TGIS Chavurot

Are you looking for ways to meet people at Isaiah or reconnect with people you used to see at the temple? Shabbat dinner can be both a calming pause as Shabbat begins and an energizing way to deepen relationships with others.

This fall, we are excited to be launching a new pilot program called Thank Goodness It’s Shabbat Chavurot -or- TGIS Chavurot! A chavurah is a group of people who gather to form a community. The word chavurah comes from the Hebrew word chaver, which means "friend." Chavurot (plural of chavurah) are a way to create a small community of friends by socializing, learning, doing mitzvot and/or celebrating Jewish life together.

Our TGIS Chavurot will be small year-long groups of Temple Isaiah members (4-8 families depending on family size, or 8-18 individuals), which commit to meet in each other’s homes 4 times throughout the year, most likely in Oct/Nov, Dec/Jan, Feb/Mar, April/May, to share Shabbat dinner and forge relationships with one another. We’ll have groups focused on young professionals, families with children, families with teens, baby boomers (+ or -), seniors/SAGE, and an inter-generational cohort.

These dinners can be potluck, take-out food, or whatever you decide. We will provide information about Shabbat blessings and a kids’ activity or discussion question to help break the ice. This is a one-year commitment; at the end of the year, members can decide whether to continue, to explore a new chavurah, or to take a break.

Chavurot can help make a large congregation feel smaller. For new members, this can be a great way to meet peers and create community in a more intimate way. For established members, a chavurah can inject new energy into your relationship with the community, renew old friendships or just enhance your Shabbat experience.

Please sign up by September 21, 2018 using this form. You will hear back from Engagement Specialist Matt Emmer. For questions, email Matt at memmer@templeisaiah.net