National Havurah Committee Summer Institute 2009

Come and share in a week of joyous learning, exploration, celebration, and creating community at the

N AT I O N A L H AV U R A H C O M M I T T E E

SUMMER INSTITUTE 2009 August 3-9 Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH

Highlights: • Register ONLINE at www.havurah.org/register • Engage in a community social justice project • Share your expertise and learn new strategies in workshops on building and sustaining havurot • Participate in the kickoff for our improved online resource bank and havurah directory • Enjoy special workshops and programming for Shabbat

WELCOME TO THE NHC SUMMER 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). Since the 1970s, the NHC Summer Institute has been bringing together Jews from across North America to envision a joyful grassroots Judaism and provide the tools to help them create empowered Jewish lives and communities.The NHC is a nondenominational, multigenerational, egalitarian, and volunteer-run organization. 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 2009 theme is Lalechet b’chol derachav/ Walking in all Your ways (Deuteronomy 10:12 and 11:22).This summer we will explore this theme together: How do we make decisions about the paths we take? What does it mean for something to be one of “Your ways”? How do we manage the challenges of being in a pluralistic community in which there are many paths? Is it possible to walk in many “ways” at once? As a community, we will grapple with these issues and learn from each other’s lived experiences and understandings. At the Summer 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 NHC Summer Institute!

Our Community _________________

A Day at the Institute:

One of the NHC Summer Institute’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 2008 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 Summer Institute includes Jews from birth, Jews by choice, people committed to both traditional and non-traditional Jewish practice, non-Jews, and people exploring Judaism. NHC Summer Institute 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 Summer Institute 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 Summer Institute.

• Take morning and afternoon classes with dynamic teachers and engaged classmates • Attend (or lead!) stimulating optional workshops • Kids Camp for children ages 6 months to 12 years • Exciting prayer, Havurah davening, text study, and yoga options every day • Enjoy delicious, kosher vegetarian food, served cafeteria-style • Walk, swim, hike, or work out at the fullyequipped 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

A Sample Day at the NHC Summer Institute: 7:00 7:30 8:30

– Traditional Egalitarian services – Breakfast – Yoga

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 – Community program combining text study and the arts 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.

We are committed to making the Summer Institute financially accessible to all. Last year, our new financial aid, scholarship, and work-study options were a success in making it possible for us to have one of the largest and most diverse Institutes ever.This year, we are hoping to sustain our commitment to making the Summer Institute accessible. See pages 4 and 12 for full details. If you can’t come to the Summer Institute this year, please consider making a contribution to help someone else come. Donations can be sent to the NHC office: 7135 Germantown Avenue, 2nd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19119, or contact us at [email protected] (phone: 215-248-1335) or donate online: www.havurah.org/donate. ~2~

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

Workshops __________________________

Families and Children __________

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

At the Summer Institute, families with children are not only welcome, they are a priority. The Summer Institute “village” is supportive of all kinds of families, and prayer services celebrate the inclusion of children. While parents participate in Institute offerings, children ages six months to twelve years attend Kids Camp, joining their older family members at mealtimes. Parents may also participate in a special “buddy” system in which other folks share the joys and responsibilities of child care with parents during meals and other times when Kids Camp is not meeting. Evening babysitting (for a small fee payable on the registration form) allows parents to participate in all evening and late-night activities of the Summer Institute.

Minyanim ____________________________ Every day at the Summer Institute offers a different menu of spirited prayer options and alternatives to traditional services.There will be prayer in many styles, including daily morning services in Hebrew and English, meditative and musical, with and without instruments, and both indoors and outdoors, in addition to a Traditional Egalitarian service, as well as mincha-ma’ariv daily. All davening is intended to be family-friendly. Please indicate on the registration form if you would like to lead a service (or alternative to services) 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 in which eligibility for leading or participation is differentiated by gender may contact the NHC office to arrange a meeting space.

Kids Camp

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Forming its own tight-knit community within the broader Institute, 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 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. The NHC’s adult teaching faculty, Artists-in-Residence, parents, and other members of the Institute community are encouraged to participate in Kids Camp, sharing their expertise and talents with the children.

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• 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 allday 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

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Shabbat at the Institute is a time to connect with new friends and renew old friendships, reflect on and extend the intense living and learning that has occurred during the Institute, and refresh ourselves with this joyful culmination of the week. Before Shabbat starts, participants build an eruv (boundary that allows carrying on Shabbat) and make other Shabbat preparations. Shabbat begins with a rousing Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming Shabbat) and evening service with the whole community, followed by a festive dinner and opportunities for text study, storytelling, poetry reading, and singing late into the night. Several different prayer services and service alternatives meet on Saturday morning, including a special Family Shabbat Service, after which the community gathers for lunch. This year, Shabbat afternoon programming will include a menu of Shabbat-friendly activities, such as special workshops and study opportunities, organized games and sports, a guided hike, and singing and musical jams—but you are also welcome to choose lessstructured options, like chatting with friends new and old, swimming in the lake, reading a book, or just taking a nap! We savor the last hour of Shabbat

by eating seudah shelishit (the third Shabbat meal). Then, the entire community gathers again to bid farewell to Shabbat with a beautiful havdalah (endof-shabbat ceremony) under the stars.

Shabbat Participants ___________ Can’t come 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. Special Shabbat workshops will allow participants to get a taste of the learning and exploration that has been ongoing throughout the week. Shabbat guests should plan to arrive on Friday, August 7, 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, and to help organize group projects, such as the traditional community-wide free clothing swap led by teens, and constructing the community’s eruv for Shabbat. Teens may take classes with adults, or work in the Kids Camp or the Institute office for a reduction in registration fees. Please inquire for details.

Everett Fellowship for Young Adults _________________________________

erence is given to first time Institute attendees and previously-declined qualified Everett applicants. Application Please email your application and letters of recommendation to [email protected] by May 1, 2009. Include your name, complete postal address, day and evening phone numbers, email address, age, and educational background and/or 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). These experiences need not be in Jewish community. A complete Everett Fellowship application also includes: • Two letters of recommendation (may be sent by separate email or by postal mail to the NHC office, e-mail preferred). Please ask your recommenders to focus on your leadership and community-building skills.

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 participation in the Jewish community. Fellows participate in the full Summer Institute programming and in four workshops designed specifically for them, including an opportunity to discuss their personal Jewish journeys. 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.

• A completed NHC Summer Institute registration, submitted online, including payment information to cover fees.Your payment will not be processed unless you are offered and accept the Fellowship.

Hollander Social Justice Fellowship ___________________________ Do you have a social justice cause you are passionate about and want to pursue with the NHC Summer Institute 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 Summer Institute community.Your proposal needs to include at least three hours of programming on a relevant and nonpartisan social justice issue. This programming could consist of a daytime workshop (or series of workshops), an evening community-wide program, Kids Camp or Everett programs, and/or a 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. Preference will be given to people involved in an ongoing social justice campaign (or launching a campaign) who wish to bring it to the NHC Summer Institute community. Application Submit a completed NHC Summer Institute registration form and deposit online. (Deposit is refundable if your application is not selected.) In addition, submit to hollanderfellow@ havurah.org by March 30th, 2009 brief answers to the following questions in 2-3 pages: • What are your project’s goals?

Everett Fellows receive a scholarship for tuition, room, and board, and are expected to pay only for registration and dues ($120).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 Summer Institute. Pref~4~

• 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 Summer Institute 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.

ties during the rest of the year.This summer, we will have a special workshop series on building and sustaining havurot and minyanim, culminating in a chance to contribute to the NHC’s improved online resource bank and havurah directory. Workshops will bring together those who have been members of a variety of kinds of havurot for many years with those who may be just starting or thinking of starting one in their community. They will be focused on addressing specific questions, but within the larger framework of what havurot have done and can do for different kinds of communities, and for different stages of their life journeys. All Summer Institute participants are invited to participate in and contribute to these workshops, which will enrich our communities across North America. If you have expertise in a specific area, please sign up on the Registration Form to lead a workshop on that topic!

Food ___________________________________ Each day features three delicious, kosher, vegetarian meals and plenty of evening snacks. There are always vegan/parve 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. All adult housing options also include refrigerators and kitchens (although no cookware, silverware, dishes, or glasses are provided). You may bring food from home or outside into your room, but not into the dining hall. There is a grocery store less than 1 mile from Franklin Pierce. Please call or email the NHC office for more information.

Housing ______________________________ 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.

Social Justice Programming

Franklin Pierce University ___

The suites in the center of campus are air-conditioned and accessible to those with 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. Washing machines and dryers are free.

Social justice is a core value for the NHC Summer Institute community, manifested in the ways in which we interact with each other, our commitment to egalitarianism, our programming, and even the fair-trade coffee and tea we serve in the dining hall and the sweatshop-free apparel we sell. In addition to the Hollander Social Justice Fellow’s programming, this year’s Summer Institute will include a family social justice program in which we explore our decision-making processes around ethical issues and how to take action on a variety of issues that affect our everyday lives.

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 contain walking trails and a lake for swimming and boating.

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.

Building and Sustaining Havurot and Minyanim _______ Many Summer Institute attendees are members of independent or synagogue-based havurot or minyanim in their home communities. NHC Summer Institute community members have a wealth of experience and knowledge about creating and supporting grassroots Jewish activity, and we want to focus our energies this year on helping each other to build more vibrant and fulfilling communi-

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. Accessibility tours will be offered the first day of the Summer Institute and as needed for Shabbat guests.

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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. The basement of each townhouse contains a coinoperated washer and dryer. Young adults and teens are housed in traditional dormitories with two beds per room and a communal bathroom.Typical dormitory rooms do not have air conditioning. Most Everett Fellows will be housed here.

Course Descriptions

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

The following list is a key to the course categories’ abbreviations found after each description and bio: A&L = Arts and Literature S/RL = Spiritual and Religious Life H&C = History and Culture IT = Intermediate Text TE = Text for Everyone AT = Advanced Text XT = Extended Format CI = Contemporary Issues SF = Suitable for Families

MORNING COURSES_________ ■ M1 Finding Your Voice: Singing the Divine Aviva Chernick, Poretsky Artist in Residence

Ozi Vezimrat Yah - God is my strength and my song. How do I know God further? How do I find my song? Will finding my voice, my song, bring me closer to that which is divine within and without? The very first songs of praise came out of people’s mouths from their hearts and were inspired by the moment. It is this moment of instinct, of creative revelation that we will be exploring together. Sessions will include breathing, sounding and vocal technique, learning and singing of established melodies and texts, as well as improvising melodies, texts, and rhythms of our own. We will be taking inspiration from Moshe and Miriam and the People of Israel as they sang Shirat Hayam (The Song of the Sea). Come prepared for delight. Parts of the course you will stand in order to keep rhythms with your feet and bodies, while other times you will lay on your back on the floor. Accommodations will be made for participants who are unable to lie on the ground or to stand and move. Comfortable clothing is encouraged. Translations will be provided as necessary. No prerequisites are necessary. Singing skills as well as musical training are absolutely not required. Participants in this workshop should have a desire to engage in an adventure of breath and sound.

soloist and shlichat tzibur at several congregations and Hebrew day schools around Toronto and at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Aviva’s recordings include the debut album with the global fusion band Jaffa Road and Under the Canopy, a collection of Jewish love songs, released by The Huppah Project at the 2008 Ashkenaz Festival. Aviva co-leads a Kabbalat Shabbat service, Shabbat Fusion, which features some of Canada’s foremost world musicians playing traditional and contemporary compositions for tefilah from around the Jewish world. Aviva can be heard on Mitch Smolkin’s Yiddish music project, A Song is Born, with Klezmer Buenos Aires. Upcoming endeavors include a new Latino music project inspired by the music of Flory Jagoda and a continued collaborative project inspired by the Song of Songs with Arabic music master, George Sawa. See Aviva’s website at www.avivachernick.com. Please note that this course is a 2.5 hour course.

■ M3 Dancing With the Tree of Life Simona Aronow

The Sephirot on the Tree of Life are metaphors for how we live and relate every day, as well as the aspects of God’s light that are reflected in our every action.We will explore each of the Sephirot and their dynamic relationships utilizing movement and meditation, chanting, text study, discussion, and journaling. Some of the meditations are from traditional sources, others more modern. Experience abstract Kabbalistic concepts in a more embodied way to integrate them into your life! A&L. S/RL.

Aviva Chernick is a versatile and passionate singer working within the Jewish community and performing beyond. She is a cantorial soloist and has been a guest teacher, guest ~6~

Simona Aronow is a dance therapist, movement educator, and student of Kabbalah. She teaches and is on the Board of Directors for Gesher Center for Jewish Spirituality, Meditation and Healing, in Charlottesville,Virginia.

■ M5 What’s So Jewish about Jewish Folktales? Ellen Frankel

For centuries, Jews have told stories to one another, many of them adapted from the folktale traditions of their neighbors. And the reverse is also true: As they traveled and traded, Jewish storytellers transmitted Persian, Indian, and Arabian folktales throughout Europe. What was gained and lost in this process of translation? How do Jewish stories differ from their counterparts in other nations’ lore? In this course, we will read Jewish folktales from various Jewish communities, compare them with tales familiar to many of us from childhood, and explore what makes them different—and universal. A&L. H&C. Ellen Frankel is a storyteller and author of The Classic Tales: Four Thousand Years of Jewish Lore. She is CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Jewish Publication Society. For 18 years, she has directed the JPS project, Folktales of the Jews, a six-volume collection of Jewish folktales culled from the Israel Folktale Archives.

Course Descriptions ■ M7 Sefer HaBloggadah: An Introduction to Sefer HaAggada Richard Friedman

Sefer HaAggada (The Book of Legends) is the classic Bialik-Ravnitzky collection of aggadic (non-legal) material from Talmud and Midrash. Its contents are diverse — midrashim (comments supplementing Bible stories); stories about the Rabbis themselves; and stories and ideas about the Land and People of Israel, Torah, Shabbat, etc. The Sefer HaBloggadah project started at last year’s Institute uses a blog to facilitate study of this text, one page per day. The course will study sample pages covered by the project so far, and will introduce people to the variety of Rabbinic aggada. Participants may volunteer to present one of these texts in the Shabbat afternoon siyyum on part one of the book. IT. Richard Friedman has taught text classes at several Institutes. He also teaches Talmud and Rashi’s Torah commentary at his shul and at the Jewish Study Center in Washington. He is a lawyer with the federal government.

■ M9 A Jewish View of Jesus Harold Gorvine

We will read selections from the four Gospels and excerpts from contemporary scholarly interpretations of Jesus. Both as a class and in hevruta, our focus will be twofold. First, who was Jesus the Jew, and what did he stand for? Second, to what extent can we as 21st-century Jews adopt the message of the historical Jesus and use it to enhance our Judaism? S/RL.TE. Harold Gorvine is a lifelong, passionate teacher of history and Jewish studies. The Alumni Association of Akiba Hebrew Academy (suburban Philadelphia) honored him in 2001 for 35 years as an outstanding teacher.

■ M11 Deviant Judges, Foul Factories, and Bio-medical Marvels: Turning Points in Jewish Law

the raw data of Jewish legal discourse, we can discern a 2,000-year-old discontinuity of politicized contestations, personal innovations, and curious adjustments to evolving cultural and technological conditions.We will read rabbinic texts through which Jewish communities overrode old laws, set precedents, hardened schisms, and otherwise carried the drama of Jewish law into new territory. Our studies will explore the gamut from Talmudic case law through Reform responsa, and also peer into the future of Jewish law. H&C. IT. Hillel Gray is a Ph.D. candidate in the History of Judaism at the University of Chicago. He is former policy director of the National Environmental Law Center and has served on the boards of minyanim from both the left and right ends of Jewish life.

■ M13 The Walking Stories of the Zohar David Greenstein

Hillel Gray

In our naïve imaginings, Jewish law is merely a cumulative code of conduct that unfolds logically from Biblical and Talmudic rules. Within

The Zohar, the classic text of the Jewish mystical tradition, is unique in placing its teachings within a narrative context of stories told while “walking on the road.” Why is that motif so central to the Zohar? The Biblical image of “walking in God’s paths” and subsequent rabbinic elaborations of that theme are clearly significant. An added mystical dimension is also to be expected. But close reading of the zoharic texts reveals that the Zohar has other ideas in mind, as well: ideas that open new perspectives on our conceptions of the relationship between the mystical and the mundane. AT. S/RL. David Greenstein is Rosh Ha-Yeshivah of The Academy for Jewish Religion. He holds an MA in Talmud, a Ph.D. in Kabbalah and Rabbinics and an MFA in Painting. For the past four years he has taught an adult-learning class in reading the Zohar, page by page, from the beginning.

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Course Descriptions

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

■ M15 Almost Famous: Books that Didn’t Make the Biblical Cut Aaron Kachuck

Gaining admission to the Bible was a hardfought, tooth-and-nail process in antiquity, and many fine, upstanding, and spirited candidates were unfortunately forced to take their business elsewhere. This course will laugh and cry with books that didn’t get the Jewish canonical stamp of approval. We will be looking in particular at Judith, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, III Maccabees, and Tobit. Discussion ranging from the transcendentally existential to the humorously mundane will focus on the texts themselves and on a range of issues they bring up, particularly the process of canonization, and the nature of heroism, especially female heroism. IT.A&L. Aaron Kachuck studies Classics as the Mellon Fellow at Clare College, Cambridge, where he meditates on bards in ancient epic, funny Jews in Roman satire, speaking divinatory oak trees in northern Greece, and the crazy contradictions of the Dionysiac cult.

■ M17 Walking and Resting With God After the Seven Days of Creation: Sustaining the Order of the World with Jewish Ritual Practices Stuart Mangel

This course provides a look at how the rituals of Shabbat and Kashrut are based on the creation story of Genesis 1.We will discuss how this creation story was transformed from earlier pre-Biblical creation stories and came to represent a new understanding of God, the world, and the relationship between God and humanity. We will also explore how the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish people and Jewish ritual practices such as Shabbat and Kashrut evoke and sustain the order of the world that God created, as described in Genesis 1. H&C. IT. Stuart Mangel is a professor at The Ohio State University, where he teaches and does brain research. He is a veteran of many NHC Summer Institutes and has previously taught at the Institute.

■ M19 What Would Mordecai Kaplan Do? Study William James!

■ M21 The Mitzvah of Challah: Bread Making and Sacred Eating Jonathan Rubenstein

Ethan Merlin

In 1915, Mordecai Kaplan, founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, gathered a group of rabbinical students in his home on Saturday nights to study the writings of American psychologist and philosopher William James. Almost 100 years later, we’ll carry on this tradition by reading James in a Jewish context at the Summer Institute. James redefined religious belief in an age of science by focusing on the practical consequences of what we choose to believe. How did Kaplan and his early twentieth-century “havurah” apply James’s ideas in their reconstruction of Judaism? And what do we have to learn today from James’s “Torah”? S/RL. H&C. Ethan Merlin is a co-founder of Tikkun Leil Shabbat in Washington, DC. He studied Comparative Religion in college and wrote his senior thesis about the thought of William James and Mordecai Kaplan. He teaches middle and high school math (and minyan!) at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD. ~8~

When preparing challah, traditional bakers separate a small piece of dough and say a b’racha (blessing) in commemoration of the biblical challah offering. In this class, while learning to bake a different bread each day, we will also look at the mitzvah of separating the challah and related practices and texts, and explore their meaning in terms of what we eat and how we eat it. On Friday we will bake the challot for the Institute’s Shabbat meals. No prior baking experience is necessary. XT. S/RL. H&C. CI. SF. Jonathan Rubenstein serves as co-rabbi with his wife, Linda Motzkin, of Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs, NY, and is a grief counselor and Director of Pastoral Care at Four Winds – Saratoga, a private psychiatric hospital. He is also a baker and baking teacher and the founder of Slice of Heaven Breads, a nonprofit, volunteer, charitable bakery operated out of Temple Sinai. Please note that this course is a 2.5 hour course.

Course Descriptions ■ M23 The Ever-Renewing Literal Sense: Alternatives in the Literal Interpretation of Scripture Devorah Schoenfeld

Is there a literal approach to biblical interpretation in Jewish tradition? Or are there, conversely, different kinds of interpretation called literal? This course will examine four Jewish Bible commentaries that have been termed “literal”,Targum Onkelos, Rashi, Rashbam, and Ibn Ezra, on three key biblical passages: the parting of the Red Sea, Song of Songs, and the Akedah. We will also look at different theories of pshat and drash in the Talmud and Midrash. In these texts we will see alternative approaches to literal interpretation that exist in Jewish tradition and ask what, if anything, they share. AT. Devorah Schoenfeld is the Ike Weiner Chair of Judaic Studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and has previously taught at University of California, Davis and at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Her doctorate is in medieval Jewish and Christian biblical interpretation and she is currently writing a book on the history of the literal sense of scripture.

■ M25 Become Divine Jonah Steinberg

The idea that humankind might somehow take part in the identity of God sounds so foreign that Jews may shy away from it. And there are certainly hazards in thoughts of divine humanity. Yet the idea is deeply rooted in our own tradition, and perhaps the challenges we face (and cause) in this world demand such a grand conception of humanity’s potential. This Beit Midrash, satisfying for advanced learners and supportive of newcomers, will study texts from Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, Midrash, Zohar, and Hasidut, with glances to non-Jewish traditions also. AT.TE. S/RL. XT. Jonah Chanan Steinberg is an Associate Dean of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College. He has taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He is co-founder of Hebrew College’s Open Bet Midrash. Please note that this course is a 2.5 hour course.

AFTERNOON COURSES___

CI.TE.

■ A2 Creating Altars and Rituals for your Journey

Julie Aronowitz is an organizer, community builder, and non-profit professional living in Boston, MA. She is an alumna of the Jewish Organizing Initiative and the current Young Adult Social Justice Coordinator at Gesher City Boston and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Emily Fishman is a recent graduate of Brandeis University. Her favorite day on the calendar is Shemini Atzeret.

Adele Wayman, Poretsky Artist in Residence

Join us in a workshop and create group and individual altars to investigate through art personal and spiritual beliefs and questions. Each participant will be asked to bring personal photos, letters, tokens from nature, and other materials meaningful to them. We will begin each day with silent meditation, movement, and journaling and/or drawing and then move to creating altars and inventing rituals around them. We will use what you have brought as well as what you find outdoors to create both personal and group altars.The week will conclude with a ceremony in which we will present both our individual altars and a group altar to the community. There will be a $10 materials fee payable directly to the instructor. Participants are also asked to bring items from home as indicated above. XT Adele Wayman is an artist and Hege Professor of Art at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC where she has taught for 35 years. Her work during recent years has focused on creating altars, both as a sacred context for paintings and as wall installations. Her art can be seen on her website at www.adelewayman.com. Please note that this course is a 2.5 hour course.

■ A4 Jewish Tithing in the 21st Century Julie Aronowitz and Emily Fishman

A central tenet in Judaism is tzedakah, charity (more literally, justice-bringing financial contribution). But what exactly is this obligation and how should it play out in our own lives? We will look at the history and practice of tithing and consider its potential relevance to our own lives. We will study texts about the sources of tithing, look at communities (Jewish and beyond) who have tithed or participated in similar practices. We will consider what types of organizations we want to give to, who deserves our support, and what to do with the nearly constant requests we receive for donations. ~9~

■ A6 Shabbat for the Land: Shemitah in the 21st Century Ben Dreyfus

The Torah commands refraining from agricultural labor and letting the land rest every seventh year. The shemitah (sabbatical) year is observed to this day in the land of Israel. However, observing shemitah according to a literal reading of the Torah would pose practical challenges in a modern economy with Israel’s population density, and as a result, a number of competing solutions have been devised, reflecting the divisions in Israeli society and leading to a heated Supreme Court case. CI.TE. Ben Dreyfus teaches physics at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, and has lived in Israel during the last two shemitah years. He blogs at Mah Rabu (mahrabu.blogspot.com), Jewschool (www.jewschool.com), and Sefer Ha-Bloggadah (bloggadah.blogspot.com).

■ A8 Walking in God’s ways? Bob Freedman

For the Hassidic masters the entire purpose of the Torah is to teach us how to walk in God’s ways.We’ll study commentaries to this week’s parasha, Ekev, by two of the greatest rebbes: Moshe Chaim Efrayim of Sadlikov (1748-1800), grandson of the Baal Shem, and Sholom Noach Berezovsky (1911-2000), the late Slonimer rebbe. Hearing them in stereo will inspire us to reexamine our own spiritual steps. All texts will be in Hebrew, and translations into English will be provided. AT. S/RL.

Course Descriptions

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

___________________________________________________ Bob Freedman has served congregations as both rabbi and cantor, and has taught at NHC Summer Institutes, Renewal Kallot, and Elat Chayyim since 1996. He is continually amazed by the spiritual audacity and insight of the Hassidic masters.

■ A10 Kol Atzmotai Tomarnah: Let My Bones Praise God Sign Language Prayer Susan Gulack

There are about 200 root words needed to understand the siddur prayerbook. Improve your understanding of Hebrew and experience prayer in a new way by learning these words in sign language. This is a good way to reinforce meaning for ourselves and to use as a teaching tool for those who teach Hebrew and prayer to others. We will learn parts of the service in Sign and participate in the Shabbat davenning as a group. S/RL.TE. Susan Gulack is incapable of praying without using her hands. She has been signing prayer for more than 30 years and has used her skill both during services and in teaching children and adults Hebrew. She serves as a chaplain in three New York Correctional Facilities, a psychiatric hospital, and a VA hospital.

■ A12 Piyutim: A Musical Journey Through Jewish Liturgical Poetry Benj Kamm

For over 2000 years, Jews around the world have written piyutim (liturgical poetry) to enrich prayer and express their yearnings for the Divine. In each region, piyutim were composed in local poetic and musical forms, creating a vast repertoire for different parts of the day, year, and life cycle. In addition to learning to sing piyutim in various styles from across the Middle East and North Africa, we will explore their imagery and ways to integrate their creativity into our own Jewish practice. A&L. H&C. Benj Kamm lived in Jerusalem for the past two years, where he learned piyutim from around the world as a member of Kehilot Sharot, an Israeli organization that seeks to preserve Jewish liturgical traditions and share them with the public.

■ A14 Hebron: Burial Ground to Ghost Town Emma Kippley-Ogman

Hebron carries a rich history of Jewish associations from Sarah and Abraham to its present-day prominence as a turbulent hot spot in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We will explore

the nature of Hebron in Biblical and rabbinic texts as a prologue to a multimedia inquiry into the consequences of the current Jewish presence in the city. We will use written testimonies, maps, still photographs, audio and video materials, government policies, and eyewitness accounts to uncover the present nature of the city, the processes involved in maintaining and expanding Jewish presence there, and their profound effects on the Palestinian population. H&C. CI.TE. Emma Kippley-Ogman is a rabbinical student at Hebrew College in Newton, MA. Supported by a Rabbi Richard J. Israel Social Justice Fellowship of the New Israel Fund, she has spent the past year bringing groups to Hebron with the Israeli organization Breaking the Silence.

■ A16 Jews, Blacks, and the Idea of Race Diane Klein

With a Black president and a Jewish Chief of Staff, the relationship between African-Americans and Jews is poised to (re-)emerge on the American political scene. In this course, we will use the tools of Critical Race Theory, one of the most exciting and challenging intellectual developments in the American academy today, to think about the idea of race itself. Should Jews and/or African-Americans embrace or reject the idea of “race”? What would it mean to move “beyond race,” and is that somewhere we wish to go (as Jews or otherwise)? Are Jews White? Is antisemitism a form of racism? CI.AT. Diane Klein is a lawyer and law professor in Los Angeles. Some of her legal scholarship focuses on critical theory, particularly as it relates to race, as well as queer theory, two discourses in which being a heterosexual White Jewish woman and mother can be a challenging status/identity.

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Course Descriptions ■ A18 Objects of Our Affection: How Holy Objects, Old and New, Give Our Lives Spiritual Shape Vanessa L. Ochs

What does it mean to study religion (and Judaism in particular) from the perspective of material culture? How do objects inaugurate new Jewish rituals? What are the indications that a new Jewish ritual may endure? Is the introduction of new Jewish ritual top-down or bottom-up? Participants are encouraged to bring the “holy” objects of their own Jewish lives—the ones that are intrinsically and extrinsically Jewish (that is, more or less obviously Jewish)— to consider in our discussions. Finally, participants will construct written (or visual) narratives around the new ritual objects in their lives. S/RL. CI. Vanessa Ochs is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and is the author of Inventing Jewish Ritual (JPS), which won a 2007 National Jewish Book Award.

■ A20 Rain in its Season: Coping with Exile

■ A22 Jewish Theories of Justice Brent Chaim Spodek

Do Jewish theories of justice look beyond our own community? What, if any, is the philosophical basis for concern with those who aren’t part of our ethnic or religious group? We’ll look at classical concepts such as mipnei darchei shalom, tikkun olam, and tzedek umishpat, practical frameworks from the tzedakah system of the Geniza period and the contemporary Federation system, and theological perspectives articulated by thinkers such as Levinas and Buber. Most importantly, we’ll explore the theological framework that actually underpins our own conception of Judaism, and explore the implications of our beliefs on our political commitments. CI. IT.

David Weiss is a rabbi, psychologist, and author. He also is the founder and President of the National Havurah Community of Canada, a past Vice-Chair on the NHC Board, and a passionate teacher of the Jewish mystical tradition. For a living, David leads an Organizational Psychology consulting firm based in Toronto (www.weissinternational.ca). He is a co-author of Maimonides – Cure of Souls (SUNY Press, 2009).

■ A26 How the Hasidic Masters Read the Torah Aryeh Wineman

Brent Chaim Spodek is the Rabbi-in-Residence and Director of Jewish Communal Relations at American Jewish World Service. He graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2007 with a master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy, and was recently the Marshall T. Meyer Fellow at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun.

■ A24 Maimonides: Cure of Souls

The Hassidic Masters offered readings of the Torah very distant from the more evident and conventional understanding of that sacred text. Examining passages from the homilytexts of Hasidism’s classical period, we will explore together the nature of the revolutionary transformation in the way Hasidism approached and understood the Torah.

David Weiss

Louis Rieser

The second paragraph of the Sh’ma warns that disobedience leads to destruction and exile. Though the Temple was destroyed and the people were exiled, we continue to recite this warning twice daily.The Mishnah and Midrash preserve some responses of the early Sages to this catastrophe. We will study some of their responses to see how they chose to walk the path of Torah in the shadow of destruction.Their deliberations will help us construct a new understanding of this passage for our own day. IT.

of Maimonides in Shemoneh Perakim, The Eight Chapters. Exploring these essential insights will enlighten your understanding of the soul and deepen your Jewish journey. IT. S/RL.

Although many speak of their soul, few understand what the soul is.What are the characteristics of the soul? What are diseases of the soul? How can we cure our souls? The great Jewish philosopher, Maimonides, believed that “the improvement of moral qualities is brought about by the healing of the soul and its activities.” This course explores the ideas

Louis Rieser is the rabbi at Etz Hayim Synagogue in Derry, NH. He teaches regularly and writes on topics related to the Talmud. His new book, The Hillel Narratives, was published this year.

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We will also probe what the explicit and implicit ideas underlying that transformation might suggest to us today as a resource for a renewed Jewish spirituality. Aryeh Wineman, rabbi and author, is engaged in research and writing in the areas of Hebrew literature and Jewish Mysticism. He has taught several courses at the Institute over the years.

Commuting and Camping ___ Anyone who lives or is staying near the campus can participate at a reduced cost by 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,Albany, NY, and Boston, MA. Ride-share arrangements will be provided once you register. On Monday,August 3, check-in starts at 1:30pm. Programming begins at 3:45pm, and dinner is served that evening. Courses meet for the first time on Tuesday morning. The closing program on Sunday, August 9, ends around 10:30am and the Institute concludes at 11:30am. Everyone is expected to check out promptly on Sunday.

Scholarships and Travel Grants _________________________________ The NHC strives to make the Summer Institute accessible to all who want to participate; our goal is that no one will be unable to participate in the Summer Institute for financial reasons.To apply for a scholarship, follow the instructions below, and indicate on the Registration Form the amount of the full registration fees that you are able to pay. Decisions regarding the first round of support will be made starting May 1, after which support will be distributed on a rolling basis, depending on available funds. The NHC asks that applicants assess their own ability to pay as honestly and accurately as 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.

Application If you are applying for a scholarship or travel grant, please include a deposit of at least $300 per person and complete the section on scholarships on the registration website. If you are registering by mail, send answers to the following questions along with your registration to the NHC office: 1) How much of 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. After May 1, you will be informed whether your application has been approved.All balances are due by June 14.The deposit is completely refundable if your request is not approved and you are unable to attend. Scholarship applications submitted after June 30 will be considered only if funds remain. Prospective applicants can check with the NHC office at that time. It may be possible to secure financial help to attend the Institute from other sources. Some synagogue members have secured assistance from their rabbi’s discretionary fund; some Jewish educators have received support 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 for teens. 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 Summer 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 workstudy position, check www.havurah.org to see the open positions and call or email the Institute office (215-248-1335) to apply. All requests are confidential and must be submitted by June 30, 2009.

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NHC Online ________________________ Register online at www.havurah.org/register or go to www.havurah.org for Institute information (such as a ride board) 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 havurahrelated issues, and nhc-discuss, an open discussion forum on topics of interest to members of the NHC community.

Cancellation Policy and Cancellation 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 register after April 1 for Cancellation Insurance, priced as follows: $42 for an adult, $32 for a commuter adult, $15 for a Shabbat-only adult, $11 for a child, and $6 for a Shabbat-only child. If you have cancellation insurance and must cancel on or before July 24, you will receive a refund of your Institute fees minus a $35 administrative fee per person. If you cancel after July 24, 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 10: Institute fees refunded minus a $150 administrative fee per person. • Cancel between July 11 and July 23: Institute fees refunded minus a $225 administrative fee per person. • Cancel on or after July 24, “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 taxdeductible contribution.

REGISTRATION FORM If possible, PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE at www.havurah.org/register 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

before June 14

after June 14

Adult Resident

$800

$825

^Adult Commuter

$600

$625

Child #1

$200

$280

Child #2

$175

$200

Child #3 Prepaid Babysitting, per child (age 10 & under, 6 nights)

$150

$175

$60

$80

+Shabbat-Only Adult

$267

$292

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

$89

$114

Single-room supplement

$125

_____

$150

_____

$250

_____

$300

_____

$250

_____

($40 per adult or $80 per household)

Gender

Fee Schedule

Occupation

Day Phone

Eve Phone

E-mail*

Children (6 months to 12 years)

Address City

State

Zip

Adult #2 Name Age

$ DUE

*NHC membership dues

Name Age

How Many

Gender

Occupation

Day Phone

Eve Phone

E-mail* Address 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

Shared bath

Single-room supplement

Children/Teens Attending Institute* #1 Name

Age

Private bath, air conditioning

Grade

Gender

Private apartment

#2 Name

Age

Grade

Gender

2 bedrooms

#3 Name

Age

Grade

Gender

Private townhouse

#4 Name

Age

Grade

3 bedrooms, air conditioning

Gender

*Indicate age as of August and the grade the child will be entering in the fall . Please note if your child receives special assistance at school or elsewhere so we can help you plan for your child’s needs. If you would like to participate in the Parent buddy system, see page 3. Check here. ❏

Private-use golf cart

Class Preferences

(see rates on page 12)

_____

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. If there are additional adults or teens taking courses, please enclose an additional sheet with their choices.

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

_____

Adult #1 Classes

Adult #2 Classes

Morning

Morning

Afternoon

Subtotal Fees Above Optional cancellation insurance

Total Amount Due

_____

Amount Enclosed

_____

Afternoon

1st choice

(Through 6/14, minimum of 50% of total. After 6/14, enclose total due.)

2nd choice

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:

3rd choice

Financial Assistance ❏ Applying for Everett Fellowship (See page 4 for application information.)

❏ Applying for a scholarship

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

(See page 12 for additional information you need to send.)

❏ Please contact the NHC office before applying for work-study (See www.havurah.org for work-study job descriptions.)

Questions? Call (215) 248-1335 or e-mail [email protected] BALANCE DUE BY JUNE 14

*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

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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.

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

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: ❏ townhouses near lake (air-conditioned), ❏ main campus apartments (not air-conditioned) ❏ suites, ❏ dormitories We will make our best effort to accommodate you. Do you or your children have a roommate or suitemate request? ________________________________________________________

Lead Services (July 1 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.

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 don’t? Y / N

Permission to be Photographed

Propose A Workshop (July 1 Deadline) Everyone is encouraged to lead a workshop! List your topic here and, by July 1, email [email protected] with a brief description of your workshop and a short bio. For examples of last year’s workshops see our website.

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.

Cancellation Policy and Cancellation Insurance

Tell Us About Yourself

(See page 12 for information). ❏ I want cancellation insurance and am including the cancellation fees (include payment) ❏ I am declining cancellation insurance and have read the policy

Is this your first Institute? Y / N If No, how many Institutes have you been to? ________________ What year did you last join us? _____________________________

Payment Information ❏ Check payable to “National Havurah Committee”

How did you hear about the Summer Institute?

❏ Please charge my credit card:

Topic:

❏ Visa

❏ MasterCard

Credit card # Do you participate in a havurah, minyan, congregation, or Jewish school? Please provide its name and location.

Name (as it appears on card) Expiration date

We serve kosher vegetarian meals with vegan options; we hope to serve Fair Trade Certified TM coffee and tea. If you need any special food or other arrangements, please attach a note with specific information. To facilitate networking and a warm community, please include on a separate sheet of paper 50 words about your profession, activities, academics, and other pursuits. These bios will be shared with all participants - please print clearly.

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 14 Any outstanding bills from previous Summer Institutes must be paid in full before you will be registered for 2009.

PLEASE COMPLETE ENROLLMENT INFORMATION ON REVERSE SIDE BEFORE MAILING ~14~

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 order from www.nosweatapparel.com, so you can visit their site to check sizing. This year’s T-shirts and hoodies will be Dartmouth Green, screen-printed in white.The NHC logo umbrella is green and white.

Item

YS

YM

YL

YXL

XS

S

M

L

XL

2XL

3XL

4XL

Prepaid price

Kids T-shirt

x $10 ea

Adult T-shirt

x $15 ea

Adult Long Sleeved T

x $20 ea

Women’s Fitted T

x $20 ea

Women’s Long Sleeved T

x $25 ea

Hoodie

x $35 ea

NHC Logo Umbrella

x $15 ea

Total

TOTAL___________

Please include this form with your registration! Board of Directors Executive Committee Chair: Sherry Israel Vice Chair: Sandy Sussman Treasurer: Howard Wial Secretary: Ceidlen Beller Immediate Past Chair: Mark Frydenberg MEMBERS AT LARGE Russ Agdern Annie Bass Ben Dreyfus Linda Emanuel Bob Freedman Adam Gordon Marisa Harford Diane Klein (on leave) Bettyrose Nelson Rick Pincus Dawn Rose Josh Rosenberg Zach Teutsch Joan Vick

NHC Advisory Board Samuel Barth Judith Baumann Debra Cash Marcia Falk Merle Feld Susan Fendrick Ellen Frankel Robert Goldenberg Robert Goldston Arthur Green Barry Holtz Frank Loeffler Michael Masch Miriam May Victor Miller Anne Mintz Vanessa Ochs Drorah O’Donnell Setel Michael Paley Neil Reisner Louis Rieser Harry Rosenbluh Joseph Rosenberg Carl Sheingold David Shneyer Harold Schulweis Matthew Thomases Max Ticktin Moshe Waldoks Shoshana Waskow Deborah Waxman Fran Zeitler

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) Managing Director Yael Levin Planning Committee Chairs Russ Agdern Marisa Harford Course Committee Chair Neil Litt Artists in Residence Chair Alan Scott Belsky Everett and Hollander Chair Zach Teutsch Cover Art Sarah Beller

Thank you to all the NHC Summer Institute participants who lent their photographs for this brochure. ~15~

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

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

Dates to Remember: Register by April 1 for FREE Cancellation Insurance First round of Scholarships/Travel Grants will be made starting May 1 Register by June 14 and Save!

N AT I O N A L H AV U R A H C O M M I T T E E

SUMMER INSTITUTE 2009 August 3-9 Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH www.havurah.org Phone: (215) 248-1335 Fax: (215) 248-9760 [email protected] The NHC is going green. To help us reduce the amount of paper we use, register online at www.havurah.org/register