SAVE THE DATE!
URJ Greene Family Camp
Bruceville, TX
May 19 - 22, 2024

 

Hava Nashira, the first professional gathering dedicated to Jewish songleading when launched in 1991, was built by Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) and URJ Camping, led by the visionaries Debbie Friedman (z"l) and Cantor Jeff Klepper. The Union for Reform Judaism maintains its historic commitment to Hava Nashira, and supports it through a lead sponsorship.

 

The conference has evolved over its 30 +years. From about 20 people in 1992 to more than 130 in 2023, and from a focus solely on camp songleading in the Reform Movement to the addition of music for children and families, deep spiritual worship and percussion, chant and new sounds in Jewish life, the program always grows to meet the current and future vision of singing in Jewish spaces. 

 

Hava Nashira now sits at an intersection of movements and denominations, of expressions of Jewish living, and gathers teachers from across the Jewish world, along with participants who value gathering to share the best thinking about where worship and communal singing can take us together. The conference is always held at a summer camp site, giving participants the space and the setting to recharge, connect with nature, and dream big. 

 

Hava Nashira invites its community to become translators of the powerful repertoire, learning, and worship styles presented during the conference. The program and teaching staff is committed to not only nourishing the souls of those who attend with joyful and uplifting prayer and song sessions, but also to giving you skills, resources, and best principles to bring home to your teams, so you can move your sacred communities along on their unique journey toward more meaningful worship and richer communal singing.

 

Please make sure to join our Hava Nashira Facebook page to stay connected and meet newcomers. This is a great place for you to find a roommate, arrange group transportation, and crowdsource resources.

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Faculty will be announced soon, and while a few parts of the programmatic flow might change,  we invite you to take a look at the program from Hava Nashira 2023 to get a sense of the schedule, the courses offered in 2023, and the opportunities for learning and relationship building at the beautiful Greene Family Camp.  And check out the video recap of our time in Texas last May!

 

At its heart, Sing Unto God and all of our events and programs are about building Jewish community and supporting those who lead communities of their own. We look forward to building it with you at Hava Nashira and all year around.