A chavurah (also spelled havurah , plural: chavurot or havurot) is a small group or fellowship of like-minded Jews who gather regularly to socialize, celebrate Jewish life, learn, and observe rituals together chaver , meaning "friend," and the primary purpose is to create a more intimate or personal Jewish experience within or alongside a larger community, such as a synagogue or congregation. The first chavurah in the U.S. was established in 1960; the movement gained momentum in the late 1960s and 1970s as an alternative to institutionalized synagogue life, with inspiration from ancient Jewish fellowshipsegalitarian
