APPLY
Apply to be our Liturgist-in-Residence
The National Havurah Committee is seeking applicants who wish to be considered for the position of Liturgist-in-Residence at the 2023 Summer Institute to be held August 4-August 8 at Pearlstone Retreat Center.
The Liturgist-in-Residence will offer a series of special programs open to the community related to creating liturgy, liturgical poetry or new rituals. The Liturgist-in-Residence will present at least three independent workshops, and also may lead or participate in innovative prayer experiences, an evening or Shabbat program, an activity specifically for kids or teens, or community programs. These programs will be open to the entire community and will be equivalent to teacher-level service (approximately 8 hours of programming throughout the week).
We especially welcome applications that share your process of creating new prayers, reinterpreting prayers, or designing new rituals through example. Please offer at least one session on “how you do what you do” so that others may learn from you. We are not looking for programs that teach traditional liturgical skills, nusach or service leading methods. While teaching, learning, singing, or matching original, or alternative melodies for prayers is appropriate, that should not be the sole focus of the Liturgist-in-Residence workshops and activities.
We encourage Jews of Color and marginalized communities whose original liturgy reflects their challenges, dreams, interpretations, and variations of Jewish prayers to apply. The Liturgist-in-Residence will be a be a catalyst to create and share contemporary prayer experiences and/or rituals that embrace, reflect, and celebrate the NHC community’s racial, religious, and social diversity.
The Liturgist-in-Residence receives one complimentary registration to attend at the NHC Summer Institute. If multiple individuals are on the same application and are chosen, they will share the tuition credit. There is no stipend with this position.
Past NHC Liturgists in Residence include*:
- 2022–Eliana Light
- 2021– Devon Spier
- 2020– Rachel Barenblat
- 2019 — Ellen Dreskin
- 2018 – Linda Hirschhorn
- 2017 – Mitch Chefitz
- 2016 – Malkah Binah Klein and Aliza Arzt
- 2015 – Alden Solovy
- 2014 – Trisha Arlin
- 2013 – Adam Lavitt and Adina Allen
- 2011 – Miriam Margles
*Prior Liturgists-in-Residence are ineligible to apply.
Please contactliturgist@havurah.orgif you have questions or ideas to discuss for your proposal before submitting.
You may submit at most two different proposals. Applicants are encouraged to consider how they will draw on this year’s theme in their application:
Applicants are encouraged to consider how they will draw on this year’s theme:
וְאָסַפְתָּ Ve-asafta
“and you shall gather” which can refer to both gathering the community and to gathering in your “new grain, wine and oil” from Parshat Eikev (Deut 11:14).
Please complete a separate copy of this form for each Liturgist-in-Residence application you are submitting, and email completed forms to liturgist@havurah.org. Applications are due by March 12, 2023. We will notify you regarding the status of your application by late March. The NHC Summer Institute provides captioning during community programming. We ask all presenters to work with our transcription and accessibility teams to help achieve inclusion for all. View and download the Call for Applications here.