Current havurot open to new members
Comedy Improv, Karen Pettinelli
Throughout Jewish history, humor has been a key strategy in persevering through difficult times. This comedy improv havurah gathers monthly on Monday evenings to practice comedy improv techniques together. If you have any experience- however limited- in comedy, improv, or acting, you’re welcome to join us as we play short- and long-form games and hone our improv skills as individuals and as a group. We are creating a space to foster connection and nourish our souls through playfulness.
Creative Writing, Chaya Grossberg
Creative Writing Havurah for writers who are focused on long-term writing projects.
This havurah welcomes writers at all levels of experience who are already writing a longer form work and those who want to start one or turn a shorter piece into something more sustained and substantial. Participants might work on a memoir, novel, collection of poems, collection of short stories etc.
At each meeting, we will check in with members about their writing project, spend time working on longer-term projects and share with each other as desired. Members will be encouraged to connect between meetings for support and solidarity, if they want.
Meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at CBI.
The Found Tribe: A Jews of Color Havurah, Emet Marwell
Are you a Jew of Color (JOC) looking for a tight-knit community with others who truly understand both the challenges and joys of being a JOC? Join The Found Tribe, a havurah for self-identified JOCs to build community, find support, go on fun adventures, and just hang out.
*A note on the name: Out of the 12 Tribes of Israel, 10 are considered lost. Many have theorized that specific pockets of Jewish communities (who often could be considered People of Color) around the world are descendants of one of the Lost Tribes. The name “The Found Tribe” evokes a sense of belonging and reclamation of JOC’s place in Jewish spaces.
Healing Circle, Bonnie Diamond
The Healing Circle Havurah is a spiritual support group for people living with illness. It is based on the belief that illness can deepen our spiritual journeys, and provide an opportunity to connect more deeply with ourselves, with the sacred, and with those that we care about. The group fosters ways to listen to our inner wisdom and provides a safe space to cultivate kindness, patience and love. Monthly meetings are held on Sundays at 4:00, in person at CBI.
Hearing Our Voices, Knowing Our Stories: Women in Jewish Texts, Tiertza -Leah Schwartz
Interested in learning about the stories of women in Jewish texts? Wondering what their relevance is to us today? Join for a monthly discussion of Jewish women in text. We'll read, learn, and explore the stories of these powerful ancestors. We meet monthly on the second Tuesday of the month from 5:15-6:45 mostly on Zoom and occasionally in person.
Mah Jongg, Beverly Blatt
Monthly gatherings bring people together for playing, conversation, and learning. All levels are welcome including those new to the game who can learn from experienced players in the group. Meetings are held at CBI on the first Thursday evening of the month.
Storytelling, Chaya Grossberg
Join this monthly group to craft and to share your stories. The focus will be on storytelling as a performance art, not a support group vibe. Themes will vary and speakers can ask for positive and constructive feedback from the group, if desired. Participants will work with humor, emotional evocation, physical scenery, painting a picture, and different storytelling styles.
Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
In this Havurah we will meet to share our stories of our childhood sexual abuse in hopes that connecting in a group will help us heal collectively. We will read healing texts – prayers, poems and even sing songs. Group members can bring art, poems and songs that they created that are helping with their healing process. We will share our pain and be witnessed by others. We will end with a meditation. During our shares we will simply witness and listen and not respond to anything the person shared. We know that being heard and having space held for us is how we transform our isolating pain to an empowering connection. Our shares can be about what happened in childhood or anything else we are dealing with currently. For the sake of everyone in the room, our shares won’t contain graphic details. If our abusers are Jewish and give us complicated feelings regarding Judaism, we will work to disentangle the abuse from Judaism and find ways to heal with Jewish prayers. If our abusers are family members, we will find ways to create new family, and new loving relationships. We will do rituals to remove the abuse from our bodies. We will find ways to not be steered by these deep wounds anymore. We know that healing is possible, especially when we are together, especially when we share our pain and when we hold the pain of others. This will be a peer-led group. It is not therapy and will not be run by a therapist. We meet the second Thursday of every month at 7:15pm in classroom 2 at CBI. Email Amy Stein to be connected to the leader of this havurah or just show up. If you wish to remain anonymous you can email Amy with a different email or name. We won’t disclose any information that is shared in the meetings nor will we disclose who comes to the meetings. All genders welcome.
Ukulele, Donna Sarro
Fans of the ukulele unite! Whether you are an experienced player or are brand new to this instrument and want to learn, this havurah is for you. Gatherings include playing, learning, singing, and exploring music ranging from Jewish music and klezmer to all kinds of secular music that members of the group want to play together. Some instruments will be available to borrow. Meetings are held every two weeks at 6:00 pm on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.
Women’s Niggunim Sound Healing, Nina Umai Spiro
During monthly gatherings, we focus on experiencing the power of our own voices as spiritual sound healing instruments while singing sacred niggunim together as living prayers. Each woman is invited to bring a niggun to sing in our circle and will be joined by all our voices in unison. The havurah meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm on Abundance Farm.
*Nigun (plural Niggunim), meaning “tune” or “melody” is a form of Jewish religious song or tune sung in groups. It features repetitive sounds instead of formal lyrics.
