National Havurah Committee

2 9 th S U M M E R I N S T I T U T E
August 6-12, 2007
Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH

National Havurah Committee

(215) 248-1335 • www.havurah.org
Welcome to the NHC!
The National Havurah Committee (NHC) is a
network of diverse individuals and communi-
ties dedicated to Jewish living and learning,
community building, and tikkun olam (repair-
ing the world). For nearly 30 years, the NHC has
helped Jews across North America envision a
joyful grassroots Judaism, and has provided the
tools to help people create empowered Jewish
lives and communities. The NHC is a nonde-
nominational, 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 conversa-
tion, 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 and experiences.
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 every-
thing else. At the 2006 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: LGBT and straight; people of color,
Sefardi, 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 backrounds from people with no formal Jewish education to
people with Ph.D.s in Talmud. The dynamic process of exploring togeth-
er what Judaism and Jewishness means in our lives is a highlight of the
Institute.
At the Institute, every teacher is also a student and every student is a
teacher. People who are usually called “rabbi” or “professor” through-
out 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.
One participant summed it up best when she wrote after attending her
first Havurah Institute: “The Havurah Institute was slightly closer to
heaven on earth than other places I’ve been before. It was a week of
learning, singing, dancing, talking, thinking, and feeling.... You could
make friends with anyone regardless of age or affiliation. It was a place
full of individuals and families of all ages, shapes, colors, orientations
and interests, united by a love of learning and teaching and a desire to
make Judaism a positive force in their lives.”
We look forward to creating community with you at this summer’s
Institute!
The NHC Board would like to increase the funds available to underwrite work-study and reduced-fee options. 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
Institute@Havurah.org, 215-248-1335.
The 2007 Summer
Institute Theme
The 2007 Summer Institute theme, select-
ed by the participants at last summer’s
Institute, is “V’rav sh’lom banayich – Great
shall be the peace of thy children.” The
theme is from Isaiah 54:13 which is part of
the haftarah that will be read during the
Institute week. The full text of this verse is
“And all thy children shall be taught of the
LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy
children.” Thus during the week of
Institute in our classes and programs, we
will explore what it means to teach children
and ourselves about God and about peace.
We will examine what the verse might mean
when it says that being taught about God
brings peace. What is that peace? In what
ways can we work for peace within our-
selves, our families, and our world? During
the week of Institute, we also seek to build
a “great peace” among those gathered in this
community.
A Day at the Institute
During a typical day at the Institute, you
will:
• take two classes with dynamic teachers
• attend stimulating optional workshops
• choose from exciting prayer, text study,
and yoga options
• enjoy delicious kosher vegetarian food
• spend free time relaxing in a beautiful nat-
ural setting
• participate in evening programs and
entertainment
• make and renew friendships, have great
conversations, laugh, think, sing, dance,
and learn
Courses
At the center of the Institute are 26 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 he
or she loves, in an inclusive style that
encourages everyone to participate. Choose
from classes in traditional texts, Jewish
ethics, Torah commentary, poetry, dance
and singing, Judaism and Islam, and con-
temporary 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
topics of their choice. Last year’s workshop
topics included Israeli folk dance, kippah
crocheting, rabbinic texts, how to lift and
wrap a torah, yoga, Yiddish curses, and
Jewish bioethics. Participants will decide
this year’s topics by volunteering to teach
workshops! Please indicate on the registra-
tion form if you would like to lead a work-
shop – 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 praying in many dif-
ferent styles, including in Hebrew, in
English, in silence and in song, indoors and
outdoors, and with instruments and with-
out instruments, as well as a traditional
egalitarian service three times daily. Please
indicate on the registration form if you
would like to lead a service or service alter-
native in any style. All minyanim organized
and sponsored by the NHC are fully egali-
tarian, with equal participation regardless of
gender or sexual orientation. Individual
participants who wish to organize minyan-
im where eligibility for leading or participa-
tion is based on gender may contact the
NHC office to arrange a meeting space.
Celebrating Shabbat
Shabbat is the culmination of the Institute.
The intense experience of Jewish living, the
creation of community, the intellectual, cre-
ative, and spiritual excitement of the cours-
es, and our new and renewed friendships all
lead to a special, joyful Shabbat. Before
Shabbat starts, participants build an eruv
(boundary) and make other Shabbat prepa-
rations. Shabbat then begins with a rousing
kabbalat shabbat (welcoming Shabbat) serv-
ice for the entire community, followed by a
festive dinner and opportunities for text
study, storytelling, poetry reading, and
singing late into the night. A number of dif-
ferent minyanim meet on Saturday morn-
ing, 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.
Families and Children
For families with children, the Institute is a
unique opportunity to vacation and learn
together as part of the larger community.
Parents and children enjoy enriching inde-
pendent experiences throughout the week
as well as opportunities to share special
times together. Evening babysitting is avail-
able throughout the week for a small addi-
tional fee paid in advance. This year
through a generous grant from the Albin
Family Foundation we are able to offer a “2
for 1” deal on our children’s fees. Please see
our registration form.
NHC Kids Camp
At the NHC Kids Camp, children from 6
months to 12 years old develop their own
close-knit community. The camp program
emphasizes developing friendships through
shared experiences in art, music, sports,
Jewish programming and other recreational
activities. The Jewish components, espe-
cially important to the unique Kids Camp
experience, relate to the Institute’s theme
and are based on the havurah model – par-
ticipatory, diverse, and age-appropriate.
The camp is led by a dedicated and talent-
ed staff of professional educators, artists,
musicians and athletes, many of whom are
long-time Institute participants. In addi-
tion, the Kids Camp Specialist-in-
Residence leads exciting activities for each
age group.
Kids Camp features:
• All-camp gatherings each morning with
music, prayers, and stories
• Creative activities in art, music, theater
and dance
• Supervised outdoor recreation in a safe
environment
• Water play or swimming each day (weath-
er permitting)
• Creative, developmentally appropriate
Jewish learning for preschool children
• Community building with fun and Judaic
content for elementary school-age chil-
dren.
• Jewish-oriented playtime for babies and
toddlers
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 tal-
ents with the children.
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. Please con-
tact the NHC office if your child receives spe-
cial assistance at school during the year or in
other ways so we can help you plan for your
child’s needs.
The Teen Program
Every year teenagers at the Institute build a
teen community. This community provides
a home base and an inclusive group of
friends for the teen participants, most of
whom also attend with their families.
Designated adult advisors are available to
teenagers at all times for checking in and
trouble-shooting. Teens may work in the
Children’s Camp or the Institute office for a
reduction in registration fees. Please call the
NHC office for more information.
The Everett Fellowship and
Young Adult Programming
Everett Fellows:
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-col-
lege participation in the Jewish community.
Fellows participate in the full Institute pro-
gramming and in three workshops designed
specifically for them. They also participate
in special programming that is open to the
entire young adult community at the
Institute (described below). 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 a first-time adult attendee at the
NHC Summer Institute, at least one year
post-college age through 30, interested in
exploring havurah Judaism, and willing to
participate fully in the Institute.
Application:
Please email your application to
everettfellows@havurah.org by May 1, 2007.
To apply, please provide your name, com-
3
plete postal address, day and evening phone
numbers, email address, age, year of gradu-
ation and occupation.
Please provide brief answers to the follow-
ing 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 or by postal mail to
the NHC office). Please ask your recom-
menders to focus on your leadership and
community-building skills.
• A completed NHC Summer Institute reg-
istration form with a check for your fees
($120.00) made out to the NHC. Your
check will be held until you accept the
Fellowship.
Young Adult Programming (New!):
The 2007 Summer Institute will feature
brand new programming geared especially
for young adults (roughly post-college to
30). These programs will address questions
particularly relevant to this age group, such
as building and sustaining havurot for a
new generation, our Jewish identity(ies),
making Jewishly ethical life choices, and
networking and leadership support oppor-
tunities. The young adult programming
will combine the Everett Fellows with other
young adults at the Institute.
Franklin Pierce College
Franklin Pierce College is located among
the beautiful forests, lakes, and mountains
of southern New Hampshire, just 90 min-
utes from Boston and 4.5 hours from New
York City. The campus features ample con-
ference facilities with free internet access, a
variety of comfortable housing choices, and
a fitness center. Mt. Monadnock and the
White Mountains overlook the campus,
which also contains walking trails and a lake
for swimming and boating. There are
numerous campsites nearby if you would
like to take advantage of our commuter
rates.
Shabbat Guests
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 beauti-
ful, 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 afternoon will
include a variety of Shabbat-friendly
options including special extended work-
shops, text study, spirited singing, discus-
sion groups, hikes, pick-up sports, a board
game bonanza and more. Shabbat guests
should plan to arrive on Friday, August 10
between 1:30 and 3:15 pm. Programs for
the entire community begin around 3:00
pm. Please see the fee schedule for Shabbat-
only registration.
Special Workshop
Building a Virtual Beit Midrash
Ellen Frankel
Participants will be invited to critique and
help shape a new website being launched by
The Jewish Publication Society in Fall
2007. This site will feature a digital reposi-
tory of JPS materials related to the Bible,
hyperlinked to create a dynamic Mikra’ot
Gedolot. It will also employ Web 2.0 fea-
tures, including social networking, reputa-
tion software, and tagging capabilities that
will allow users to interact with texts, each
other, and with scholars and teachers.
Participants will be asked to critique a web-
site prototype, and to offer suggestions
about how best to use Internet technology
to enhance Jewish text study.
Students should have some familiarity with
traditional text study and be comfortable
using a computer and the Internet. No
Hebrew knowledge is required. Younger
participants (13-30) are especially encour-
aged to attend.
Ellen Frankel is the CEO and Editor-in-
Chief of The Jewish Publication Society, and
is the author of The Five Books of Miriam:
A Woman’s Commentary on the Torah and
The Classic Tales; The Encyclopedia of
Jewish Symbols, and contributes to the series,
My People’s Prayerbook. She is currently
directing the JPS web initiative. This will be
her 18th NHC Institute.
Course Descriptions
Every year the Institute features two Artists-
in-Residence, funded by a grant from the
Rita Poretsky Foundation. This year Leah
Lax (M-1) and Jesse Phillips-Fein (A-2) are
the Poretsky Artists-in-Residence. In addi-
tion to teaching their courses throughout
the week, they will lead community-wide
programs and bring arts activities to the
children’s camp.
Morning Courses
M-1 Memories to Memoir:
Recording Jewish Spiritual
Memories
Leah Lax
This course will facilitate the writing of
memoir. We will focus on those defining
moments in our lives that, at the time or in
retrospect, were pivotal in our spiritual
development, whether they introduced clar-
ity or confusion. We will weave into the
class our current Jewish learning. Students
are encouraged to bring in ideas and texts
from other classes to discuss for integration
into their writing. A very important part of
developing this personal “voice” on paper
will be learning to enable others to do so,
and so we will also learn interviewing tech-
niques, how to listen, and how to write in a
voice other than our own.
Poretsky Artist-in-Residence
Requirement: a desire to communicate our
individual spiritual legacies to significant
others and to future generations.
Leah Lax is one of the co-creators of The
Mikvah Project, a touring exhibit for which
Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.
she interviewed women about their mikvah
(ritual bath) experiences. (For more informa-
tion, see www.mikvahproject.com ) She is
writing a libretto for the Houston Grand
Opera based on her interviews of immigrants
in Houston, and will soon publish Now We
Speak, based on these interviews. At The
Melton Institute, she teaches courses in Jewish
Ethics, Haftarah (selections from the
prophets), and Literature by Jewish writers
around the world. She has an MFA in
Creative Writing from the University of
Houston.
Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours,
instead of the standard 1.5 hours); Arts and
Literature, Spirituality and Religious Life
M-3 The Voice of Torah and the
Torah of Voice: Singing as a
Physical and Spiritual Practice
Minna Bromberg
From the shore of the Sea of Reeds to the
Psalms and beyond, in praise, lament, tri-
umph and sorrow, singing connects us with
ourselves, each other, and the Divine.
Using our own voices and those which sing
in Jewish texts we will explore these themes:
voice as instrument, singing as “the quill of
the heart,” song and story, and singing as
opening to the Divine. Sources range from
Torah itself to a variety of Hasidic teach-
ings. Given the power of singing, it’s no
surprise that many of us experience our
voices as inhibited. This course welcomes
all voices.
Minna Bromberg is a singer-songwriter, rab-
binical student, and teacher of Torah. She
received her PhD in sociology from
Northwestern University and completed
Chochmat HaLev’s Jewish Meditation
Teacher certification program. After her years
of singing, sailing, and teaching environmen-
tal education aboard the Hudson River Sloop
Clearwater, Pete Seeger, Clearwater’s founder,
wrote, “Minna was the Clearwater’s best
singer up and down the Hudson. Now she’s
Clearwater’s loss but the world’s gain; sing on,
Minna, bind this world together!”
Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours,
instead of the standard 1.5 hours); Arts and
Literature, Spirituality and Religious Life
M-5 Progressive Kabbalah
Mitch Chefitz
Kabbalah in its broadest sense means Jewish
spiritual discipline. The Jewish people have
experienced a quantum jump in Jewish
spiritual discipline after every major trau-
ma: the visionary experience of Ezekiel
after the destruction of the first Temple, the
vision-quest of the generation of Akiva after
the destruction of the second Temple, the
speculations of the Lurianic community
after the expulsion from Spain, and now—
after the Shoah (Holocaust)—a new expres-
sion of Kabbalah built upon the experience
of the old.
What do we keep from the old? What will
we add that is new?
Mitch is the author of two novels and a col-
lection of stories, all with Jewish spiritual
themes. He has been teaching Torah, Talmud,
and Kabbalah and creating havurot for over
25 years. He was the director of the Havurah
of South Florida, and has just completed five
years as rabbi at Temple Israel of South
Florida. Read more about his work at
www.mitchellchefitz.com.
Spirituality and Religious Life
M-7 Is All Fair in War?
Richard Friedman
May a country use a bomb to kill terrorist
leaders if it knows that the bomb will likely
cause “collateral damage” (deaths of other,
innocent, individuals)? May a country use
torture to find out necessary information
from captured enemy soldiers? We will
study traditional halachic (legal) sources
4
Course Descriptions continued
bearing on issues of war and peace. Most or
all of the sources will be available in transla-
tion. Some experience with halachic
sources would be helpful, though not
essential.
Richard Friedman has taught text classes at
several Institutes. He also teaches Talmud and
Rashi’s Torah commentary at his shul (syna-
gogue) and at the Jewish Study Center in
Washington. He is a lawyer with the federal
government. He does not skydive, teach the
tango, or play left wing on an over-50 hockey
team, but he’s serious (if not always sober)
about text study.
Intermediate Text, Contemporary Issues
M-9 The Gospels as Midrash: A
Jewish Reading of the New
Testament
Adam Gordon
Many Christians see Jesus as a divine figure
whose words and actions superseded the
Torah. However, the Gospels at the start of
the New Testament find Jesus in the thick
of Torah—using familiar Jewish modes of
interpretation to debate the role of halacha
(religious law), class issues in society, and
much else. This class will use text study of
the Gospels and related texts from the
Tanach (Bible) to bring to life the debates in
Jewish society at the time Jesus lived, and
link those debates to similar issues within
Judaism today. Some prior exposure to
debates over Torah interpretation (whether
through Talmud study, other text-based
5
courses, or simply following contemporary
halachic debates within Judaism) will be
helpful. Relevant course materials will be
provided in English.
Adam Gordon is a civil rights attorney at Fair
Share Housing Center, a public interest law
firm in Cherry Hill, New Jersey focused on
providing affordable housing in New Jersey’s
most desirable communities. He also co-
founded and is the editor-in-chief of The
Next American City, a quarterly magazine
about the future of cities and suburbs that the
New York Times calls “a subtle plan to change
the world.” He holds a BA and JD from Yale
and lives outside of Philadelphia, where he is
involved with two new minyanim (prayer
communities).
Spirituality and Religious Life, Intermediate
Text
M-11 Israeli Poetry between War
and Peace
Hanoch Guy
Poetry reveals the deepest recesses of the
Israeli psyche in the last sixty years. From
the elation of the victory of 1948 and the
founding of the state sprang hope for peace.
Then came the realization that more wars
will have to be fought and terrorism will
have to be endured. Throughout the fifties,
sixties, and seventies some poets retreated
into alienation, and a few soared to fantasy.
The course will follow a journey of three
generations of soul-searching poets who
grapple with their existence and the exis-
tence of the state through joy, hardships,
and perseverance. Among the poets read
will be Amichai, Ravikovitz, Alterman,
Zelda, and Shemer. Creative writing will be
part of the course.
A special booklet is being prepared for the
course.
Hanoch Guy was born in Israel between citrus
orchards and olive groves. After his army serv-
ice he attended the Hebrew University in
Jerusalem where he wrote Hebrew poetry. In
the US since 1968, he completed a PhD in
modern poetry. He is a seasoned NHC teacher
and an emeritus professor of Hebrew
Literature at Temple University.
Arts and Literature, Contemporary Issues
M-13 Hitbodedut: Prayer in the
Breslov Tradition
Diane Klein
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810)
said, “It’s very good to pour out your heart
to God as you would to a true, good
friend.” A daily practice of hour-long (!)
personal vernacular prayer, out loud, often
in a natural setting, is a foundational com-
mitment of Breslov Hasidism. For those
accustomed to communal, standardized

prayer in the synagogue or shul (in English
or in Hebrew), or to private, silent prayer,
this practice is unusual and a little strange.
During the week of Institute, we will study
the “theory” of hitbodedut, including Rebbe
Nachman’s tale “The Master of Prayer,” its
role in “Hasidic psychology,” and also, each
class session, go out into the woods near
Franklin Pierce, engage in a few minutes of
hitbodedut, and come together as a group to
discuss it.
Diane Klein, a lawyer and law professor in
Los Angeles, California, has been attending
NHC Institutes since 2003. In 2004, she
taught a course on Rebbe Nachman’s tale “The
Seven Beggars.” She has been a student of
Breslov Hasidism since around 2000, and a
serious reader of Rebbe Nachman’s literary
works particularly, but confesses to being a
newcomer to the practice of hitbodedut,
notwithstanding the constant urging of her
Breslover friends!
Spiritual and Religious Life, Advanced Text
M-15 Shiviti: Praying with Our Eyes
Eleni Litt
While the second commandment prohibits
the making of “a carved image or any fig-
ure,” Jewish practice (supported by
Talmudic texts) acknowledges the reality
that Jews make art. In fact, a particular
form of Jewish visual art, the Shiviti (or
Mizrach) emerged in the Middle Ages as a
vehicle not only of spiritual contemplation,
but of serious Jewish creative practice. In
this class we will consider the Shiviti as
Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.
another kind of Jewish text—one
that uses images, numbers, and the
letters of the Hebrew alphabet, as
well as traditional texts, to express a
heartfelt desire to be close to God.
Reading these texts (as well as
Talmudic and midrashic texts about
image making) we will ask the ques-
tion: what does it mean to contem-
plate or gaze prayerfully at an image?
Along the way we will consider visu-
al images used for spiritual contem-
plation in other cultures, such as
Christian icons, Buddhist Mandalas,
and Muslim calligraphy and
arabesque. Finally, we will consider
the danger of the image as idol,
kitsch, and cliché.
Eleni is a visual artist and independent schol-
ar, combining her interests in art history,
anthropology and Jewish studies with paint-
ing, drawing and collage. She is a long-time
Havurah teacher having taught on a variety
of Jewish cultural practices and texts. She lives
and davens (prays) in Princeton, NJ, and
commutes daily to The New School in New
York City where she works.
Arts and Literature, Spirituality and
Religious Life
M-17 Us and Them: Four Texts,
Multiple Interpretations
Alicia Ostriker
In this course we will read and discuss
Genesis 16-21 (the Sarah-Hagar rivalry),
Judges 13-16 (the Samson story), the Book
of Ruth, and Jonah. What is the us-them
relation in each story? What values and
issues are involved? What are the personali-
ties? Is it possible to imagine different out-
comes? What is the significance of these sto-
ries in our private and public lives today?
After discussing the texts and previous
interpretations of them, participants will
have the opportunity to write their own
midrashim (rabbinic stories), using a combi-
nation of meditation and free-writing
techniques.
Alicia Ostriker is a prize-winning poet, critic
and midrashist, professor emerita of English at
Rutgers University, currently teaching in the
low-residency MFA program of New England
College. She is the author of The Nakedness
of the Fathers: Biblical Visions and
Revisions (1994) and For the Love of God:
The Bible as an Open Book (2006).
Contemporary Issues, Arts and Literature
M-19 Founding Families Shared by
Judaism and Islam: A Respectful
Exploration
Dawn Rose
The stories of Abraham and his descendants
comprise nearly all of Genesis and are cen-
tral to our understanding of the Torah as a
whole. These stories are likewise funda-
mental to our histories, religion, and identi-
ties. Much of this same family and lineage
also appears in the Koran, and is similarly
central to Islamic religion and self-under-
standing. The juxtaposition of these stories
is both startling and revelatory. Seeing our
patriarchs and matriarchs through the lens
of Islam not only enables us to understand
our Muslim neighbors a little better, but
also to reflect back on our own tradition
from an entirely new angle. This class will
respectfully and critically explore these sim-
ilarities and differences.
Dawn Rose has a doctorate in Jewish
Philosophy, has taught at two rabbinical sem-
inaries, has published many articles, and is
now Rabbi of the Norwich Jewish Center in
New York. Currently, she is researching and
writing on the interfaces between Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
Contemporary Issues; Suited for Families
6
Course Descriptions continued
M-21 Incorporating Yiddish
Language, Music, and Folkways
into our Havurot
Ron Schnur
This course will provide a taste of Yiddish
language, idioms, folkways, music, and
dance, with the focus being to find ways to
preserve some of our Yiddish heritage with-
in the havurah. Each 90-minute class will
be a mosaic of 4 or 5 components, consist-
ing of Yiddish language, film, stories, poet-
ry, music, dance, folkways, and customs,
designed to create a rich pattern of the
Yiddish experience.
Ron Schnur is a long-time participant and
former teacher at the NHC Summer Institute.
Ron studied Yiddish at the Columbia
University/YIVO program and is a regular at
Klezkamp Yiddish Folk Arts institutes, as well
as being a hanger-on in good standing at a
number of obscure but worthy Yiddish organ-
izations.
Arts and Literature, History and Culture
M-23 Learned of Adonai
Jonah Steinberg
What can human beings know of God?
How is such knowledge acquired, and what
difference should the learning of it make?
Jewish sources from the Tanach to the 21st
century affirm, in various ways, that God is
beyond human knowing, but that has rarely
dampened the Jewish quest to know every
secret of God’s mystery. In this Beit Midrash
style course, combining introductions, first-
hand encounter with the sources in hevruta
(study pairs), and group discussion, we will
7
follow a trail of Jewish questing for
knowledge of God from ancient
times to our very own. The sessions
are designed to satisfy advanced
learners while supporting beginners
as well. Since discussions will focus
on the words of the text, an elemen-
tary ability to read Hebrew is strong-
ly recommended.
Jonah Steinberg is Associate Dean and
Director of Talmudic Studies at 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
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Jonah is
co-founder of Hebrew College’s Open Bet
Midrash Initiative and has facilitated first-
hand encounters with traditional sources in
community settings throughout North
American and beyond. He received the New
Scholar Award from the Journal of Feminist
Studies in Religion.
Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours,
instead of the standard 1.5 hours);
Intermediate Text
M-25 A Wheel in Spin: Tzedakah
by the Numbers
Regina Sandler-Phillips
Biblical and Talmudic sources recommend
tzedakah (righteous giving) to safeguard the
peace and well-being of our own children.
Yet contemporary American giving falls
painfully short of rabbinic standards for
ma’aser kesafim (monetary tithing).
Through a Jewish spiritual approach to per-
sonal finance, we will seek to balance
responsibilities to our families with broader
concerns for justice. We’ll explore Mar
Ukba’s 50/50 approach to estate planning,
practical applications of Maimonides’ eight
levels of giving, and the teaching of Rabbi
Yishmael’s academy—based on the Torah
portion for the week of this Institute—that
“poverty is a wheel that revolves in the
world.”
Regina Sandler-Phillips serves as rabbi of the
Free Synagogue of Flushing, NY, and also
works through Ways of Peace Consulting and
Educational Services. She holds master’s
degrees in social work and public health, and
has served as a chaplain, educator, and “singer
provocateur” in Israel as well as the U.S.
Regina tithes 20% of her income to tzedakah,
and has taught at five previous NHC
Summer Institutes.
Spirituality and Religious Life, Intermediate
Text; Suited for Families
Afternoon Courses
A-2 This I Believe: The Movement
of Conviction
Jesse Phillips-Fein
Using writing as an entry point, we will
explore the relationship between our moral-
ity and our physicality. Grounded in con-
temporary modern dance exploration and
improvisation, we will build dances where
we “try on” each other’s beliefs, and investi-
gate our connection to our own. In each
session, we will warm up our bodies to
dance together, explore movement themes
based on our writing, and collaboratively
create and rehearse a piece of choreography
to perform. This course offers a unique
platform for investigating different view-
points and feelings about culture and iden-
tity, and offers new experiences in dance
and movement as self-expression. No prior
dance or performance experience is neces-
sary!
Poretsky Artist-in-Residence
Jesse Phillips-Fein, a Brooklyn, NY native,
studied modern dance, African & Afro-
Caribbean dance, ballet, and improvisation
at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange/BAX, Smith
College (BA in Dance & Anthropology), and

the Laban Centre, London. Her choreography
focuses on how large social/natural forces affect
the fabric of an individual life. Her work has
been presented throughout New York City, in
Maine, Colorado, and New Jersey. She has
received grants from the Brooklyn Arts
Council, Lower Manhattan Cultural
Council, and the Puffin Foundation. She
teaches dance at Brooklyn Friends School.
Jesse’s teaching is grounded in Laban’s princi-
ples of movement analysis, and the communi-
ty dance philosophy of the Liz Lerman Dance
Exchange, which supports the accessibility of
dance to all people.
Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours,
instead of the standard 1.5 hours); Arts and
Literature; Suited for Families
A-4 “God looked into the Torah
and created the world” — Bereishit
(Genesis) Rabbah
Sarah Chandler
It has been said that when the Jewish peo-
ple became a people of the book, we ceased
to be the people of the land. In this course,
we will reconnect to the land through text
study, daily chanting and meditation,
hands-on earth science lessons, tree identifi-
cations, learning wild edible and medicinal
local species (such as plants, trees and
mushrooms), and more. Each day will be
spent wandering the forest of Franklin
Pierce college, discovering new paths of
connection with nature, each other, and
ourselves. This will be a physically active
course. Each class period will be outside
and in the woods rain or shine; the only
exception being severe thunderstorms.
Participants must bring shoes suitable for
hiking, rain gear, and an adventurous atti-
tude. Minimal good physical health recom-
mended. Sarah is certified in
emergency/wilderness first aid.
Sarah is a founder of Kol Zimrah
NYC and a contributing editor to
Jewschool.com, RadicalTorah.org,
and Zeek: A Jewish Journal of
Thought and Culture. A former
educator and curriculum writer for
Teva Learning Center, Sarah current-
ly serves as Education Director of
West End Synagogue in Manhattan.
Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.
Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours,
instead of the standard 1.5 hours);
Contemporary Issues, Spirituality and
Religious Life
A-6 Methodologies in Reading the
Chumash: A Text Lab
James Diamond
There are many ways to read the Chumash
(Torah). The course explores how some of
the major approaches such as source criti-
cism, literary analysis, and feminist reading
work. We will collectively place some key
episodes under the textual microscope and
see how the parts and the whole interrelate.
The hope is that participants will emerge
with a heightened ability to see the
Chumash text with new eyes. Participants
should bring to class a Hebrew Chumash
and, if possible, Richard E. Friedman’s
English translation The Bible with Sources
Revealed.
James S. Diamond, whose teaching style is
dialogical and collaborative, teaches in the
Program in Judaic Studies and the Near
Eastern Studies Department at Princeton
University. He was ordained from the Jewish
Theological Seminary and holds a PhD in
Comparative Literature from Indiana
University.
Advanced Text
A-8 Tikkun Kelalit — 10 Psalms for
Healing
Susan Gulack
Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav prescribed the
recitation of 10 specific psalms as a general
cure for all sorts of problems. In this course
we will explore these psalms in ways that
will make them our own. We will read
them closely and creatively, meditate and
write about them, and make an artistic
interpretation of them for ourselves. We
will explore three psalms each day, using a
different technique each time, and creating
an art piece reflecting on favorite verse(s).
Susan Gulack has been exploring prayer for
40 years. She is working on a poetic interpre-
tation of psalms, written after meditating on
psalms while working out. She is a chaplain
at three prisons, a psychiatric hospital, and a
VA hospital.
Spirituality and Religious Life
A-10 Secrets of the Matriarchs
Marisa Harford
Using critical Biblical analysis, archeologi-
cal evidence, and a close reading of the
Tanach (Bible), we will explore theories
which suggest that the matriarchs belonged
to a distinct culture in which women, trac-
ing their succession through the maternal
line, were the custodians of the family’s reli-
gious life. These theories assert that the
matriarchs were priestesses and that the
story of Genesis is partially the story of their
attempt to maintain their own spiritual her-
itage. We will delve into the implications
these questions have for our reading of the
Torah, and create our own midrashic read-
ings of Genesis informed by these theories.
No prerequisites, although familiarity with
the stories of the book of Bereishit (Genesis)
will be helpful. Texts will be provided in
Hebrew and English.
Marisa Harford spends her days analyzing lit-
erature with high school students in New York
City. She has studied Jewish texts at Drisha
and with her hevruta of 5 years, and has
taught at Kehilat Hadar and the NHC. She
sings whenever possible.
History and Culture
A-12 A Textual Ethics for a New
Era: Constructing a Practical Sexual
Ethic from Traditional Wisdom
Spencer Merolla
Some three decades after the sexual revolu-
tion, negotiating the terrain of dating and
sex remains a challenge. And traditional
8
Course Descriptions continued
Jewish sources have very little to say about
sex outside of the context of marriage. This
silence leaves single sexually active people
without a system of sexual ethics grounded
in Jewish principles. This class examines
several rabbinic texts on non-sexual mat-
ters, determining the ethical principles in
operation. We will then apply those princi-
ples to some of the questions that arise in
the context of sexual negotiation, attempt-
ing to create a workable ethics of sexuality
informed by the wisdom of Jewish tradi-
tion.
Spencer Merolla is a graduate student in
Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU and a
former Everett Fellow. Having learned at the
NHC, Svara (a queer yeshiva), the
Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and
Drisha in New York, she believes all things
are possible if one is willing to think far
enough outside of the box. In relation to her
work at the Pro-Choice Public Education
Project (PEP), she has presented research
findings on reproductive rights and youth to
many audiences. Spencer is sensitive to people
with different textual literacy levels. She
makes people feel comfortable while respect-
ing their boundaries and allowing them to
participate on their own terms.
Contemporary Issues, Intermediate Text
A-14 The Mystical Practice of
Zohar Study
Jay Michaelson
If you have a basic understanding of
Kabbalah, studying the Zohar directly is the
logical next step, and it’s not beyond your
9
reach. This class will
give you a taste of the
practice of Zohar study,
and provide some tools
so you can make it part
of your life. We will
engage directly with the
Zohar text (in English
but with the original
handy). We will read
slowly and deeply,
exploring some of the
deepest questions of the
Kabbalah including
unity and multiplicity,
eroticism, the flow of
Divine energies, the sefirot (aspects of
God), and the nature of God. Familiarity
with Kabbalistic concepts is a useful prereq-
uisite.
Jay Michaelson (www.metatronics.net) has
taught Kabbalah and spirituality for fifteen
years, from Yale University to Burning Man,
National Public Radio to Elat Chayyim. He
is a PhD candidate at Hebrew University
and a graduate of Elat Chayyim’s Jewish
Meditation Advanced Training program. Jay
is also the author of the book God in Your
Body: Kabbalah, Mindfulness, and
Embodied Spiritual Practice, a columnist
for the Forward newspaper, and the creator of
learnkabbalah.com.
Spirituality and Religious Practice,
Intermediate Text
A-16 Hands-On Torah
Linda Motzkin
This course will provide a whole new way
to experience Torah: through the hands-on
process of creating the physical materials
used in making a Torah scroll. Participants
will take a cleaned animal hide through the
stages of wringing, stretching on a frame,
scraping, and sanding to make a single
panel of parchment, sanctifying the process
as we go. We will also cut writing quills
from feathers and/or reeds, and try our
hands at writing Hebrew letters in scribal
script. We will study some texts on making
Torah, and explore connections between
physical materials and spiritual experience.
Linda Motzkin is co-rabbi, together with her
husband Jonathan Rubenstein, at Temple
Sinai of Saratoga Springs, NY, in addition to
being the Jewish Chaplain at Skidmore
College. She is a soferet (scribe) who makes
her own parchment and ink, teaches about
scribal arts, and has just finished writing a
scroll of Esther for her synagogue.
Arts and Literature, Spirituality and
Religious Life; Suited for Families
A-18 Advanced Talmud: White
Sheets and Groomsmen, or: The
Wedding Night
Michael Rosenberg and Miriam-Simma
Walfish
The purpose of this course is to develop
skills in reading parallel texts and classical
commentators in order to understand bet-
ter the values behind Talmudic texts. Our
text for the week will be sugyot (discus-
sions) from Massechtot Ketubot and Niddah,
dealing with questions relating to the wed-
ding night: what might partners expect of
the wedding night and/or their first sexual
experiences? How is the wedding night
understood by the Rabbis? This course is
intended for students who already have
facility in decoding and understanding the
Hebrew/Aramaic text of the Talmud (with
a dictionary). All texts will be studied in
the original Hebrew/Aramaic. We will ask
participants to prepare one chapter of
Mishnah in advance of the Institute.
Michael Rosenberg and Miriam-Simma
Walfish will be moving to the United States
shortly before this year’s Institute, after living
and studying in Israel for the last three years.
Miriam-Simma has studied Talmud and
Jewish law at Drisha, the Hebrew University,

the Northwoods Kollel, Midreshet Ein ha-
Natziv, and Pardes. In the fall, she will begin
teaching in a Jewish day school. Michael has
studied at the Northwoods Kollel and
Yeshivat Ma’ale Gilboa, and he is currently
working on a PhD in Talmud and Rabbinic
Literature at the Jewish Theological
Seminary.
Extended Format (each session is 2.5 hours,
instead of the standard 1.5 hours);
Advanced Text, Contemporary Issues
A-20 A Taste of Talmud
Joseph G. Rosenstein
Is the Talmud a mystery to you? Here’s
your chance to get a taste of how the
Talmud works. In this course, we will
study a few pages of the Talmud, but we
will focus on the flavor of the discussion as
much as on its content, so that participants
will get an appreciation for how each page
records debates involving people with dif-
ferent perspectives and conversations
reaching across many generations.
Translations and transliterations will be
used to convey the meaning and sound of
the text.
Joe Rosenstein is a founder and former chair
of the NHC and of the NHC 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 whose focus is K-12 mathematics
education. He and his wife Judy are blessed
with five daughters, two sons-in-law, and
three grandchildren.
A-22 Here and Hearing: A Poetry
Workshop
Carly Sachs
We are in constant motion. How then do
we settle in to our own writing—to really
listen to ourselves and the world around us?
The Shema invites us to listen as a people
(Hear O Israel) and this workshop will lead
participants through various writing exer-
cises that will enable us to slow down and
really hear what is it the world is telling us
and what we are telling ourselves. Through
the exploration of Jewish texts, politics,
Unless specified as intermediate or advanced, all text study courses will be accessible to everyone.
nature, meditation, and art,
we will listen to the different
spheres that influence us and
examine how they slip into
our conscious and subcon-
scious minds. Drawing in,
we will listen and write
together, hearing the way the
world around us shapes us
here, in the present.
Carly Sachs teaches Creative
Writing at The George
Washington University in
Washington DC where she
also curates The Burlesque
Temple period at the Pontifical Biblical
Poetry Hour at Bar Rouge. Her first book of
Institute and directs the Cardinal Bea Centre
poems, the steam sequence, won the
for Judaic Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian
Washington Writers’ Publishing House first
University in Rome.
book prize in 2006. She has taught poetry
workshops for high school students in Virginia Intermediate Text
and New York City. Recently she was nomi-
nated for a Pushcart Prize and was a finalist
for the Ekphrasis Prize for Poetry. More A-26 Making Great Your Personal
information about Carly can be found at Peace: Tikkun Middot (Improving
http://fallencitywriters.com/Sachs.htm. Your Soul-Traits)
Pamela Wax
Arts and Literature
Increasing the peace of our children begins
with honest self-reflection, seeing how our
A-24 Continuity and Change in
tendencies and habits might obstruct our
Second Temple Judaism: Readings
own holiness from shining more brightly,
from the Dead Sea Scrolls
and implementing a plan for change. This
Joseph Sievers
course will be both an introduction to the
history and practice of Tikkun Middot
The Dead Sea Scrolls are witnesses to peo-
(alternatively called Mussar or Cheshbon
ple who were grappling with a developing
haNefesh practice) and an opportunity to
canon of sacred scriptures. In part, they
begin the practice through a variety of
faithfully transmitted these texts; in part
modalities such as prayer, writing exercises,
they tried to apply them to their own situ-
meditation, text study, music/chant, hevru-
ation and to the near future. In part they
ta sharing, story-telling, and concrete
reached new and surprising conclusions. In
actions to be taken while at the Institute.
this course we will read texts from
Journaling and hevruta check-ins outside of
Qumran, in the original and/or in transla-
class time are recommended, but not
tion, proceeding from copies of biblical
required.
texts (including Isaiah 54:13) to various
forms of biblical interpretation. We will ask
Pamela Wax is the staff rabbi and spiritual
what these people were trying to achieve
care coordinator at Westchester Jewish
and how this may relate to our own search
Community Services in Hartsdale, NY,
for meaning. Knowledge of Hebrew is
where she provides pastoral counseling and
advantageous but not required.
spiritual direction, trains the clinical staff on
spiritual issues, and administers the WJCS
Joseph Sievers has participated in six previous
Jewish Healing Center. She uses the practice
Summer Institutes. A member of a Catholic
of Tikkun Middot extensively in her work
community, he finds that he shares many val-
with clients.
ues and concerns of members of the Havurah
movement. He teaches history of the Second Spirituality and Religious Life
10
 The closing program on Sunday, August 12
ends around 10:30 am and the Institute
concludes at 11:30 am.

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 feel free to
call the NHC office for more information.

Transportation
Housing Commuters or Camping Franklin Pierce College is located off Route
Three comfortable, modern housing Anyone who lives near the campus can par- 119 in Rindge, NH, just north of the
options are available. ticipate at a reduced cost by registering as a Massachusetts border. Approximate driving
The suites building in the center of commuter. Commuter registration includes time is 4.5 hours from New York City and
campus is air-conditioned and accessible to all meals and full participation in all pro- 90 minutes from Boston. The closest air-
those with special mobility needs. Each grams. There are numerous campsites near- ports are in Manchester, NH and Boston,
suite has six bedrooms with two twin beds by if you would like to take advantage of MA. Ride-share arrangements will be pro-
per room, one bathroom with three showers our commuter rate (search the web using vided in the confirmation website.
and sinks, a living room, and a kitchenette “Campsites, Rindge, NH” to find some
with refrigerator and microwave oven. options).
Suites are generally designated for fami-
lies with children under the age of 10 (to Arrival and departure times
facilitate babysitting) and people with spe-
Check-in starts at 1:30 pm on Monday
cial mobility needs.
August 6. There will be snacks for those
The apartments are located near the
who arrive early, but not lunch; the first
suites. Each apartment has two bedrooms
Institute meal is dinner. There will be a
with two twin beds per room, 1.5 baths, a
welcoming program for first timers at 3:45;
living room, and a kitchen with refrigerator,
followed by the opening program at 4:30
stove, and dining area. The apartments do
pm. Classes begin on Tuesday morning.
not have air-conditioning; however, the
mountain climate usually makes air-condi-
tioning 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 contain three
bedrooms with two twin beds each, three
full bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room
area. The townhouses are air-conditioned.
All accommodations have parking, washing
machines, and dryers nearby.
Please indicate your housing preference
on the registration form.

11
 REGISTRATION FORM
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 summer vacation!) We know this
still 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 line at the end of the registration form.

Who will be attending? (please print) before after How

June 15 June 15 Many $ DUE
Adult #1 *NHC membership dues
($40 per adult or $80 per household)
Name
Fee Schedule
Age Gender Occupation Adult Resident $800 $825
Day Phone Eve Phone ^Adult Commuter $600 $625
E-mail* Full-time Student Resident $577 $602
Address ^Full-time Student Commuter $433 $458
Children (6 months to 12 years)
City State Zip
Child #1 $255 $280
Child #2 Free
Adult #2 2-for-1 registration for children 12 and under
Name has been made possible through a generous
grant from the Albin Family Foundation
Age Gender Occupation Child #3 $255 $280
Day Phone Eve Phone Child #4 Free
Prepaid Babysitting, per child
E-mail*
(age 10 & under, 6 nights) $60 $80
Address Limited-Income Resident $577 $602
City State Zip ^Limited-Income Commuter $433 $458
*Registration confirmation will be sent by e-mail. If you would like +Shabbat-Only Adult $267 $292
postal confirmation, check here. ❏ +Shabbat-Only Child $117 $142
(6 months to 12 years)
Children/Teens Attending Institute* +Shabbat-Limited Income $192 $217
#1 Name Age Grade Gender Single-room supplement $125
Shared bath
#2 Name Age Grade Gender
Single-room supplement $150
#3 Name Age Grade Gender Private bath, air conditioining
Private apartment $250
#4 Name Age Grade Gender
2 bedroooms
*Indicate age as of August 2006 and the grade the child will be enter- Private townhouse $300
ing in September 2007. 3 bedrooms, air conditioning
Private-use golf cart $250
Class Preferences
List three class choices per session, in order of preference. List each Subtotal Fees Above
course by its number (e.g.,M-3,A-2).Classes are filled in order of
Optional cancellation insurance
postmark; you are assigned to your highest preference course that (Multiply subtotal above by .05)
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 Afternoon Morning Afternoon Total Amount Due
1st choice Amount Enclosed
(Through 6/15,minimum of 50%of total. After 6/15,enclose total due.)
2nd choice
PLEASE REGISTER EARLY
3rd choice 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.
Financial Assistance Mail this form with your credit card information or check
❏ Applying for Everett Fellowship payable to “National Havurah Committee” to:
(See page 3 for application information.) National Havurah Committee
❏ Please contact the NHC office before applying for work-study 7135 Germantown Avenue,2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19119-1842
(See www.havurah.org for work-study job descriptions.)
Questions? Call (215)248-1335 or e-mail institute@havurah.org
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
The NHC operates on the principle that everyone has some-
thing 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.
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 5 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.
Propose A Workshop (July 5 Deadline)
Everyone is encouraged to lead a workshop! List your topic
here and, by July 5, email workshops@havurah.org 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, what year did you last join us? ________________
How did you hear about the Summer Institute?
Do you participate in a havurah, minyan, congregation or
Jewish school? Please provide its name and location.
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.
PLEASE COMPLETE ENROLLMENT INFORMATION ON REVERSE SIDE BEFORE MAILING
Housing Preference
All of our housing is double occupancy (unless you pay for a sin-
gle). If you register with another person, we will house you
together, unless you indicate otherwise. If you have mobility con-
cerns that impact the distance you can walk, please give us a call
so we can best accommodate your needs.
If you are attending with young children we will house you in
the suites to facilitate evening babysitting. Those not needing this
service should indicate their housing preference:
❏ 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 don’t?
Y / N
Permission to be Photographed
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
Purchasing cancellation insurance at the rate of 5% of your total
Institute fees (resident or commuter fees) will enable you to
receive a partial refund in the event that you must cancel due to
unforeseen circumstances. Please read our cancellation policy on
the next page.
❏ 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 #
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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 Institute@Havurah.org
BALANCE DUE BY JUNE 15
Need extra financial
assistance for the Insititute?
It may be possible to secure financial help to
attend the Institute from other sources.
Some attendees who belong to a synagogue
have secured help from their rabbi’s discre-
tionary fund, some Jewish educators have
received help to attend as a form of profes-
sional development, and some college stu-
dents 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. Some other Jewish federations may
have similar funds for children’s participa-
tion in Institute Kids Camp. Before con-
cluding 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 $485 plus NHC dues and participate
fully in the rest of the program. To apply for
a work-study position, check www.havu-
rah.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 15, 2007.
NHC Online
Check out the NHC’s website at
www.havurah.org for late-breaking Institute
information and updates on courses and
programs. All Institute registrants are auto-
matically 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 havu-
rah-related issues, and nhc-discuss, an open
discussion forum on topics of interest to
members of the NHC community.
Cancellation Policy and Cancellation Insurance
Purchasing cancellation insurance at the
rate of 5% of your total Institute fees (resi-
dent or commuter fees) will enable you to
receive a partial refund in the event that you
must cancel due to unforeseen circum-
stances. If you have cancellation insurance
and must cancel before August 2nd, you
will receive a refund of your Institute fees
minus a $25 administrative fee per person.
If you cancel after August 2nd, 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 can-
cel, 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 14 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 incur-
ring a penalty.
Membership dues are non-refundable
and tax deductible. Administrative fees
retained by the NHC may be considered a
tax deductible contribution.
 Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
National Havurah Committee PAID
7135 Germantown Avenue Bensalem, PA
2nd Floor Permit No. 182
Philadelphia, PA 19119-1842

Forwarding Service Requested

Dates to Remember:
Register by April 15 for FREE Cancellation Insurance
Want to receive our brochure and
Register by June 15 and Save! 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
email from now on.

Sunday May 6/Lag B’Omer: Save the date for a “Taste of Summer” NHC potluck in your area: Havurah-niks
around the country will host potluck gatherings at which 2007 Institute teachers will offer a preview of their
courses, and you can connect or re-connect with Institute attendees in your neighborhood.
For details, or to volunteer your home for a potluck, email potlucks@havurah.org.

NHC Board of Directors Linda Emanuel Janet Hollander (1995-1997) Michael Masch Managing Director
Marisa Harford Leonard Gordon (1997-1999) Miriam May Christine Oliger
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Steve Lewis Solomon Mowshowitz Victor Miller
Chair: Bettyrose Nelson (1999-2001) Anne Mintz Planning Committee Chairs
Sherry Israel Mike Rappeport Neil Zatz Litt (2001-2003) Vanessa Ochs Suzanne Feinspan
Vice Chair: Dan Richman Mark Frydenberg (2003-2006) Drorah O’Donnell Setel
Sandy Sussman Elizabeth Richman Sherry Israel (2006 - ) Michael Paley Course Committee Chairs
Treasurer: David Rogoff Neil Reisner Janet Hollander
Howard Wial Dawn Rose NHC Advisory Board Louis Rieser Neil Litt
Secretary: Jody Seltzer Samuel Barth Harry Rosenbluh
Jane Rothstein Judith Baumann Carl Sheingold Photos
Immediate Past Chair: PAST CHAIRS Debra Cash David Shneyer Uel Bergey
Mark Frydenberg Elaine Cohen (1980) Marcia Falk Harold Schulweis Jay Brodbar
Michael Strassfeld (1981-1983) Merle Feld Matthew Thomases Chris Ezri
MEMBERS AT LARGE Joe Rosenstein (1983-1985) Susan Fendrick Max Ticktin Ben Fleischer
Russ Agdern Robert Goldenberg Ellen Frankel Moshe Waldoks Mark Frydenberg
Adrienne Asch (1985-1987) Robert Goldenberg Shoshana Waskow Susan Klein
Annie Bass Mitch Chefitz (1987-1989) Robert Goldston Deborah Waxman
Ceidlen Beller Ruth Goldston (1989-1991) Arthur Green Fran Zeitler Cover Art
Sarah Brodbar-Nemzer Herb Levine (1991-1993) Barry Holtz Sarah Beller
Ben Dreyfus Steve Lewis (1993-1995) Frank Loeffler

National Havurah Committee

2 9 th S U M M E R I N S T I T U T E
August 6-12, 2007 • Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH

Phone: (215) 248-1335 • Fax: (215) 248-9760 • E-mail: Institute@havurah.org • Website: www.havurah.org