We’re thrilled to announce that our Kallah one-day workshop applications are now live! Are you interested in leading a one-day workshop at Kallah 2023? Read on to learn more!

WHERE AND WHEN IS KALLAH?

Kallah is the largest Jewish Renewal gathering in the world, bringing together hundreds of participants from all across the globe for a week of learning, singing, dancing, and gathering with one another. Seekers of all ages and levels of Jewish experience join for immersion in learning, prayer, art, dance, yoga, meditation, social justice, and earth-based programs. With extraordinary four-day classes and one-day workshops in the mornings and afternoons, incredible musicians and performers in the evenings, exceptional davvenen services throughout the week, and a breathtaking full-group Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday evening, Kallah is truly an experience like no other.

As you may have heard, the 2023 ALEPH Kallah will be held Monday, July 3 – Sunday, July 9 at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. For our 18th Kallah, we are eager to symbolically “return to our roots”–our very first Kallah was in the greater Philadelphia area! We will also be celebrating ALEPH’s 30^th anniversary. How exciting!

Featuring a picturesque, walkable campus and recently renovated and modern accommodations, West Chester University is the perfect (and air-conditioned) setting for our gathering. 

WHAT HAPPENS AT KALLAH?

A lot of things happen at Kallah! Folks gather to sing, dance, pray, learn, and experience moments of deep spiritual connection together. During the daytime, a large focus is on four-day classes and one-day workshops, which meet from Tuesday through Friday of Kallah week as well as Shabbat afternoon. Four-day classes meet for four sessions over the course of the week, and one-day workshops meet for one session on a selected day during the week. Our four-day class applications are now closed, but our one-day workshop applications are now open!

MORE ABOUT ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS

One-day workshops are a fantastic opportunity for participants to learn about and participate in a wide variety of topics. Some folks will even take up to nine different one-day workshops over the course of the week! Most one-day workshops are offered at the same time as four-day classes, with the exception being that a handful of one-day workshops will be offered on Shabbat afternoon.

Should you choose to apply to lead a one-day workshop, you will have the opportunity to select whether you would like to offer your workshop during the week or on Shabbat afternoon. Please note that if you select that you would like to host your workshop on Shabbat afternoon, that means that you are comfortable leading your program DURING Shabbat. This is not at all a requirement, and is only for those who are comfortable with leading a workshop during Shabbat.

We strongly recommend that workshops that are submitted to be offered during Shabbat have a Shabbat/rest/centering focus.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Please read thoroughly. Proposals that are incomplete cannot be accepted for consideration.

Due Date: Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET

All applications for one-day workshops must be submitted through the online application here. 

Applications submitted through other formats will not be accepted.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

MORE DETAILS

Workshops will meet for one 2.5 hour session, which will take place on one day from Tuesday to Friday, either in the morning or afternoon, or on Shabbat afternoon. Preferences of morning vs afternoon during the week will be taken into consideration but cannot be guaranteed. Workshops that are selected to be offered on Friday morning or afternoon will be shortened slightly (by 15 minutes) to accommodate for preparation for Shabbat. Total class time will be 2.5 hours (2.25 hours if selected for Friday.)

Note that all workshops offered from Tuesday through Friday must allow approximately 15-20 minutes of program time for Spirit Buddies, which is a Kallah-wide program to cultivate connections among our community. More information about Spirit Buddies to be shared with leaders directly closer to the program.

Please also note that one-day workshop leaders are not provided with any honorarium or stipend for their work. Kallah is designed as a community created by the members of that community, and we are thankful for all who express a desire to step up and assist in leadership.

All who are selected to lead one-day workshops will be fully responsible for their conference tuition, room and board, and transportation.

Each workshop will also need to meet a minimum of 10 students in order to run. Should you be selected to lead a one-day workshop and your workshop does not meet the minimum requirement of 10 students by May 31, 2023, your contract will be void. Leaders will be notified as to enrollment on an ongoing basis throughout the spring.

PROGRAM SELECTION PROCESS

Each Kallah, we receive scores of fabulous applications for both four-day classes and one-day workshops. Because we receive far more applications than we are able to accept, we take the selection process very seriously. The selection committee will be made up of members with a variety of relationships to Jewish Renewal and the Kallah – old timers, newcomers, with a mixture of ages, geographical locations, genders, and sexual orientations. The first pass through proposals is done with the leader(s) name removed and is rated simply on how the proposal reads and how the topic fits into the overall mix. The committee then makes its best effort to balance the program, taking into consideration factors such as new and returning teachers, representation, as well as the variety of topics offered.

Some workshop slots may be reserved for ALEPH program directors, students/musmachimot of the ALEPH Ordination Program, and members/alumni of the Kesher Fellowship.

We expect to notify those who submitted applications for one-day workshops by Wednesday, December 14, 2022.

We look forward to receiving and reading your application. Please share this invitation with other people you feel would be a good match with the Kallah. 

We honor every contribution and thank you for your interest. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at kallah@aleph.org. 

Warmest blessings,
Stephanie Buncher
ALEPH Events Manager