If you teach or lead music in Camps, congregations, or community centers, Hava Nashira is for you. You'll improve your skills as you learn from the finest Jewish music innovators and composers, including Debbie Friedman, Cantor Jeff Klepper, Peter and Ellen Allard, Merri Lovinger Arian, Cantor Rosalie Boxt, Cantor Ellen Dreskin, Shira Kline, Josh Nelson, Doug Mishkin, Dan Nichols and Craig Taubman. Instrumental proficiency is preferred but not necessary.

Participants may choose two intensives (major sessions), one for Thursday and one for Friday. Intensives may include: Choir Conducting, Composition, High Holy Day Services, Music for Young Children and Families, Religious School Music, Songleading, and Worship.

Participants may also choose from a variety of electives. Read about the Electives that were offered in 2009.

The fee for Hava Nashira includes lodging, meals and all programming and materials. Semi-private housing is available in the Bayit, Lodge and Daniel M. Soref Education and Alumni Center (rooms with 2 twin beds and private bath); and in the Nerenberg Family Center (rooms with 2 twin beds with communal washrooms at the end of the hall). Lodging is also available in dormitory cabins (separate for men and women), featuring bunk beds for 24 participants in each cabin, with adjacent washrooms and showers.

The fees for 2009 were $625 for semi-private housing in the Bayit, Lodge, and Daniel M. Soref Education and Alumni Center; $525 in the Nerenberg Family Center; and $450 for dormitory housing or for those staying off-site. No private rooms are available. 2010 fees have not been set yet.

To register, download an application and mail to: Hava Nashira / OSRUI, 555 Skokie Blvd., Suite 333, Northbrook IL 60062. Full payment must accompany your application. Registration is limited. This program has filled quickly in recent years. Applications are processed in order of postmark on a first come, first served basis until the program is full.

Hava Nashira takes place at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, the regional camp of the Union for Reform Judaism in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, located between Milwaukee and Madison. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to camp. The nearest airport is Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Mitchell Field). The best time to arrive at the Milwaukee Airport is between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. The camp is also a 2-hour drive from O’Hare Airport in Chicago.

Van Service to Camp
We make arrangements with Airport Connections to offer van service to the camp at a discounted rate from the Milwaukee Airport (Mitchell Field).

Bus to Camp for URJ Songleaders
A bus will pick up URJ songleaders at the Milwaukee airport at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, June 1, and bring them to camp. URJ songleaders are responsible for their own transportation back to the Milwaukee airport on Sunday. See the information above about Van Service.

Hava Nashira 2011 is scheduled for June 1-5, 2011.

For more information or to be added to the Hava Nashira mailing list, please contact Barbara Gordon at 847-239-6984 or bgordon@urj.org.