Summer Institute FAQs

What is the National Havurah Institute and what happens there?

The National Havurah Institute is a week-long multi-generational celebration of Jewish learning, culture and community. Members of havurah communities, independent minyanim, and other interested individuals from across the country gather to learn, teach, daven, and innovate.  

Learning! Sounds cool!  What kinds of learning options are available?

Havurah community members (Havuraniks–and anyone whose interests align with havurah-style) submit course and workshop proposals inspired by the annual theme. Past courses and workshops have included Jewish circus arts, Hasidic tales of Martin Buber, Judaism and trees, the ethics of kashrut, social justice songwriting, the midrashic tales of Serach Bat-Asher, and more!

Wait, there are courses AND workshops? What is the difference?

Courses are week-long classes that run 1.5 hours per day in either the morning or afternoon session, and must be approved by the Course Committee and be directly relevant to the theme. Courses are advertised when registration opens, and attendees register ahead of time.  Registered attendees select the two courses they want to attend in advance.  If for any reason attendees arrive at institute and really need to switch a course, they can visit the Office during Institute and we can make that happen! Here are the course descriptions from 2024. 

Workshops are one-off, 1-hour classes that can occur during various slots throughout the week.  Most workshops are proposed, vetted, and scheduled in advance, but there will also be opportunities to propose a workshop once you arrive. Workshop topics in the past have ranged from kippah crocheting and meditation to whiteness in America. Workshops are drop-in.

Do you offer learning opportunities besides courses and workshops?

We sure do! There are programs offered for the whole community that may or may not have other activities scheduled against them. Past programs have featured one of the guests in residence, and have included a contra dance, a discussion, a film viewing, folk-singing and niggun swaps. Programs are drop-in.

Tell me about the davening!

There are daily egalitarian opportunities to daven Shacharit, Mincha, and Maariv over the course of the Institute. Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat and Saturday evening Havdalah are affairs for the whole community. 

For Saturday morning Shacharit, we have historically offered multiple types of davening options, based on community interest and availability of volunteer prayer leaders: traditional egalitarian Torah service, a children’s service, movement-based service, humanist, Havurah-style, Four Worlds Kabbalist service, egalitarian with feminist liturgy, and other innovative offerings from our community.  

Do you have to be a rabbi or a cantor to lead davening?

Nope! At Havurah, we welcome leaders of all backgrounds and experience levels. In fact, part of our tradition is ordained participants dropping any formal titles or honorifics during their participation. We are grassroots and lay-led, so any community member can volunteer to lead services. And if you need any additional support, our davening coordinator and other community members are more than happy to help!

Tell me about what other activities happen during Institute

Outside of our formal programs, we also offer lots of opportunities to socialize and bond with and celebrate each other. These include nature walks, gaming, a shuk, trips to the pool, and just sitting outside or in the lobby connecting with one another. Take a look at the our on-site hub from last year to see what a typical Summer Institute schedule is like.

What does my registration fee cover?

Your registration fee covers housing, meals, and our costs for everything from facility rentals to insurance. Annual dues are required to register.

Are there funding opportunities?

Yes! There are many levels of volunteering, some of which come with registration discounts. There are scholarships and fellowships available. There are paid positions, such as Kid’s Camp Director. There are work-study opportunities in the Office. If you are interested in learning more about funding opportunities available, please email us!

And, if you are in a position to sponsor someone, you can donate directly to help offset the expenses for someone in a less financially advantageous position.