Havurah Initiative

Connect with Your Local Jewish Community

Deepen your connection to your local Jewish community through the Springfield JCC’s Havurah Initiative, which is designed to cultivate local, peer-led Jewish gathering groups. You’ll have opportunities to build friendships, make meaning, and create community. With a Jewish focus, groups are broadly defined and share leadership among their members. Join a group or create your own!

Form a Havurah Learn More about the Havurah Initiative

Register for Men's Havurah (4/10/25)

Want to join one of our havurot or start your own?

Contact Rabbi Alana Wasserman, Havurah Initiative Coordinator, for more information.

Contact

What is a Havurah?

A havurah is an intimate community where deep, caring, supportive relationships are fostered between the members of the group as they share and explore a Jewish focus of their own choosing. The group sets its own agenda, is peer-led, and meets on an ongoing basis. The havurah should ultimately have a minimum of seven people, meet nine times a year or more, have a Jewish focus and shared leadership.

The Havurah Initiative is one of the joint programs between Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) and the Springfield JCC. We currently have 10 active Havurot in our community and can support more! New Havurot can get up to $1,000/year for program expenses and supplies, and each connector can receive up to an additional $1,000/year. Grants are available for the first two years of the Havurah being active.