Hava Nashira is a decades-long program built by Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) and URJ Camping, led by the visionaries of the work, Debbie Friedman (z"l) and Cantor Jeff Klepper. The URJ maintains its historic commitment to the program and supports it through a sole sponsorship.

 

The program has evolved over its 30 years. From about 20 people in 1992 to more than 120 in 2022, 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. As part of this growth, Hava Nashira 2023 will convene at URJ Greene Family Camp in Texas, giving the thriving Jewish communities of the south and southwest closer proximity to this seminal conference.

 

Hava Nashira now sits at an intersection of movements, 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.

 

Hava Nashira invites its community to become translators—translators of the powerful repertoire, learning, and worship styles presented during the conference back to the unique needs of your own communities and organizations.  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 the skills, the resources, and the best principles to bring home to your teams to move your sacred communities along on their journey toward more meaningful worship and richer communal singing, in a way that meets the unique needs of your place. 

 

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.

 

At its heart, Sing Unto God is about building community. We look forward to building it with you at Hava Nashira and all year around.