News & Events

Erev Sukkot Service & Potluck Dinner

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Erev Sukkot Service & Potluck Dinner
Sunday, September 23 at 5:30pm

This year we will be hosting a brief Erev Sukkot Service in the Sukkah (weather permitting) followed by a special potluck dinner. We especially encourage people to bring food items related to the fall harvest and extra points for any locally grown items (perhaps from your own garden!)

We wanted to offer an opportunity to come together, shake a lulav, raise our voices and recall the meaningful themes of this festival holiday.

Our brief service will begin shortly after we gather at 5:30pm and dinner should be underway by 6:15pm. Feel free to bring your own lulav/etrog set but we will have one available.

Please let us know what delicious nut-free dish you can bring so we can plan our set up needs RSVP by Sept. 20 .

Apple Picking Event at Happy Valley Orchard

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Annual Havurah Apple Picking Event at Happy Valley Orchard
Sunday, September 16th at 11am

Please join us on September 16th for Apple picking. We will meet for a welcome circle and then break off into smaller groups to venture out into the orchard, which is a big garden with apple trees and many other plants, flowers and even others glow decoration you could find at this site. Last year we had a great group, including some Hillel students and we hope to see everyone again this year!

The event is free and open to the public (optional donations will be collected). Just pay for what you pick!

Recipe packets will be available to help you make use of all those apples.

To help plan our set up needs please RSVP by September 13.

Happy Valley is located at 217 Quarry Rd in Middlebury. Parking available on site.

All ages welcome!

High Holy Day Food Drive

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We are preparing for our High Holy Day Food Drive and need a few volunteers to ensure everything runs smoothly!

Bags will be handed out at Rosh Hashanah Services (and available at Havurah House) to be returned on Yom Kippur full of non perishable foods. There will also be an ongoing collection site at Havurah House.

Tasks include: affixing flyers to the donation bags, getting materials over to Mead Chapel, handing out bags at the end of Rosh Hashanah services and driving filled bags to H.O.P.E. after Yom Kippur. This is a great opportunity for recent B’nei Mitzvah age students but any and all help is appreciated!

All food collected will be donated to H.O.P.E. and help to feed families right here in our own community. We are still looking for volunteers to help coordinate this effort so if you are able to help please contact Sarit Katzew.

High Holy Day Schedule 5779

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View the full service schedule with times, locations, and Break-Fast details by clicking here.
Sunday, September 9– Erev Rosh Hashanah

Monday, September 10– Rosh Hashanah I

Tuesday, September 11– Rosh Hashanah II

Tuesday, September 18– Kol Nidre

Wednesday, September 19– Yom Kippur

We are hoping to once again offer Children’s Programming/Service on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mornings. To help us plan accordingly please let us know if you would like your child(ren) to attend.

Image courtesy Edmonton Jewish News.

2018 Hebrew School Message

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We look forward to seeing you and your children on the first day of class, Monday, September 24, 2018 at 3:30 pm.

Please return your Registration Forms by August 1.

Please submit your forms even if you cannot make a full payment at this time. Cost is never prohibitive at Havurah and anyone experiencing financial concerns should be in touch with Havurah Treasurer, Matt Utterback.

We believe that being a part of a Jewish community works to strengthen Jewish identity in our students. It is our hope that in our program they will have positive Jewish experiences while increasing their general knowledge and engagement with Jewish values, holidays and traditions, history, Israel, and Hebrew as a living language.

Class will continue to meet on Mondays from 3:30-5:15pm.

We will re-evaluate the Hebrew School schedule as our student body evolves. Thanks to all who provided feedback about best days and times to meet.

Since Havurah is a lay-led community that depends on the participation of its members,  all Hebrew School parents are asked to contribute at least 10 hours (per family) of their time over the course of the school year.

Opportunities for participation might include:

  1. Assembling and disassembling the Sukkah
  2. Volunteering at our Chanukah, Purim Carnival, and model Seder
  3. Clean-up and inventory at various times of the year
  4. Serve as classroom parent or chaperone

If you have a special skill or program idea, let Sarit know! While we believe that greater parental involvement benefits the whole school community, we recognize that not all members are able to volunteer their time. Therefore, each family has the option of paying $15 for each hour that they cannot contribute, so that we can hire additional classroom and school support.

There will be an online portal for homework and enrichment that students will work with throughout the year. It will allow students to engage with multimedia, games, songs, and more to supplement what they do in class. For our advanced students, in particular,  this will be a great tool to ensure they continue to be appropriately challenged!

We will also be setting out some learning objectives for each group of students and will work to balance academic materials with experiential learning.

Information about class structure and curriculum will be sent out in early September. We hope you are as excited as we are about the coming year, and about playing a part in making our Hebrew School a fulfilling and enjoyable experience for all.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
L’Shalom,
The Education Committee,
Sarit Katzew, Director of Education

Taste the Tradition Fundraiser

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We’re raising money for our Capital Campaign and we need your help!

Come to Havurah for an evening of delicious food, drinks and fun.

For an interesting twist on a potluck we are asking you to bring your favorite family dish, the recipe, and perhaps tell its story with a note and/or photo to display. We will create a community cookbook (for sale) after the event.

Attendees will learn about each other’s family histories and ‘vote’ for different categories.

$25/person

*Bring a dish and recipe you’ll get a free raffle ticket with your admission.

RSVP to HHEdDirector@gmail.com by April 20

Sandwich

*You do not need to be a Havurah member in order to attend this event.

In order to enable families to attend we will have some child friendly programming and a movie screening during the event.

$10/child gets them fed and entertained!

Hagbah Workshop (Lifting the Torah scroll)

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Learn About Why We Lift the Torah Scroll

Monday, March 12 at 5:30pm

Rabbi Danielle Stillman (Middlebury College Associate Chaplain) will explain some of the reasons behind why we perform this ritual.

We have a few veteran lifters who will share their best tips and tricks. Attendees can try it out for themselves (with spotters of course).

Join us at Havurah House for this unique opportunity. We want everyone to feel comfortable and familiar with these customs and ritual objects.

photo credit: My Jewish Learning

Havurah Capital Campaign

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As a small, unaffiliated, fairly isolated congregation, Havurah is truly fortunate.

Our Havurah home was a generous gift from the Lazarus family—probably Middlebury’s first Jewish family—who lived in it with love for many decades.

Because the house was a gift and because we have paid off extensive renovations, Havurah owns its home “free and clear.” As a religious organization we pay no property taxes and hence our only building expenses are utilities, insurance, and maintenance.

But like any house, Havurah House needs periodic repairs, some of which are now urgent.

We need to replace deteriorating shingles on the rear part of building with a long-lasting standing seam roof: $12,000; replace worn floor tiles and carpeting on the ground floor: $12,000 and repair the separation of roof fascia boards on the front porch where framing is now exposed to the elements: $6,000.

Our goal is to raise $30,000.

We continue to apply for available grants and loans, but we must count on our membership to donate generously to these essential projects.

Donate with PayPal

Send payments by check:

PO Box 823
56 North Pleasant Street
Middlebury, Vermont 05753

Thank you for your support. With warm regards for the new year and looking forward to a long and happy future for Havurah in Addison County.

Film screening: Seeing Through the Wall

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Please join us for a special screening:

Seeing Through the Wall: Meeting Ourselves in Palestine & Israel
A film by Old Dog Documentaries

SUNDAY, MARCH 4th at 3:00PM
Havurah House
56 North Pleasant St. Middlebury.

This film follows a group of Americans who traveled to Israel and Palestine in 2016 seeking to see what life is like for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and in East Jerusalem.

Seeing through the Wall invites and challenges viewers to question their own assumptions and prejudices.

After the screening we will have a Q&A and unique opportunity to learn from those who were involved in the making of this important film: Rabbi Dov Taylor, Filmmaker, Anne Macksoud, and Special Guest, Palestinian Mohsen Mehdawi.

Please RSVP (clicking will launch your email application)
This event is free and open to the public.

Annual Purim Carnival

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Scroll of Esther, Italy, 1616

Monday, February 26th
3:45-5:00pm

Join us for a fun filled Purim Carnival with lots of games, crafts, delicious food and best of all, prizes!

Win prize tickets to trade in at our prize booth and buy raffle tickets to win bigger prizes!

There will also be a peer voted costume contest (with prizes!) so don’t forget to dress up!

Come as your favorite movie character, a clever play on words or hero from the Purim Megillah. This event is family friendly and open to the public.

RSVP or volunteer for this event (select links to open an email)