National Havurah Committee Summer Institute 2008

The National Havurah Committee’s 30th SUMMER INSTITUTE August 11-17, 2008

Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH

“A week-long retreat of Jewish learning and community”

New • ONLINE registration at www.havurah.org • Scholarships and Travel Grants • More programming for Shabbat participants including special rabbi, scholar, and activist Steve Greenberg • Additional emphasis on social and environmental justice, including first-ever Hollander Social Justice Fellow • Improved parent support system • Mishpacha groups provide opportunities for participants to connect around shared identities or interests

Kids Camp: 3 Shabbat-only Participation: 3 Everett Young Adult Fellowship: 4

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

Welcome to the NHC!

A Day at the Institute

The National Havurah Committee (NHC) is a network of diverse individuals and communities dedicated to Jewish living and learning, community building, and tikkun olam (repairing the world). 2008 is the NHC’s 30th year of bringing together Jews across North America to envision a joyful grassroots Judaism and providing the tools to help them create empowered Jewish lives and communities. The NHC is a nondenominational, multigenerational, egalitarian, and volunteerrun organization.

• Take two classes with dynamic teachers • Attend (or lead!) stimulating optional workshops • Children ages 6 months to 12 years old enjoy Kids Camp • Choose from exciting prayer, Havurah davvening, text study, and yoga options • Enjoy delicious, kosher, vegetarian food • Walk, swim, hike, or work out at the fully-equipped indoor gym • Spend free time relaxing in a beautiful natural setting • Participate in evening programs and entertainment • Make and renew friendships, have great conversations, laugh, think, sing, dance, and learn

The NHC’s flagship program, the week-long Summer Institute, is a unique opportunity for serious study, moving prayer, spirited conversation, late-night jam sessions, singing, dancing, swimming, meditation, and hiking – all in the company of more than 300 people from a wide range of backgrounds. Each year, participants leave the Institute reinvigorated and excited to return to their home communities to share new ideas, skills, and experiences. Our 2008 theme is Baruch She-amar v’Hayah Ha-Olam / Blessed Is The One Who Spoke the World Into Being. This phrase, from the morning liturgy, resonates with our overall interest in turning speech into action and learning into doing, connecting Torah with social and environmental justice. It evokes creation themes, both ecologically and spiritually, and invites us to spend the week of the Institute exploring the worlds we can create with our words. At the Institute, every teacher is also a student and every student is a teacher. People who are usually called “rabbi” or “professor” throughout the year go by their first names here. And people who rarely take active leadership roles in their communities discover that they, too, can teach and contribute to the community. We look forward to creating community with you at this year’s Summer Institute!

Our Community One of the NHC’s greatest strengths is the diversity of its participants. We are musicians, doctors, students, furniture makers, retirees, Jewish professionals, homemakers, teachers, activists, and just about everything else. At the 2007 Summer Institute, the youngest participant was a newborn, and our oldest was over 80, with many participants from all age groups in between. The NHC includes Jews from birth, Jews by choice, people committed to both traditional and non-traditional Jewish practice, non-Jews, and people exploring Judaism. NHC participants have a variety of identities including: LGBTQ and straight; people of color, Sephardi, Mizrachi, and Ashkenazi; urban, rural, and suburban; Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, Renewal, secular, and Jewish without labels. NHC participants also have a variety of Jewish learning backgrounds from those with no formal Jewish education to those with Ph.D.s in Talmud. The dynamic process of exploring together what Judaism and Jewishness means in our lives is a highlight of the Institute.

Sample Schedule 7:00 – Traditional Egalitarian Services 7:30 – Breakfast 8:30 – Yoga or Musical prayer service 9:30 – Morning Class: Introduction to Talmud Study 11:00 – Kippah Crocheting Workshop 12:30 – Lunch 1:30 – Afternoon Class: Jewish Memoir Writing 3:00 – Building Interfaith Families Discussion 4:30 – Swim with children in the lake 5:30 – 12 Step Meeting 6:15 – Dinner at Yiddish Language Table 7:00 – Mincha / Ma’ariv Prayer Services 8:00 – Social Justice through Jewish Teachings 9:00 – Klezmer Jam

Courses At the center of the Institute are a wide array of courses offered in morning and afternoon sessions. Each course has a maximum of 20 students and is led by a teacher who is also an Institute participant, presenting material that she or he loves in an inclusive style that encourages everyone to participate. Choose from classes in traditional texts, Jewish politics, poetry, Jewish ethics, dance and singing, Judaism and world religions, and contemporary topics. Your background is not important – your desire to learn is.

Workshops The Institute also offers informal hour-long workshops led by Institute participants on

We are committed to making the Institute financially accessible to all. This year we have significantly increased our financial aid, scholarship, and work-study options. See pages 11-12 for full details. If you can’t come to the Institute this year, please consider making a contribution to help someone else come. Donations can be sent to the NHC office at: 7135 Germantown Avenue, 2nd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19119 or contact us at [email protected], 215-248-1335 

topics of their choice. Last year’s workshop topics included Israeli folk dance, poetry of the Middle East, the future of the havurah movement, how to chant haftorah, and Hassidic text study on the Sh’ma prayer. Participants will decide this year’s topics by volunteering to teach workshops! Please indicate on the registration form if you would like to lead a workshop – we encourage you to share your knowledge, passions, and skills!

Minyanim Every day will offer a different menu of spirited prayer options and alternatives to prayer. There will be prayer in many styles, including Hebrew and English, meditative and musical, with and without instruments, and both indoors and outdoors, in addition to a Traditional Egalitarian service three times daily. All davening is intended to be family friendly. Please indicate on the registration form if you would like to lead a service or service alternative in any style. All minyanim organized and sponsored by the NHC are fully egalitarian, with equal participation regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Individual participants who wish to organize minyanim where eligibility for leading or participation is based on gender are invited to contact the NHC office to arrange a meeting space.

Families and Children At the Institute, families with children are not only welcome, they are a priority. The Institute “village” is supportive of all kinds of families, and prayer services celebrate the inclusion of children. While parents partake of Institute offerings, children ages six months to twelve years old enjoy Kids Camp, joining their parents again at mealtimes. During times in which Kids Camp is not meeting, parents can participate in a special “buddy” system, improved this year, in which other folks share the joys and responsibilities of child care with parents during meals and other times. Evening babysitting is available for a small fee paid in advance. Kids Camp Forming its own tight-knit community within the broader Institute, the Kids Camp offers exciting and enriching Jewish programming for children. With morning and afternoon sessions running concurrent to Institute classes, parents can learn and explore at their level while knowing their kids are also experiencing a vibrant age-appropriate learning opportunity. The camp is

lead by a talented staff of educators, artists, musicians, and athletes, many of whom are long-time Institute participants - this year supported by a generous grant from the Albin Family Foundation. The NHC’s adult teaching faculty, Artists-in-Residence, and other members of the Institute community also participate in Kids Camp, sharing their expertise and talents with the children. In true havurah style, the Kids Camp program is highly participatory; emphasizing relationship-building through shared experiences of art, music, sports, and a wide array of Jewish programming. For many families with young children, the Kids Camp has become a primary incentive to return year after year. Kids Camp features: • Daily gatherings with song, prayer, and stories • Creative activities in art, music, and theater • Supervised outdoor recreation • Water play or swimming each day (weather permitting) • Creative, developmentally appropriate Jewish learning for preschool children • Jewish-oriented playtime for babies and toddlers • A unique experience in Jewish community building which celebrates diversity Please note that Kids Camp operates during scheduled class times. The camp is designed for kids from six months to twelve years old who can participate in an all-day program with a break for lunch. Children are grouped according to age and grade levels. We do our best to accommodate all children.

Celebrating Shabbat Shabbat is the culmination of the Institute. The intellectual, creative, and spiritual excitement of the week’s courses, the intense Jewish living experience, and our new and renewed friendships combine to lead to a special, joyful Shabbat. Before Shabbat starts, participants build an eruv (boundary) and make other Shabbat preparations. Shabbat then begins with a rousing kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming Shabbat) and evening service as a whole community, followed by a festive dinner and opportunities for text study, storytelling, poetry reading, and singing late into the night. A number of different minyanim meet on Saturday morning, including a special Family Shabbat Service, 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 beautiful havdalah (end-of-Shabbat ceremony) under the stars.

Special Shabbat Teacher This year we are honored to welcome rabbi, scholar, and activist Steve Greenberg as a special Shabbat teacher. Steve is known as a campaigner for pluralistic Jewish community and a skilled teacher of social justice issues in Jewish tradition, from gay rights to environmentalism. Steve will be joining us for the Shabbat portion of the Institute to share his wisdom with us and facilitate discussion, so for those who cannot join us for the whole week, here’s an extra reason to come for Shabbat. We’re so excited to have Steve join us and we hope you are too!

Special Shabbat Teacher

About Rabbi Steve Greenberg Steve is an Orthodox rabbi, ordained at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Since 1985, he has served as a senior educator for CLAL, a think tank, leadership training institute, and resource center. Steve was a Jerusalem Fellow (1996 – 1998) and while living in Jerusalem, he helped to found the Jerusalem Open House, Jerusalem’s first gay and lesbian community center. In 2001, he appeared in the documentary Trembling Before G-d and joined with the film maker to create a worldwide outreach project, conducting over 500 post-screening community dialogues all over the world. Steve is the author of Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition (February 2004), which recently won the Koret Jewish Book Award.

Shabbat Participants Can’t join us for the whole week? Have friends or family members who would like 

to join you for Shabbat? All are welcome to join the Institute community for a beautiful, restful, meaningful Shabbat in the mountains. Weekday classes will be over, but there are a number of special programs planned just for the weekend. Programming on Shabbat will include a variety of Shabbat-friendly options including special workshops, text study, spirited singing, discussion groups, hikes, pick-up sports, a board game bonanza, and more. Shabbat guests should plan to arrive on Friday, August 15, between 1:30 and 3:15pm. Please see the fee schedule for Shabbat-only registration.

Teen Program Every year, teenagers at the Institute build a community that radiates into the teens’ lives through the rest of the year. This community provides a home base and an inclusive group of friends for teen participants, most of whom attend with their families. Designated adult advisors are available to teenagers at all times for checking in and troubleshooting. Teens may work in the Children’s Camp or the Institute office for a reduction in registration fees. Please inquire for details.

Everett Fellowship and Young Adult Programming A generous grant from the 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 and who are actively engaged in defining their post-college participation in the Jewish community. Fellows participate in the full Institute programming and in four workshops designed specifically for them. They also participate in a special program on building and sustaining havurot that is open to the entire young adult community at the Institute. In addition, each Everett Fellow will be paired with a “mentor,” a returning Institute participant who shares similar interests and can support the Fellow in getting the most out of the Institute. Everett Fellows receive a scholarship for tuition, room, and board, and are expected to pay for registration and dues. To apply for an Everett fellowship, you must be 22 through 32 years of age, interested in exploring havurah Judaism, and willing to participate fully in the Institute. Preference given to first time Institute attendees and previous qualified Everett applicants. 

Everett Application: Please email your application and letters of recommendation to everettNHC@gmail. com by May 12, 2008. Include your name, complete postal address, day and evening phone numbers, email address, age, year of graduation (if any) and occupation. In addition, please provide brief answers to the following questions in 1-2 pages: 1. What are you looking for in a Jewish community? (List some characteristics. This need not be a definitive list.) 2. What kind of role have you played in Jewish communities thus far and what kind of role do you see yourself playing in the future? 3. What do you hope to gain from the Institute? What do you expect to bring? 4. Please list 1-3 leadership experiences that you consider significant (name of organization, title and short description of your role, and dates). A complete Everett Fellows application also includes: • Two letters of recommendation (may be sent by separate email). Please ask your recommenders to focus on your leadership and community-building skills. • A completed NHC Summer Institute registration form with a check for your fees ($120.00) made out to the NHC, sent to the NHC office. Your check will be held until you accept the Fellowship.

NEW: Hollander Social Justice Fellowship Do you have a social justice cause you are passionate about and want to pursue with the NHC community? Apply for the Hollander Social Justice Fellowship. You will receive a $400 scholarship towards Institute fees and up to $100 for materials or preparation in exchange for planning social justice oriented programming for the NHC community. Your proposal needs to include at least three hours of programming on a relevant and nonpartisan social justice issue. This programming could be through a daytime workshop (or workshop series), evening community-wide program, Kids Camp or Everett program, and/or Shabbat program. We expect that the strongest applications will come from people with at least three to five years of professional or volunteer experience in their area. Hollander Application: Submit a completed Institute registration form and deposit to the NHC office. (De-

posit is refundable if your application is not selected.) In addition, submit to [email protected] by May 12, 2008 brief answers to the following questions in 2-3 pages: • What are your project’s goals? • How will the project be carried out (programming, methods, resources you will need)? Note that your plan needs to include at least three hours of programming. • How can the issue be brought back to participants’ home communities? How is your project relevant to the NHC community? • What resources/knowledge/skills do you bring to this project that will make it effective? • What is your experience or background (professional or volunteer) with the social justice issue your project will address? • Give an example of a successful social justice project you have worked on and describe your role was in helping make it successful.

NEW: Mishpacha Groups Mishpacha groups are small groups that meet several times during the Institute to discuss participants’ experiences and feelings as the week progresses. Guided by a facilitator, participants have the opportunity to connect in a safe and intimate group with the same people throughout the week. If you are interested, you may sign up for a randomly assigned group, or for a special interest group on the registration form. We ask that everyone who signs up commits to attending all meetings of their mishpacha group.

Franklin Pierce University Franklin Pierce University is located among the beautiful forests, lakes, and mountains of southern New Hampshire. The campus features ample conference facilities with free internet access, a variety of comfortable housing choices, and a fitness center. Mt. Monadnock and the White Mountains overlook the grounds, which also contains walking trails and a lake for swimming and boating.

Course Descriptions MORNING COURSES M-1 Translating Text Into Textile

Heather G. Stoltz, Poretsky Artist in Residence

Discover a new way of looking at texts and learn how to express yourself in fabric. Using text and speech as inspiration, students will design and create a small art quilt while learning different sewing and quilting methods. In this way, we will find the power of turning words into a physical creation which speaks to others. No sewing or quilting experience is necessary.

Poretsky Artist in Residence

Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.

person). We will work with primary Breslov texts and see how they can function in our lives as individual Jews. Some familiarity with any chassidic text OR ability to read Hebrew will be helpful. Translations will be provided. Spiritual and Religious Life; Advanced Text

Born and raised in New York, Ozer Bergman made aliyah to Israel in the 1970s and has been living there as a Breslover ever since. A philosophy major turned chassid, he has translated, edited, and authored over a dozen works of Rebbe Nachman’s teachings and writes a weekly dvar Torah for the Breslov Research Institute (www.breslov.org). He has taught and lectured around the world. He teaches at The Bat Ayin Yeshiva and gives private instruction at his home. M-5 Playing with White Fire

Mitchell Chefitz

Heather G. Stoltz is a fiber artist who discovered her passion for sewing the stories of Biblical women when studying for a Master’s Degree in Jewish Women’s Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Heather’s work has been shown at various venues, including the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX and JOFA’s 10th Anniversary International Conference and has been published in Creative Quilting: The Journal Quilt Project and Zeek Magazine. To view Heather’s work, visit www.sewingstories.com. M-3 Applied Breslov Chassidut: From Page to Practice

Ozer Bergman

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov is among the most popular chassidic masters. Why? Are his teachings warm and fuzzy cliches, or real-life suggestions for real live people? Ozer, a Breslover since the 1970s, will share his intimate, humorous, iconoclastic (sans Orthodox apologetics) take on attitudes and practices recommended by Rebbe Nachman for dealing with life; studying Torah and praying; “The Big Three: Eating, Sex, and Money”; and the tzaddik (righteous

Tradition teaches the Torah was written in letters of black fire on a background of white fire. The black letters were those that passed through Moses 2,500 years ago. As Torah expands, the space between the letters – the white fire – becomes greater and greater. If we immerse ourselves in that white fire, our selves boil away, and we can discover there new Midrash, new stories, and learn how to bring them to the surface. The format will be text study, meditative work, and story sharing through the four worlds of experience. The instructor will provide text for the first session, and then build each session out of the last. Best to have at least an elementary understanding of the Jewish spiritual framework. The instructor can recommend reading for those who think they might not be prepared.

downplayed, yet these writings constitute an engagement with Judaism that offers perhaps the earliest (pre)figuration of a postmodern Jewish identity. In this course, we will study several of Kafka’s key texts with an eye toward not only understanding him as a profoundly Jewish writer but, more importantly, as a paradigm for understanding ourselves as Jews living in a still emerging postmodern condition. Arts and Literature, Contemporary Issues

James S. Diamond taught at last year’s Havurah Institute and felt like a duck in water. He teaches in the Program in Judaic Studies at Princeton University and is the author of the forthcoming book Stringing the Pearls: How to Read the Weekly Torah Portion (JPS 2008.) M-9 Israel at Sixty: Forty-One Years as an Occupier, 1967-2008

Harold Gorvine

A consideration of Israel’s post-1967 occupation of the West Bank and Gaza: the origins of the settlements, and the effects of the occupation on the occupied, the occupiers, and American Jews. We will also delve into the roots of the occupation in secular and religious Zionism. We will use both primary and secondary sources, and we will engage in hevruta (one-on-one) study. History and Culture

Harold Gorvine was honored in June 2001 by the Alumni Association of Akiba Hebrew Academy (suburban Philadelphia) for 35 years of be-

Arts and Literature; Spirituality and Religious Life

Mitch Chefitz is the author of two novels and a collection of stories written around a core of Jewish spirituality. He’s currently Scholar in Residence at Temple Israel of Greater Miami. M-7 Franz Kafka: A Jew for Our Time

James S. Diamond

The Jewish foundation of Franz Kafka’s extraordinary stories and parables is often 

Course Descriptions continued ing an outstanding teacher of history and Jewish studies. This is his 10th Havurah Institute. M-11 Joseph’s Multi-Colored Hellenistic Coat

Aaron Kachuck

Joseph, the man with a many-colored coat, also wore the variegated garments of multiculturalism. It was therefore natural that those Jews who flourished in Hellenistic Egypt (~300 BCE-100 CE) saw Joseph as a prototype for their own cosmopolitan community dedicated both to Greek modernity and Jewish tradition. Through Greek “midrash,” we will explore the Hellenistic, and our own, struggle with the Joseph story. Sources will include Genesis, Philo, Josephus, and Joseph and Aseneth, a JewishGreek story (~200 BCE-100 CE) of chariot chases, romance, and palace intrigue. Come explore these strange and wonderful texts! Readings will be in Hebrew and Greek, with translations provided. Intermediate Text

Aaron Kachuck is currently the Mellon Fellow at Clare College, University of Cambridge, in the Faculty of Classics. His research interests include comparative epic poetry, religion and atheism in ancient Greece, and Hellenistic Judaism. He is a co-founder of Minyan Urim, an inclusive prayer group at Yale University, and was also the founder of the Jump and Jive Minyan at Adat Ari El Synagogue in Los Angeles. M-13 The Essential Prayer: A Deep Investigation into the Amidah

Elie Kaunfer

Together we will explore the Biblical and rabbinic sources of the various blessings of the Amidah to understand why this is THE prayer of rabbinic literature. How do the non-verbal elements relate to the experience of this prayer? How do the stories behind the creation of the Amidah help us discover new meaning in the liturgy? How does the Biblical context inform our textured understanding of the words? All texts will be in Hebrew and English, although it is aimed for people who can navigate some Hebrew texts. Text For Everyone

Elie Kaunfer is executive director of Mechon Hadar: An Institute for Prayer, Personal 

Growth, and Jewish Study (www.mechonhadar.org) - the first full-time egalitarian yeshiva program in the United States. Elie is director of Yeshivat Hadar (www.yeshivathadar.org), a yeshiva in New York that offers generous stipends to students looking to engage in intensive Jewish study. A Wexner Graduate Fellow, Elie completed ordination and an MA in liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is working on a doctorate in liturgy. The Forward Newspaper named him one of 50 Top Jewish Leaders. M-15 A Daf a Day for 18 Years: Deconstructing the Encyclopedia Judaica

Bill Kavesh and Solomon Mowshowitz

What has kept the Jewish people going all these years? Spiritual creativity? Ancestor worship? Devotion to text? Stubbornness? After 18 years, we share hitherto undisclosed secrets of Jewish survival gleaned from a close reading of the (allegedly) greatest compendium of Jewish knowledge since the Talmud, the Encyclopedia Judaica (EJ). Explore biographies of mystics, scoffers and others; descriptions of far-flung communities; literature; mysticism; art; religious ideas; Zionism; and miscellaneous oddities. Each day, we examine a few categories for content and EJ editorial quirks; then visit some of the more horrifying, hilarious, or otherwise fascinating entries. Share the experience of slogging through it for 18 years,

and why life after the EJ seems empty and meaningless. Text For Everyone, Suitable for Families

William Kavesh and Solomon Mowshowitz, longtime havurahniks, hope to complete their hevruta (one-on-one) study of the Encyclopedia Judaica this year at the Havurah Institute, after reading a Daf (folio page) each day since 1988. M-17 Welcoming the Homeless Stranger — How a Mitzvah is Rooted in Our Stories

Herb Levine

Welcoming the stranger is at the heart of the biblical story (think of Abraham, Rebecca, Boaz) and therefore at the heart of Judaism. This course explores the textual basis for the mitzvah of welcoming the stranger in both biblical narrative and law, as elaborated in Talmudic legend and Maimonides’ code of Jewish law. The interpenetration of story and religious practice (aggada and halachah) in these texts will give us a basis for connecting them to issues of who are the strangers and poor people in U.S. society most in need of our hospitality and advocacy. All texts will be translated, with originals available. Contemporary Issues

Herb Levine is Executive Director of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, Lawrenceville, NJ, and a past chair of the NHC. He has taught at six previous Havurah Institutes.

Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.

M-19 The Unfinished Revolution: Jewish Feminism in a “Post-Feminist” Age

Judith Plaskow and Martha Ackelsberg

What issues do feminists still need to address in this supposedly post-feminist age? The course will begin by taking stock of what Jewish feminists have and have not accomplished over the past forty years and will end by seeking to map some future directions. We will explore challenges to the gender binary and their implications for Jewish life, look at the problem of work/life balance, and discuss the potential contributions of Jewish feminists to broader issues of social justice. Contemporary Issues

Judith Plaskow and Martha Ackelsberg are long-time Jewish feminist activists who are members of Havurat Ha-Emek in Northampton, MA. Judith is professor of religious studies at Manhattan College and author of Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective. Martha is professor of Government and the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College and a founder of Ezrat Nashim and B’not Esh. They are both included in the new encyclopedia, Feminists Who Changed America. M-21 Words and Worlds of Two Prophets: Isaiah and Mohammad

Dawn Rose

A respectful introduction to Mohammad and the Koran by way of an enlightening comparison with our own prophet Isaiah and his works. During historical times of great bloodshed, both of these prophets articulated revolutionary notions of good and evil. Both understood the task of the prophet as impacting social, political, and economic spheres. Both offer visions of a world redeemed. This class, geared for discussion, will reveal differences as well as similarities which are fascinating and deeply meaningful. All texts will be in English. Participants should purchase an inexpensive volume of the Koran, The Qur’an (Oxford World’s Classics) paperback, 2004. History and Culture

Dawn Rose is rabbi of the Norwich Jewish Center in New York. With a doctorate in Jewish

Philosophy, she has published many articles and chapters and is currently working on a book dealing with struggles around religious fundamentalism in the U.S. and Israel. M-23 What is Rosh Hashanah All About?

Joe Rosenstein

Is it simply a prelude to Yom Kippur, or does the beginning of a new year have a separate existence and meaning? Is it a time for repentance or a time for celebrating our new year and the birthday of the universe? And what are the spiritual implications of these questions? In this course, we will explore, through study, discussion, and guided meditation, the themes of the Rosh Hashanah liturgy, how their authors and later commentators understood these themes, and how these themes might be reflected in our own observance of Rosh Hashanah. Translations of all texts will be provided. Spirituality and Religious Life

Joe Rosenstein is a founder and former chair of the NHC and of the Havurah Institute. He is the author of Siddur Eit Ratzon (www. newsiddur.org) and a member of the Highland Park (NJ) Minyan. In real life, he is a professor of mathematics at Rutgers University focused on K-12 mathematics education. He and his wife Judy are blessed with five daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren. M-25 Speaking the World into Being: Jewish Ethics of What We Say and How We Say It

Regina Sandler-Phillips

Is what comes out of your mouth as important to you as what goes into it? Unethical speech is considered equivalent to murder in Jewish thought, but it runs rampant through Jewish life—and everyone thinks it’s someone else’s problem. What’s a Jew to do? We’ll help each other move from studies to solutions with a toolkit of Biblical and rabbinic teachings, modern guidance, experiential exercises, and motivational melodies—and special consideration of our choices regarding electronic commu-

nications and the news media. If you are someone who “desires life,” join us and help build the Jewish ethical speech movement! Spirituality and Religious Life, Intermediate Text

Regina Sandler-Phillips is rabbi of the Free Synagogue of Flushing, New York, and the founding chair of the 70-member hevra kadisha (sacred Jewish burial fellowship) at Park Slope Jewish Center in Brooklyn. She has served as a chaplain, educator, and “singer provocateur” in a variety of settings in Israel and the U.S., including the NYC disaster relief efforts following September 11, 2001. Regina believes that we teach what we most need to learn, and has done both at many previous Havurah Institutes. M-27 Rabbinic Rules for Radicals

Ari Weisbard

So you say you want a revolution? We all want to change the world. In this class, we will study how. We will delve into the practical lessons of Jewish tradition, from Talmudic texts to Saul Alinsky. What do our texts teach us about how to promote effective change in the world? By unlocking the nature of powerful institutions, community organizing and leadership, and the truly “radical” actions in Jewish history, we can become better organizers, activists, and community leaders. All course materials will be in English, with original languages available to supplement the discussion when appropriate. Ari Weisbard is in his final year at Yale Law School. His radical experiences include participating in a three-week sit-in to win a 

Course Descriptions continued living wage at Harvard, organizing political campaigns, and working for The Nation magazine and the Brennan Center for Social Justice at NYU. His rabbinic experience includes being a younger brother to Rabbi Talya Weisbard Shalem (which could also be listed under his radicalizing experiences) and being raised as a Havurah Jew.

AFTERNOON COURSES A-2 Storytelling, Diaspora, and Survival

S. Bear Bergman, Poretsky Artist in Residence Jewish storytelling has created a uniting thread, binding Jews together across time, distance, joy and despair. In this course, we will foster storytelling skills in a fresh new batch of storytellers. We will look at stories everywhere, Talmud to Haggadah to Megillah to Chelm, on stage and in song, and appreciate what gives a story the blood and breath to outlive the original creator. Once we have some theories, we’ll test them by composing and retelling more modern Jewish stories, practice performing them, and record them to share across and outside the Institute. No prior performance experience is required. Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours)

Poretsky Artist in Residence

tity. Hir publications include Butch Is A Noun (Suspect Thoughts Press, 2006), essays on queer and Jewish culture, and a chapter of the LGBT Inclusion Guide for Hillel. Ze performs widely and facilitates workshops about the parallels between Jewish and LGBTQ communities in diaspora. Bergman serves on the board of NUJLS (The National Union of LGBTQ Students), and works with Hillels across North America on LGBT student concerns. A-4 The Art and Spirit of Prayer Leading

Julia Appel

Where does our own connection to God fit in when we’re aiding the connection of others? How do we elevate our prayer experience and that of our communities? We will improve our own understanding of prayer leading by exploring central Jewish approaches, in texts from the Talmud to Chassidism to contemporary thinkers. Together, we will hone our use of tone and words to facilitate prayer experience of clear, directed intention. Topics include prayer’s purpose, cultivating koved rosh (concentration), kevah, and kavanah (structure and intentionality), and raising up others’ prayers. English translations provided, but text will be discussed in the original Hebrew. Prerequisites: Experience prayer leading (any setting). Familiarity with service structure and basic Hebrew comprehension. Intermediate Text; Spirituality and Religious Life

Having prayed and led services with havurot, shabbatons, and congregations across the Northeast, Julia Appel currently develops her tefilah (prayer) skills with Rabbi Ebn Leader at Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Newton, MA, where she enters her third year this fall. This is her sixth Havurah Institute. A-6 Controversy for the Sake of Heaven: Facilitating constructive dialogue across political differences about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other controversial issues Artist, activist, storyteller and scholar S. Bear Bergman is the author and performer of three plays about the intersections between and among gender, sexuality, and Jewish iden

Mitch Chanin

This course will teach you to organize and facilitate dialogue sessions that help people: • talk across political differences in ways

that promote mutual understanding • reflect on their own ideas, feelings, questions, and dilemmas • seek ethical and effective ways to respond to the conflict You will experience an actual dialogue session; discuss the theory behind it; explore Jewish texts and traditions that support the practice of dialogue; and practice facilitating. Visit www.jewishdialogue.org to read more about our approach. Contemporary Issues Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours)

Mitch Chanin is the Executive Director of the Jewish Dialogue Group (JDG) and helped to found the organization in Fall 2001. He has facilitated nearly 100 dialogue sessions in synagogues, colleges, schools, and other venues around the Philadelphia area and New York, and has trained facilitators for the past four years. He is co-author of the JDG/Public Conversations Project guidebook Constructive Conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, and the JDG’s booklet Dialogue in the Jewish Tradition. A-8 Law and The Law

Stephen Eisdorfer

Among its first decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling fining a Jew for refusing to testify on Shabbos. In this course, we will consider opinions by American courts from 1793 to the present as emblematic tales of the changing attitudes of mainstream American society toward Jews and vice versa. Through group text study of court opinions – such as those featuring The War of the Butchers, The Rabbi with a Secret Past, The Jewish “Bleak House,” and The Eruv Hated by the Jews – we will explore the historical, cultural, and religious issues illuminated by these tales.

Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.

History and Culture, Advanced Text

Stephen Eisdorfer is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a practicing lawyer. Among other activities, he represents Jewish organizations and public entities in land use cases involving synagogues, day schools, yeshivas, etc. He is a longtime member of the Highland Park Minyan. A-10 The Soul’s Search for Meaning—Creating a Personal Theology

Shelly Fredman

Our lives are a tapestry of luminous moments—if only we could see it that way. Join us as we look into some of Judaism’s most stirring and important texts, writing our way in, through and around them. Writing into a text allows us all, those with a willingness to write and those who consider themselves non-writers, to explore writing as a form of meditation or prayer. Taking text as our inspiration, we will look into issues of Sacred Time, Sacred Space, and the path to Holiness, and begin to craft a vision of the Sacred Life. Arts and Literature, Spirituality and Religious Life

Hebrew/English Tanach. The instructor will provide supporting texts. Bob Freedman began his Jewish professional life as a cantor, then returned to school and obtained rabbinical ordination. After serving a congregation in Manchester, VT, for seven years, he moved with his wife, Sally, to Princeton, NJ, to enjoy the intellectual and social delights of that fair burg. He has attended and taught at Havurah Institutes since 1996. A-14 What is Oral about “Oral Torah”?

Bob Goldenberg

The idea of “oral Torah” (Torah she-b’al-peh) has been central to the rabbinic tradition since ancient times. What did that idea really mean? How did orality shape the Jewish tradition, and how did that tradition shape Jewish speech? The course will examine a set of texts that shed light on these questions: we’ll discuss the texts in English (of course!), but study them in the original languages. Ability to handle rabbinic texts in the original will be extremely helpful; we’ll translate the texts as we go, but printed translations will not be distributed in advance. Advanced Text; History and Culture

Shelly R. Fredman teaches writing at Barnard College and the “Writer’s Beit Midrash: Creative Non-Fiction” at The Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple EmanuEl. She received an MFA from Washington University. Her work has appeared in Best Jewish Writing 2002, Lilith, and a number of anthologies and literary magazines. A-12 What Words Can Do!

Bob Freedman

“God spoke and the world was created”– you think it only happened once? Breshit (Genesis) records four creations initiated by Divine speech; more creation accounts appear in Tanach and Midrash. But who is speaking? Were not the words written by humans to describe essentially unknowable events? We’ll explore texts, using hevruta (one-on-one) study to reflect the partnership that brings together Divine and human creativity. This beit midrash (house of study) style class is designed to satisfy advanced text learners and those who want to improve their skill. Knowledge of Hebrew is helpful but not required. Please bring a

Robert Goldenberg teaches Judaic Studies at Stony Brook University. He was chair of the NHC from 1985-1987 and attended about a dozen Havurah Institutes from the beginning till 1997; then circumstances kept him away, but now he’s back.

A-16 Infinity and God

Matthew Goldfield

“[One] who wishes to attain human perfection should study Logic first, next Mathematics, then Physics, and lastly Metaphysics.” — Maimonides

We are taught that God is infinite, yet hearing the words “ein sof” (without end) may not help us understand the grandeur of God, since imagining anything without an end is a difficult task. We will compare a conception of infinity born from the theory of Jewish mathematician (and father of modern set theory) Georg Cantor, including the ideas of “larger and smaller infinities,” with Jewish conceptions of infinity and God to help us glimpse worlds without end. In this course, we explore an area where Torah and science combine particularly beautifully. No prior math knowledge/skills required, only an open mind! Spirituality and Religious Life

Matthew Goldfield is a doctoral student in Computer Science at Brandeis University. He enjoys playing lots of different kinds of music on different instruments. He has been attending the Havurah Institute since he was 15. A-18 It Goes Without Saying: Power, Passivity, and Social Change

Jill Jacobs and Guy Izhak Austrian

Words create worlds. But what does silence create? In many of our personal, professional, communal, and societal interactions, power is the unspoken dynamic that creates, destroys, and maintains worlds. In this class, we will examine traditional sources and contemporary Jewish perspectives about power. We will consider our attitudes toward Jewish power, think about the ways in which power operates, and share some techniques for using power responsibly for social justice. Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with and prior exposure to Talmud and Midrash; basic knowledge of American Jewish history. All traditional texts will be accompanied by English translations. Intermediate Text, Contemporary Issues

Jill Jacobs is the Rabbi-in-Residence for the Jewish Funds for Justice. Her writings on Judaism and economic/social justice have appeared in more than two dozen magazines, journals, and websites, and she has spoken and 

Course Descriptions continued served as a scholar in residence at synagogues, schools, and campuses throughout the country. Guy Izhak Austrian works as Director of Social Action/Social Justice at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York City. He has four years of experience as a professional community organizer, beginning in Chicago at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. In Chicago, he led skills trainings across the metro area for synagogue social action committees, while also building a coalition of Jews and Muslims to stand against bias crimes and to advocate for civil rights legislation. A-20 Line, Color, Form: The Shape of Torah and the Kabbalah of Color

Eleni Litt

What color was the first light of creation? What is the shape of loving-kindness? What did it look like when Hashem spoke and the world came into being? Even as Jews are known as “the people of the book,” there is a Jewish tradition of image making that is stimulated by contemplating texts. In this class, we will do close text study of some key texts from Genesis (and related commentaries) and explore our own visual interpretations of these texts. Along the way, we’ll also look at art that shows how other artists wrestled with the same issues. Each day includes text study, consideration of images, and studio time. Arts and Literature. Spirituality and Religious Life

Eleni Litt is a visual artist (with a Certificate in Fine Arts from Parsons The New School for Design) and an independent scholar (with a PhD in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics), combining her interests in art history, anthropology, and Jewish Studies with painting and drawing. She is a long-time Havurah teacher, having taught on a variety of Jewish practices and texts. She lives in Princeton, NJ, and works at The New School in New York City. A-22 Beyond the Binary: the “Other” Genders in the Mishna and Contemporary Judaism

Benjamin Maron

Contrary to Genesis, wherein we find that “male and female created He them” (1:27), rabbis of ancient Judaism recognized many more genders than this binary suggests. 10

Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.

There is male and female, and also people who have qualities of both, or neither, genders. The rabbis had to decide how othergendered people would fit into a religion and society that had fairly rigid gender roles. Reading Mishna and tshuvot (responsa), we will learn about the halachic (legal) obligations and exemptions applied to transgender and intersex Jews, then write our own responsa. Texts provided will be in English or Hebrew with English translation. Contemporary Issues

Benjamin Maron is currently living a nomadic life, centering around studying, politics, and activism. In previous Canadian homesteads, he’s been active in leading traditional egalitarian minyans, organizing Jewish-Muslim interfaith groups, and running informal learning classes for Jewish youth. A-24 Diversity and Rupture: The “Parting of the Ways” between Judaism and Christianity

Adele Reinhartz

While much of the early relationship between Judaism and Christianity is shrouded in mystery, two facts are certain: 1) Jesus and his earliest followers were Jewish and considered themselves part of the larger Jewish nation and community. 2) After Christianity separated from Judaism, Christians viewed themselves as being outside the Jewish nation and community. We will consider the factors and historical circumstances under which such rupture occurs, the impact of separation, not only on Christianity, but also on Judaism, and the development of Jewish identity down to the present day. All readings will be in English. Adele Reinhartz is Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, in Canada, and a longtime participant and teacher at the Havurah Institute. Her main areas of research are the Gospel of John, early Jewish-Christian relations, feminist criticism, and the Bible and Film. She is author of numerous articles and several books in these areas, the most recent being Jesus of Hollywood (Oxford, 2007), a study of the Jesus movies. She is currently completing a book on Caiaphas the High Priest, and working on the “Parting of the Ways” between early Judaism and Christianity.

A-26 The Vagina Monologues Meet the Talmud

Aviva Richman

This course is a textual fusion. Eve Ensler’s twentieth century script, The Vagina Monologues, crashes into a page of Talmud and we’re left sorting out the debris. What can these two very different genres teach each other? And together, what do they teach us about ways to understand, articulate, and communicate our most intimate selves? We will use the styles and contents of both genres, to reflect on issues such as privacy, body image, power dynamics in relationships, and celebration. The course is open to all genders. Intermediate Text, Contemporary Issues

This summer will be Aviva Richman’s sixteenth year at the Havurah Institute. She has studied Talmud in a women’s yeshiva in Jerusalem and majored in Chemistry and Jewish Studies at Oberlin College. She is currently in the Advanced Scholars program at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. A-28 Do We Mourn for the Dead, or for the Living? The Case of Suicide in Halacha

Micha’el Rosenberg

In classical Jewish law, one is forbidden from mourning for someone who committed suicide. However, this seemingly straightforward law does not go unchallenged or unchanged. In this advanced course, we will study Jewish legal texts on this topic, focusing on post-Talmudic materials, examining them from legal, psychological, and sociological perspectives, and always asking: What value does this text express? All texts will be studied in the original (translations will not be provided) with the use of wordlists. Contemporary Issues, Advanced Text

Micha’el Rosenberg is a doctoral student in Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). In 2006, he passed with honors the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s exam in the laws of mourning. He has taught in a variety of settings, including at Drisha, JTS, and the Northwoods Kollel and Beit Midrash of Ramah Wisconsin.

Accessibility Almost all buildings on the Franklin Pierce campus are wheelchair-accessible. Accessible accommodations close to the classroom buildings and dining hall are available upon request. If you are physically disabled, please let us know when you register so we can make sure that your classes and housing are in accessible buildings. Some participants who have difficulty walking around campus drive between buildings by car and others use the golf carts available for a small fee, subsidized by the NHC. Accessibility tours will be offered the first day of the Institute and as needed for Shabbat guests.

Food Each day features three delicious, kosher, vegetarian meals and plenty of evening snacks. There are always pareve/vegan options and an abundance of healthy, tasty choices. The kitchen and dining hall are under the strict supervision of a mashgiach (supervisor), who also participates in the Institute. If you have special food needs or food allergies/sensitivities, please help us meet your needs by letting us know on the registration form and providing a detailed explanation by June 15. Please call the NHC office for more information.

Housing

special mobility needs. Each suite has six bedrooms with two twin beds per room, one bathroom with three showers and sinks, a living room, and a kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave oven. Suites are generally designated for families with children under the age of 10 (to facilitate babysitting) and people with special mobility needs. The apartments are located near the suites. Each apartment has two bedrooms with two twin beds per room, 1.5 baths, a living room, and a kitchen with refrigerator, stove, and dining area. The apartments do not have air-conditioning; however, the mountain climate usually makes air-conditioning unnecessary at night. The townhouses are next to the lake, a 7 to 10 minute walk to the dining hall and classrooms. There is a wheelchair-accessible studio apartment on the first floor, while the second and third floors each contain three bedrooms with two twin beds each, three full bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room area. The townhouses are air-conditioned.

Four comfortable, modern housing options are available. All accommodations have parking, washing machines, and dryers nearby. Please indicate your housing preference on the registration form.

Young adults and teens are housed in traditional dormitories with two beds per room and a communal bathroom. Dormitory rooms do not have air conditioning.

The suites in the center of campus are airconditioned and accessible to those with

Anyone who lives or is staying near the campus can participate at a reduced cost by

Commuting and Camping

registering as a commuter. Commuter registration includes all meals and full participation in all programs. There are numerous campsites nearby if you would like to take advantage of our commuter rate.

Transportation and Timing Franklin Pierce University 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. The closest airports are in Manchester, NH and Boston, MA. Ride-share arrangements will be provided once you register. On Monday, August 11, check-in starts at 1:30pm, programming at 3:45, dinner that evening, and courses begin on Tuesday morning. The closing program on Sunday, August 17, ends around 10:30am and the Institute concludes at 11:30am.

NEW! Scholarships and Travel Grants The NHC strives to make the Summer Institute accessible to all who want to participate. Toward this end, the NHC is very excited to announce a new scholarship program this year, subsidizing Institute registration/travel with the goal that no one will be unable to participate in the Institute for financial reasons. To apply for a scholarship, just follow the directions on the registration form and indicate the amount of the full registration fees that you are able to pay to come to the Institute. The application deadline for the first round of support is May 1, after which point support will be distributed on a rolling basis, dependent on available funds. In order to make this new system work, the NHC is asking applicants to assess their own ability to pay as honestly and accurately as 11

possible. The NHC recognizes that financial matters can be very sensitive, and pledges that each applicant’s financial information will remain confidential, shared only with the members of the scholarship committee. If you can afford to pay the full price of Institute, please do so. If you can’t afford the full price, please pay as much as you can. And if you are able to make a tax-deductible contribution toward the scholarship fund, please do that, too, so that everyone who wants to attend has the opportunity to do so. Please include a deposit of at least $300 per person, send in your registration form by May 1, and email the following to: [email protected]. 1) How much your NHC Summer Institute registration fees would be at full rates and how much of this you (and your family, if applicable) can afford to pay. 2) Any additional details or circumstances you feel are relevant, including the cost of travel, if applicable. Shortly after May 1, you will be informed whether your application has been approved. All balances are due by June 1. The deposit is completely refundable if your request is not approved and you are unable to afford to attend. Some additional support may be available after May 1, but this will depend on the availability of funds. It may be possible to secure financial help to attend the Institute from other sources. 12

Some participants who belong to a synagogue have secured assistance from their rabbi’s discretionary fund, some Jewish educators have received help to attend as a form of professional development, and some college students have obtained financial help from Hillel or chaplain conference funds. Residents of Western Massachusetts should check out the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (www.hgf.org) for scholarship funds. Jewish federations may have similar funds for children’s participation in Kids Camp. Before concluding that you can’t afford to join us, research your resources — and ask!

Work-Study Assistance A limited number of work-study positions are available in one of three areas: the Institute office, the children’s camp, or kashrut supervision. In exchange for at least 14 hours of work over the course of the week, participants can attend the Institute for $400 plus NHC dues and participate fully in the rest of the program. 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 30, 2008.

NHC Online Check out the NHC’s website at www. havurah.org for latebreaking Institute information and updates on courses and programs. All Institute registrants are automatically subscribed to nhc-announce, a low volume email list for announcements from the NHC related to its programs. The NHC also offers

two online discussion groups: nhc-havurah, for NHC and havurah-related issues, and nhc-discuss, an open discussion forum on topics of interest to members of the NHC community.

Cancellation Policy and Insurance Cancellation insurance enables you to receive a partial refund in the event that you must cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. Register by April 1 for free Cancellation Insurance or pay after April 1 for Cancellation Insurance at a rate of 5% of your total Institute fees. If you have cancellation insurance and must cancel on or before August 1, you will receive a refund of your Institute fees minus a $35 administrative fee per person. If you cancel after August 1, you will receive a refund of your Institute fees minus a $300 administrative fee per person. If you do not purchase cancellation insurance at the time that you register, and need to cancel, refunds will be allocated as follows: • Cancel on or before May 31: Institute fees refunded minus a $75 administrative fee per person. • Cancel between June 1 and July 13: Institute fees refunded minus a $150 administrative fee per person. • Cancel between July 24 and July 31: Institute fees refunded minus a $225 administrative fee per person. • Cancel on or after August 1, “no show” on site, or leave early — No fees refunded. Supplemental fees for services arranged by the NHC (housing, golf-cart, and babysitting) will be refunded in full only if the NHC can cancel them without incurring a penalty. Membership dues are non-refundable and tax deductible. Administrative fees retained by the NHC may be considered a tax-deductible contribution.

REGISTRATION FORM REGISTER ONLINE at www.havurah.org/register to be entered into a raffle for this year’s Institute t-shirt! At $800 for adults, the Summer Institute is priced well below other week-long Jewish retreats across the country. (It’s also a great value when you consider what seven days away plus all meals and activities would cost on a typical summer vacation!) However, we know that cost puts the Institute out of reach for some, so we make sure there are options for scholarship assistance, work-study, and deeply subsidized rates for children. All of these options are made possible through the generosity of our donors. If you would like to enable others to experience the Institute by making an additional tax-deductible contribution with your registration, it would be greatly appreciated. See the end of the registration form.

Who will be attending? (please print)



Adult #1

Name Age

Gender

Occupation

Day Phone

($40 per adult or $80 per household)

Fee Schedule

Eve Phone

E-mail*

Adult Resident

$800

$825

Address

^Adult Commuter

$600

$625

Children (6 months to 12 years)

State

Zip

Name Age

Gender

Occupation

Day Phone

Eve Phone

E-mail* Address ❏ (Same as above) City State

Zip

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

In order to save trees and money, would you prefer to receive all NHC communications via email? Y / N

Children/Teens Attending Institute*

Thank you to the Albin Family Foundation for helping to keep our rates low for children

Child #1

$200

$225

Child #2

$175

$200

Child #3

$150

$175

Prepaid Babysitting, per child (age 10 & under, 6 nights)

$60

$80

+Shabbat-Only Adult

$267

$292

+Shabbat-Only Child (6 months to 12 years)

$89

$114

Single-room, shared bath

$125

Single-room, Private bath, air conditioning

$150

Private apartment, 2 bedrooms

$250

Private townhouse, 3 bedrooms, air conditioning

$300

Private-use golf cart

$250

#1 Name

Age

Grade

Gender

#2 Name

Age

Grade

Gender



#3 Name

Age

Grade

Gender

Optional cancellation insurance (Multiply subtotal above by .05)

*Indicate age as of August and the grade the child will be entering in September. Please note if your child receives special assistance at school or elsewhere so we can help you plan for your child’s needs.

Subtotal Fees Above

Optional t-shirt/merchandise orders (Total from next page)

If you would like to participate in the Parent buddy system (see page 3), check here. ❏

If you would like to enable others to experience the Institute by making an additional tax-deductible contribution, please indicate the amount here

Class Preferences



Total Amount Due

List three class choices per session, in order of preference. List each course by its number (e.g.,M-3,A-2).Classes are filled in order of postmark; you are assigned to your highest preference course that is open.



I am applying for a scholarship and can pay



Amount Enclosed



$ DUE

*NHC membership dues

City

Adult #2

before after How June 15 June 15 Many

Adult #1 Classes

Morning

Afternoon

Adult #2 Classes

Morning

Afternoon

1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice

Financial Assistance ❏ Applying for Everett Fellowship or Hollander Scholarship (See page 4 for application information) ❏ Applying for a scholarship (See page 11 for additional infomation you need to send. Your registration will be held until May 1.) ❏ Interested in a work-study position (See www.havurah.org for work-study job descriptions and contact office before applying.)

(Through 6/15, minimum of 50%of total. After 6/15, enclose total due.)

PLEASE REGISTER EARLY Your registration implies that you have read and agreed to the financial terms stated in this brochure. If you live outside the U.S., please pay 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]

BALANCE DUE BY JUNE 15

*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

The NHC operates on the principle that everyone has something to contribute. All adult and teen participants are asked to volunteer a few hours during the Institute. Please indicate where each person would like to serve.

All of our housing is double occupancy (unless you pay for a single). If you register with another person, we will house you together, unless you indicate otherwise. If you have mobility concerns that impact the distance you can walk, please give us a call so we can best accommodate your needs. If you are attending with children, we will house you in the suites to facilitate evening babysitting. If you are a teen or young adult, we will house you in the dormitories. Otherwise, please indicate your housing preference:



Adult #1 Adult #2 Teen #1 Teen #2

Registration/Checkout Sales table/Fundraising/Shuk Errands Shabbat preparation Mentor a first-timer Set up and cleanup for programs Assist someone with special needs Anywhere needed

Lead Services (July 6 Deadline) Please volunteer to lead a service, either during the week or on Shabbat! Tell us which service or part of a service (e.g., weekday morning) and in what style (e.g.,musical, havurah, traditional egalitarian, meditative, feminist, movement, four worlds, or something else). Also let us know if you’d like to read Torah or Haftarah or give a d’var Torah.

❏ townhouses near lake (air-conditioned), or ❏ main campus apartments (not air-conditioned) We will make our best effort to accommodate you. Do you or your children have a roommate or suitemate request? _________________________________________________________________ Would you like your teen roomed with your family ❏ or roomed with the teens ❏? Do you use electricity on Shabbat? Y / N If yes, are you willing to accommodate roommates who do not? Y / N

Permission to be Photographed

Propose a Workshop (first come, first served) Everyone is encouraged to lead a workshop! List your topic here and, by July 5, e-mail [email protected] with a brief description of your workshop and a short bio. For examples of last year’s workshops see our website.

Topic:

Tell Us About Yourself Is this your first Institute? Y / N If No, how many Institutes have you been to? ____ What year did you last join us? ________ How did you hear about the Summer Institute?

Do you participate in a havurah, minyan, congregation and/or Jewish school? Please provide its name and location:

We serve kosher vegetarian meals with vegan options and we plan to serve Fair Trade Certified coffee and tea. If you need any special food or other arrangements, please attach a note with specific information.

Mishpacha Group Sign-Up (Optional) Mishpacha groups are small groups that meet several times during the Institute as a way to connect with other people and discuss our experiences and feelings. See page 4 for details. If you are interested and coming for the whole week, rank your first and second choice of the options below: __ General group (randomly assigned) __ Women’s group - Open to all self-identified women __ Men’s group - Open to all self-identified men __ Working with Halacha - Exploring our relationship to Jewish law __ Sexuality & gender interest group __ First-time Institute attendees __ Other:_________________

In submitting this registration form, I hereby grant permission for my image 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 website. I further waive rights of compensation or ownership.

Affirmation of Drug/Alcohol Policy Franklin Pierce College is, according to Federal law, a drug-free zone. By submitting this form, I affirm that I will not use or possess illegal drugs while at the College. If I am under the age of 21, I will also obey federal law prohibiting the consumption of alcohol. Consequences of violating this policy are extremely serious, as violations would impact the NHC community as a whole and future Summer Institutes.

Cancellation Policy and Cancellation Insurance (See page 12 for information.) ❏ I want cancellation insurance and am including 5% of my fees (include payment) ❏ I am declining cancellation insurance and have read the policy

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

❏ Visa

❏ MasterCard

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

T-shirts / Merchandise Subform Pre-order National Havurah Committee merchandise, such as the annual t-shirt and new items – tank tops and hoodies! Order in advance to ensure that we do not run out of the sizes and styles you want. Plus the pre-order prices below are $5 less per item than the at-Institute price! Even if you do not wish to order in advance, please indicate the sizes and styles in which you would be interested, so we can be sure to order enough. All apparel will be 100% organic cotton and sweat-free. We anticipate ordering from www.nosweatapparel.com, so you can visit their site to check sizing. This year’s T-shirts will be blue, screen-printed in white. Tank tops will be white or cream. Hoodies will be gray or navy, with the Institute logo screen-printed in white on the back. Item

YS

YM

YL

XS

S

M

L

XL

2XL

3XL

Prepaid price

Kids Tshirt

x $10 ea

Adult Tshirt

x $15 ea

Women’s Fitted T

x $15 ea

Women’s Tank top

x $10 ea

Hoodie

x $35 ea

Please include this form with your registration NHC Board of Directors Chair: Sherry Israel Vice Chair: Sandy Sussman Treasurer: Howard Wial Secretary: Ceidlen Beller Immediate Past Chair: Mark Frydenberg MEMBERS AT LARGE Russ Agdern Diane Klein Annie Bass Bettyrose Nelson Ben Dreyfus Dan Richman Linda Emanuel Elizabeth Richman Bob Freedman Dawn Rose Adam Gordon Jody Seltzer Marisa Harford

PAST CHAIRS Michael Strassfeld (1980-1981) Elaine Cohen (1981- 1982) Joe Rosenstein (1983-1985) Robert Goldenberg (1985-1987) Mitch Chefitz (1987-1989) Ruth Goldston (1989-1991) Herb Levine (1991-1993) Steve Lewis (1993-1995) Janet Hollander (1995-1997) Leonard Gordon (1997-1999) Solomon Mowshowitz (1999-2001) Neil Zatz Litt (2001-2003) Mark Frydenberg (2003-2006) NHC Advisory Board Vanessa Ochs Samuel Barth Drorah O’Donnell Setel Judith Baumann Michael Paley Debra Cash Neil Reisner Marcia Falk Louis Rieser Merle Feld Harry Rosenbluh Susan Fendrick Carl Sheingold Ellen Frankel David Shneyer Robert Goldenberg Harold Schulweis Robert Goldston Matthew Thomases Arthur Green Max Ticktin Barry Holtz Moshe Waldoks Frank Loeffler Shoshana Waskow Michael Masch Deborah Waxman Miriam May Fran Zeitler Victor Miller Anne Mintz

Total

TOTAL

Managing Director Christine Oliger Planning Committee Chairs Abby Bellows Ben Murane Course Committee Chairs Janet Hollander Neil Litt Cover Art Sarah Beller Thank you to all the NHC participants who lent their photographs for this brochure

15

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

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Bensalem, PA Permit No. 182

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The National Havurah Committee’s 30th SUMMER INSTITUTE August 11-17, 2008 • Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH Phone: (215) 248-1335 • Fax: (215) 248-9760 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.havurah.org Dates to Remember: Register by April 15 for FREE Cancellation Insurance Register by June 15 and Save!

Want to receive our brochure and newsletter online instead of in hard copy? Send us an e-mail with your postal address and the subject line “brochure online please” and we will send them by e-mail from now on.