We have changed the theme for 2020!
אל נא רפא נא לה
El na refa na lah
“Please G!d, heal her.”
After some discussion, the Core Team has decided to change the theme for this year to “El Na Refa Na La,” or “Please G!d, heal her.” This phrase comes from Numbers 12:13, when Moshe prays for his sister Miriam’s healing when she is stricken ill. In this time, we are acutely aware of the desperate need for healing in our communities, and across the world. We hope, by selecting this theme, we are both offering a collective prayer for healing, and setting a collective intention to work toward healing our world and our communities by pursuing justice.
During Online Institute 2020 (July 19–August 2), we will have the opportunity to observe Tisha B’av together, a time when we open ourselves up to the grief in our hearts. And just a few days later, we will celebrate Shabbat Nachamu (a Shabbat of comfort), allowing ourselves to feel uplifted by song, sustenance, and community. We look forward to replenishing our reserves, finding strength in each other, and fortifying ourselves to continue to pursue justice.
B’havurah,
Eliana, Glenda, and Rebecca
(see bios below)
The 2020 Institute Core Planning Team
Glenda S McKinney
Glenda is grateful to be able to give back to this supportive community. In contrast to the vastness of census and election efforts in 2020, serving on the Core Team will be a cozy project with tangible benefits. She first came to NHC SI in 2016 at the recommendation of her beloved son, David Wilensky, but it has quickly become one of the high points of her year. Last year, they worked together to revamp the program guide, and she looks forward to continuing to improve communication to help every attendee find what they need during their time on campus.
Based in Austin, Texas, Glenda is using the free time that semi-retirement brings to travel throughout the US with her cockatoo, Calah. A long time activist, she continues to find new ways to make the world a better place in ways big and small, from speaking at state and local hearings to witnessing for migrants along the border.
Eliana Roberts Golding
Eliana Roberts Golding is overjoyed to be joining the Core Team for what she is pretty sure is her 28th NHC Summer Institute (and is grateful to her family for raising her in such an amazing community). She is so excited to work with the community to envision and create a week full of song, learning, song, nourishment, deep discussion, and did she mention song?
Eliana recently moved (back to) Washington DC where she works on local housing policy issues. Eliana can often be found riding her bike, at a pottery wheel, organizing with IfNotNow, or dreaming about the dog she can’t wait to adopt. She lives with her amazing partner Yael and two dear friends in Northwest DC, and would be delighted to host you for shabbes.
Rebecca Wassell
Rebecca is excited to be taking on a new role in her 6th year as a part of the NHC community! Rebecca first came to Institute as office staff, helping run things from behind the scenes, but found belonging and community from the very start–as if this community was something she had always been a part of; she just didn’t know it until she showed up! Rebecca spent the last several years as the Shuk Coordinator, and can’t wait to tackle this new challenge. Summer Institute is a week she looks forward to all year long, and she is thrilled to be a part of creating it this year!
Outside of NHC, Rebecca is a social worker in Boston, currently shifting from hospital social work to a group therapy practice, getting back to her roots. When taking needed time for herself, Rebecca loves traveling, spending time with friends and partners, being creative, jigsaw puzzles, and the beach. Come talk to me about your travels or where I should go next!