Working together, we aim to improve our community, our society, and our world.
Kavana’s longstanding partnership with Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center begin with its
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, but now includes regular farm visits and
educational programming. Every fall, we organize big gleaning work parties to harvest crops
that are left in the fields and deliver them to local food banks.
We work with Jewish Family Services to deliver food baskets to its clients (particularly the
home-bound elderly) before major Jewish holidays. We also work to support each other in times of need. The Kavana Caring Committee provides
meals and transportation to those suffering
given birth or adopted a child.
Kavana's Social Action Think Tank is an new initiative to tap into the interest and passion that partners and participants have for social justice. The Think Tank is open to anyone who has a deep commitment to tikkun olam, repairing the world, and something valuable to contribute to the molding and shaping of our emerging social action program.
Our programs for Jewish holidays and Shabbat offer many different ways to connect with
Jewish ritual and tradition.
For the High Holidays, that means both traditional full-day worship services as well as
meditation workshops and shorter family-focused services. It also means sharing a communal
meal on Erev Rosh Hashanah or delivering food to those in need at this time of year. Parents
and children can prepare for the holidays together in one of our Prep & Practice sessions
and adults can gather together for text study centered around a holiday theme.
On Shabbat, our monthly morning minyan is a traditional (mostly in Hebrew) service which
features lots of singing, harmonies, and great energy. Our Friday evening service is a liberal, multi-generational service that promises to be very musical, joyful and accessible. Shabbat in the Park is a popular
summer tradition, with Friday night services in the great outdoors. We also hold family-focused
services throughout the year, and encourage Shabbat socializing through our home hospitality
dinners.
Throughout the year we celebrate the holidays in ways both silly and somber, from a Purim
party at an ice rink to chanting Eicha (Lamentations) at sunset on erev Tisha B’Av. We glean crops at
Sukkot, learn at Shavuot, and eat way too many latkes at Hanukkah.
Our education programs are designed to families forge identity and generate personally meaningful Jewish life. With programs for children and parents to learn both together and separately, we offer experiential, hands-on, and inquiry-based learning.
Gan Preschool
Hebrew-immersion preschool that meets five days a week, from 9am to 1pm.
Moadon Yeladim
After-school program for elementary school-aged children, one day a week
Havdalah Club
Jewish ethics for third to fifth graders, meets one Saturday evening a month
Middle School Program
Jewish texts, history and values, one day a week
High School Program
Jewish topics over dinner, one Sunday evening a month
Prep & Practice
A program for the whole family, where parents and children can explore the Jewish holidays together.
We also host a monthly baby and toddler play-group, regular Shabbat family services, and family-focused service opportunities, such as gleaning at Sukkot.
Living Room Learning
Weekly evening discussion of Jewish texts and commentaries, from parshah of the week to Talmud. Rabbi Rachel & Rabbi Sydney lead the group, and it rotates around participants’ living rooms.
Book Club
The Book Club is in its 7th year of discussing provocative Jewish fiction and nonfiction, and meets on several Sunday mornings throughout the year.
Meditation Group More soon...
Kavana is an independent Jewish community in Seattle, WA. Kavana welcomes individuals and families with many approaches to Judaism and offers a variety of ways to engage in Jewish life. We are a proud member of the Jewish Emergent Network.
