Once you've spent a meaningful amount of time in our community, we hope you will decide to formally join as a "partner." At Kavana, we use the terms "partner" and “partnership” (as opposed to "member" and "membership") to underscore that we aspire to build our community together. Sometimes we talk about aiming for a "producer rather than consumer mentality",” meaning that we try to steer clear of transactional and hierarchical frameworks, in favor of a collaborative, co-creative approach.

In committing to partnership at Kavana, you are making an intentional decision to partner with others in the ongoing creation and nurturing of our community. This is not a top-down community; our partners have a strong say in what our spaces look and feel like, what programs we run each year, etc. Kavana partnership can take many forms and look different for every individual, and we encourage you to keep reading below about what being a partner at Kavana means.

Through your participation in the Kavana community, we encourage all partners to commit to their own personal growth and learning, examining their Jewish goals annually and proactively creating a personally meaningful Jewish experience and positive Jewish identity.  

We ask that partners aspire to participate in some way with the Kavana community at least once a month. This commitment represents an average level of engagement; every individual’s contributions will wax and wane with other life commitments - we know that, and that’s okay!    

First and foremost, you'll be an active builder in this community with the ability to have a say in what we do and how we do it. You'll have direct access to the amazing people who make up our multi-generational partner community, and to our staff who are ready to support your Jewish life. Also, partners have priority in working with Rabbi Rachel and Rabbi Jay for pastoral support and life cycle officiation (baby-namings, weddings, b'nai mitzvah, funerals and shiva minyans, etc.).

Partner financial contributions are essential to overall day-to-day operations.  The average real cost of operating Kavana is currently around $4,400/ household / year which does not include programming fees. As a cooperative, it is our hope that the financial contribution of each partner household is as close to the average operating cost as possible.

No person, however, will be turned away from Kavana, based on the amount of their financial contribution.  We hope that everyone will make a meaningful stretch, but if the average cost is not feasible, we recommend an amount of 1 – 2% of your annual household income.   Of course, we hope those that can contribute a greater amount do so to help us maintain the necessary revenue for ongoing operations, continued growth and the innovative programming we all value.

Similar to the star logo of Kavana,  partners have many points of entry to engagement. These points of entry are varied and ever-changing, and partners are invited to consider their personal growth, talents and interests as they consider the many ways to engage in Kavana. Partners are also encouraged to collaborate in finding new points of engagement. 

Some examples of engagement include:

• Co-teaching a learning programming with Kavana staff

• Attending services or life cycle events in the community

• Bringing food to a neighborhood gathering

• Organizing holiday programming

• Facilitating a community partnership with a local organization

• Serving on a committee, team, or on on board

Becoming a Kavana partner is not a decision that we push or rush with folks, as we want to make sure we're a good fit for what you are looking for in a Jewish community, and that you're up for the task of participating regularly in this co-op model community. So, before you commit to becoming a partner, we recommend that you participate in some of our programming so that you can get a taste of what it’s like to be in our community, and meet the folks that make our community so special. The best way to stay updated on our programming is to join our weekly newsletter, where we send upcoming programming, words of Torah, and community celebrations. 

Once you’re ready to officially join our community as a partner, let us know and we’ll get you started on the next steps! This includes filling out a partner intake form so we can get to know you a bit better and learn how we can best plug you into the community, meeting with a staff member for a partner intake meeting, and making a financial commitment to the community.