discuss, an open discussion forum on topics of interest to members of the NHC community. To subscribe to these lists, go to www.havurah.org and click on NHC Online for complete instructions.

• Cancel between June 1 and July 15: All fees refunded minus membership dues and $150 administrative fee per person. • Cancel between July 16 and July 27, 2005: All fees refunded minus membership dues and $225 administrative fee per person. No refund will be given for those who do not attend, or cancel after July 28, 2005. You must call the office and let us know that you are cancelling in order to receive a refund.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Jenkintown, PA Permit No. 9

National Havurah Committee 7135 Germantown Avenue, 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19119-1842 Forwarding Service Requested

Dates to Remember: Register by April 30 for FREE Cancellation Insurance Register by June 15 and Save!

National Havurah Committee

2 7 th S U M M E R I N S T I T U T E August 1-7, 2005 • Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH

“. . . for you should know the soul of a stranger . . .”

NHC Board of Directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair: Mark Frydenberg Vice-Chair: Sherry Israel Secretary: Sylvia Woodman Treasurer: Richard Heiberger Immediate Past Chair: Neil Zatz Litt MEMBERS AT LARGE Alison Adler Adrienne Asch Susan Barocas Sarah Brodbar-Nemzer Ben Dreyfus Janet Hollander Steve Lewis Eleni Zatz Litt Larry Magarik Anne Mintz

Mike Rappeport Dan Richman Elizabeth Richman Jane Rothstein David Rogoff Joe Rosenstein Howard Wial Frances Zeitler PAST CHAIRS Mitch Chefitz Bob Goldenberg Ruth Goldston Leonard Gordon Janet Hollander Herb Levine Steve Lewis Solomon Mowshowitz Joe Rosenstein Michael Strassfeld NHC Advisory Board Martha Ackelsberg Samuel Barth Judith Baumann

Margrit Bernstein Dana Bogatz Debra Cash Rachel B. Cowan Sue Levi Elwell Marcia Falk Merle Feld Susan Fendrick Ellen Frankel Larry Garber Robert Goldenberg Robert Goldston Arthur Green Kathy Hart Patricia Cippi Harte Julie Hirsch Barry Holtz Judith Kass Ronnie Levin Mordechai Liebling Frank Loeffler Michael Masch Miriam May Victor Miller Vanessa Ochs

Drorah O’Donnell Setel Michael Paley Judith Plaskow Bernard Reisman Neil Reisner Louis Reiser Harry Rosenbluh Saul Rubin Carl Sheingold David Shneyer Harold Schulweis Marlene Schwartz Mel Silberman Sandy Sussman David Teutsch Matthew Thomases Max Ticktin Moshe Waldoks Arthur Waskow Shoshana Waskow Deborah Waxman David Zerner Lillian Zerner

Managing Director Christine Oliger Committee Chairs Debra Cash Sandy Sussman Planning Committee Chairs Mordecai Jackson David Podell Brochure Institute Photos: Mark Frydenberg Joel Deitz Neil Zatz Litt Josh Rosenberg Sharon Rozines

Phone: (215) 248-1335 • Fax: (215) 248-9760 • E-mail: [email protected] • Web site: www.havurah.org