Source: Mechon Hadar
Mechon Hadar's mission is to revitalize communal life - animated by prayer, study and social action - among young Jews in America. Mechon Hadar, located in New York City, offers Jews the opportunity to deepen their learning, broaden their skills, and intensify their experiences on the road to enhancing their Jewish lives and building stronger Jewish communities.
In order to accomplish its mission, Mechon Hadar has launched two major initiatives:
Yeshivat Hadar
Yeshivat Hadar offers fellows a full-time, intensive program in the heart of Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 8-week summer or year-round experience combines traditional text study, egalitarian prayer and social action with a special focus on personal religious growth. The Yeshiva creates a community of learning which includes seminars, havruta (paired learning), and individualized projects. Students will complete the program equipped with greater textual competence and broader knowledge of the Jewish tradition as a whole.
The Minyan Project
Mechon Hadar's Minyan Project is designed to empower vibrant prayer communities by providing them with education, consulting and networking. In August 2006, the leaders of Mechon Hadar facilitated a conference for 60 minyan leaders from 11 communities to network, share best practices and define major upcoming issues. The Minyan Project provides an online forum for continued sharing and discussion for independent prayer community leaders and members.
The Independent Minyan Conference
Mechon Hadar, in conjunction with the Charles R. Bronfman Chair in Jewish Communal Innovation at Brandeis University will be conducting a daylong mini-conference on Independent Minyanim and Contemporary Jewish Life on Monday, November 10, 2008. The mini-conference seeks to broaden the conversation about the phenomenon of independent communal minyanm . The conference will consist of lectures, papers, workshops and panel discussions with independent minyan leaders and many significant voices in the academic and Jewish professional world.