Shavuot Retreat Schedule 2015

Shavuot Retreat 5775 Remembering the Torah of the Future

A Holiday Festival Dedicated to the Blessed Memory and Living Legacy of

Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi ‫זצ׳ל‬ Produced by:

Our Partners:

‫ברוכים הבאים‬ We are blessed by your arrival!

Your retreat managers, Adam Segulah Sher, Chavi Stark, Batya Levine, and Yaakov Reef are here to support your retreat.

Make use of them!

ADAMAHFOODS – Farm-to-Table kosher food magic. Our homemade and varied menu integrates

vegetables & pickles from our Adamah farm with ethically sourced products – including organic grains, Grow and Behold kosher pastured meats, and local fruits - embodying the new Jewish food movement. For special food needs, check in with our friendly Adamah Dining staff.

GIFT & BOOK STORE – We’re proud to have one of the most unique collections of books, music, and gifts anywhere! You can buy our Adamah cheeses, jams, and pickles here.

LAKE – Our pristine Lake Miriam is open at all times for boating & swimming, with lifejackets located in the boat shed by the dock. – please always wear lifejackets when on the lake and return the boats back on the rack after you are done using them. You may swim and use boats at your own risk, AND the lake will have a lifeguard Friday-Sunday from 2-6pm.

EMERGENCY NUMBER – In the event of an emergency, you can find a list of emergency numbers by all the phones onsite. Each cabin has a phone or directions to the nearest phone. Please identify where yours is if you haven’t already done so.

In case of EMERGENCY ONLY Dial 3068 from onsite phones or 860-824-3068 from cell phones.

EMERGENCY CALLS - If you need to call 911 using a campus phone, please note that you must first dial a 9 to get an outside line, then dial 911, thus 9-911.

Please dial our emergency number 3068 (see above) immediately after making the call so that we know an ambulance is arriving.

PARKING - Please park only in designated areas - in the parking lot next to the main office or the barnyard lot. DO NOT park on the road or adjacent to your guest building.

ROOMS - We do not use keys at Isabella Freedman. Doors lock from the inside. Make sure you unlock your door before leaving your room! We ask you to keep the doors to your rooms shut at all times. Please save electricity - turn off lights when not in use.

BUSSING TABLES - When you’re finished eating, clear all your dishes in the wash bins we have provided for you. Don’t forget the compost bin too!

KIDS & FAMILIES - See our fantastic Camp Teva schedule and Q&A for details.

All kids under 13 must be supervised by Camp Teva staff or another adult AT ALL TIMES.

LIBRARY - You will notice our brand-new library in the Lounge space in the Main Building. This incredible collection was donated by Arthur & Bobby Kurzweil as a learning resource for the community. We will gather for a dedication ceremony during the retreat.

Please do not remove any books from the Library space.

KASHRUT - Our Adamah Dining spaces and Kitchen are strictly kosher and supervised by the Rabbi Yitzchok Adler of the Hartford Kashrut Commission. Please do not take dishes out and please do not bring any food or dishes into our Dining spaces. If you have special dietary needs and need to bring your own food into the space, please have it approved by one of our Mashgichim (kosher supervisors). Our Rosh Mashgiach is Hazzan Mordechai Schram.

COMPOSTING & RECYCLING - Isabella Freedman is a green organization. Our disposable plates, napkins, tableware, and cups are all compostable! Put them in the compost bin in the Adamah

Dining Hall or by the Coffee Bar. Please recycle paper, plastic, glass, and cans near the Guest Services desk.

WATER - We have delicious, very clean water from our own Berkshire mountain spring wells.

Enjoy it from any tap! Extra points for using your own reusable water bottle.

SMOKING - Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is prohibited on campus, except at the fire pit at the lake. Please dispose of all cigarette butts in garbage cans located on our 'main street’.

CANDLES - Candles are strictly prohibited in all buildings except as designated by the Retreat Manager in the Main Building for Shabbat, holidays, and yizkor.

CHECK-OUT PROCEDURE - On check-out day, please leave your rooms by 10:00am and place your luggage in your car or in the Synagogue. When leaving your room, please put your sheets in one pillow case and place it by the door. Make sure that all of your garbage is placed into the wastebaskets in your rooms. TIMELINESS IS IMPORTANT AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. TICKS AND LYME DISEASE - Please remember that we are in a natural environment and you might find a tick on your body after engaging in outdoor activities. The best way to check yourself is with a soapy shower where you can feel them. Tick removal instructions are at the Guest Services desk. Lyme disease is treatable when caught within a few months of the tick bite.

Bookstore & Gift Shop We carry a unique selection of books, music, judaica, and art - reflecting our diverse community and our shared values. Creations from our retreat community are featured in the store including Reb Zalman’s many writings and recordings.

Friday — 2-6pm OPEN FOR SALES Sunday — 3-6pm BROWSING ONLY Monday — 2-4:30pm BROWSING ONLY Monday — 9-11pm OPEN FOR SALES Tuesday — 12-2pm OPEN FOR SALES

YOU ARE HERE

QUESTIONS ARE BETTER THAN ANSWERS Who was Reb Zalman ‫?זצ׳ל‬

What is Davennen’?

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi was the Rebbe of the Jewish Renewal movement and a true genius of our generation. He brought Jewish spirituality in an accessible and profoundly deep way to the full spectrum of seekers - Jewish and beyond. A polymath and pioneer in eco-kashrut, davenology, deep ecumenism, neo-hasidut, metakabbalah, and so much more, Reb Zalman’s innovative vision will only grow - his is truly the Torah of the Future. He passed away shortly after Shavuot last year. His beloved wife Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen joins us again this year as an honored guest & teacher.

The art, science, and direct experience of prayer in Judaism is called Davennen’, a Yiddish word of uncertain derivation. The Hebrew word is Tefilah. Davennen’ however, is also a verb - to daven - and refers to an activity intended to achieve a certain result: direct experience of an I-Thou relationship, a spiritual technology for talking with G*d. On this retreat, our davennen’ is musical, participatory, and egalitarian. The three traditional times to daven are morning (shacharit), afternoon (mincha) and evening (ma’ariv). The whole retreat community will gather together forthese special times of connection and Divine conversation.

What is JOFEE?

What is Daf Hourly?

JOFEE is Jewish Outdoor, Food, and Environmental Education. In 2014 Hazon published a study establishing the exciting impacts and potentials in this field. Right here at Isabella Freedman, with our gorgeous campus, Adamah & Teva programs, there are many ways to have a JOFEE experience. Eat farm-fresh food, tour the fields, take a hike, meet the goats, meditate by the lake - it’s all JOFEE!

Daf Hourly is the Shavuot retreat’s open, ongoing, creative learning series, led by Arthur Kurzweil.

Based on the Talmud Circle Institute (TCI) model, Daf Hourly sessions are in English and are open to novices and savants alike. The flexible timing allows you to come and go. TCI also gathers for twice-yearly week long retreats, with the next in late July 2015. Find topic list in Tikkun listings.

What are Mishpacha Groups?

Small groups meet periodically during retreat. Mishpacha groups invite sharing our experiences and feelings in an open, supportive setting. Each person has 5 minutes, uninterrupted. You are encouraged attend all 4 Mishpacha sessions. Each concludes ‘Dibarti’, the group replies ‘Shamati’.

What is Camp Teva? What’s for Kids?

To support families on retreat, we have a magnificent Camp Teva program put together for kids 5-12. And the rest of us will get to enjoy through integrated programs throughout the retreat! For parents with kids under 5, you can accompany your kids in any Camp Teva program, and check out our casual communal playspace: during Camp Teva hours, interested participants can gather at will in the Gazebo or Synagogue (as available) to see if other parents and young children are around to socialize and play. Other resources for parents of kids under 5 include the playground, and the snack fridge in the Arts & Crafts room.

What is Torah Yoga?

Blending timeless Jewish teachings and spiritual practices with the embodiment techniques of Yoga, Torah Yoga is a transformative experience accessible to everyone willing to move. We are blessed to have Rachel Dewan, E-RYT 500 as our instructor for this retreat. Week-long Torah Yoga retreats with founder Diane Bloomfield occur twice yearly at Isabella Freedman, upcoming in early August 2015.

Camp Teva Schedule Friday May 22 — Arrival Day — Sivan 4 TIME

PROGRAM

LOCATION

5:00 — 5:30 pm

Kid’s Dinner

Dining Tent

5:30 — 6:00 pm

Orientation to Camp Teva - Parents & Kids

Arts & Crafts

6:00 — 8:00 pm

Camp Teva - Field Games & Shabbat Service

Arts & Crafts

Saturday May 23 — Shabbat — Sivan 5 Camp Teva - Shabbat Songs Lakeside

Arts & Crafts

3:30 — 4:30 pm

Camp Teva - Sing & Play!

Arts & Crafts

4:30 — 5:00 pm ADULTS & KIDS

How do we prepare for receiving the Torah? A Torah Play story and teaching from the Talmud and Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

5:00 — 6:30 pm

Camp Teva - Play & Sing!

10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Red Yurt Arts & Crafts

Sunday May 24 — Shavuot Day 1 — Sivan 6 Camp Teva - Art Projects and Farm Exploration

Arts & Crafts

2:30 — 3:30 pm

Family treasure hunt - organized by the Ziv-Kreger family One of the names of God in Hebrew is "The Place," HaMakom.

Through playful rhyming riddles of a treasure hunt we'll explore The Place. Family members of all ages are invited to join.

Arts & Crafts

3:30 — 6:30 pm

Camp Teva - Theater Games

Arts & Crafts

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Monday May 25 — Shavuot Day 2 — Sivan 7 9:30 am - 12:30 pm 3:30 — 6:30 pm

Camp Teva - Parade Preparations

Arts & Crafts

Camp Teva - Exploring the Woods & Trails

Arts & Crafts

Tuesday May 26 — Farewell Day — Sivan 7 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Camp Teva - Completing Art Projects & Closing

Arts & Crafts

Retreat Schedule Friday May 22 — Erev Shabbat — Sivan 4 TIME

2:00 — 5:00 pm

PROGRAM

Arrival and Check-In — Welcome snack available

LOCATION

Guest Services

4:45 — 5:05 pm

Women’s Mikvah

Lake Miriam

5:15 — 5:35 pm

Men’s Mikvah

Lake Miriam

5:45 — 6:05 pm

All-Gender Mikvah

Lake Miriam

5:00 — 6:00 pm

Torah Yoga

Synagogue

6:15 — 8:00 pm

Retreat Opening, Welcoming Shabbat Davennen’

Great Hall

8:00 — 9:30 pm

Festive Kiddush and Shabbat Dinner

Dining Tent

9:30 —10:30 pm

*Mishpacha Groups*

10:30 pm

“Rebbe is a Verb” Tisch

See Location Chart

Synagogue

Friday Program Descriptions Mikvah: Meet at the boat dock. Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or in a group, as a way to prepare for Shabbat, Shavuot, and the experiences ahead.

Please respect times reserved. Bathing suits optional.

Torah Yoga: A wonderful way to settle in and begin your retreat. See description in Q&A. Retreat Opening: Gather as a community to formally open the retreat with a group candlelighting and Kabbalat Shabbat service. Led by Shir Yaakov and Aviva Chernick.

Kiddush and Dinner: Enter the outdoor Dining Tent and find a seat at any table. Once the whole community has found seats and all have glasses of wine or juice, we will have all hear the communal Kiddush blessing, following by time for individuals to wash hands, and then return to your tables to make the motzi blessing over challah, table by table. This is the structure for Shabbat Lunch as well.

‘Rebbe is a Verb’ Tisch: Reb Zalman ‫ זצ׳ל‬used a chair, available at this Tisch, to make a simple but profound point — everyone has the capacity to give forth wisdom and facilitate spiritual experience for the community. When you sit in the chair, for a few minutes, you can ‘Rebbe’ for the table. Sing songs, tell stories, teach Torah, tell a holy joke. Sing along!

Saturday May 23 — Shabbat — Sivan 5 TIME

7:30 — 8:30 am 8:00 — 9:30 am

PROGRAM

LOCATION

Torah Yoga with Rachel Dewan

Synagogue

Meditation with Rabbi Abby Sosland

Red Yurt

Breakfast

Dining Hall

Moving the the Body through Sefirot with Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen

Synagogue

9:15 — 10:00 am Flame and Form with Ronit Ziv-Kreger, Ph.D.

Red Yurt

10 am - 12:30 pm

Shabbat Morning Davennen’

Great Hall

12:30 — 2:00 pm

Kiddush & Shabbat Lunch

Dining Tent

Rest, Relax, Return ** 2:00 — 5:30 pm ** ‫שבת מנוחה‬ 2:15 — 3:15 pm

Adamah Farm Tour

JOFEE Experiences

Adamah Barnyard Tour

3:30 — 4:25 pm

4:30 — 5:25 pm

Meet at Barnyard

Preparing and aligning our bodies to stand and receive Matan Torah - with Kohenet Alumah Schuster

Synagogue

Radical Compassion: The Mystical Teachings of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev with Rabbi Or Rose

Red Yurt

Sefer Yetzirah and Revelation with Rabbi Jill Hammer

Beige Yurt

Preparing to Receive Torah Torah-Play with Ronit Ziv-Kreger & Camp Teva kids) Remembering our Zaide Zalman with Gabbai Seth Fishman

5:30 — 6:30 pm Mincha Davennen’ Options

Meet at Stage

Red Yurt Synagogue

Traditional Mincha with Rabbi Abby Sosland

Great Hall

Torah Yoga Mincha with Rachel Dewan

Synagogue

Contemplative Mincha Hike with Rabbi Brent Spodek

Meet at Gazebo

6:30 — 7:30 pm

Dinner - Third Shabbat Meal

Dining Tent

7:45 — 8 :45pm

Shalosh Shudes Songs and Memories of Reb Zalman ‫זצ׳ל‬

Great Hall

9:00 — 9:45 pm

Shabbat Havdalah Candle Lighting, Shavuot Day One - the 50th Day

Great Hall

9:45 — 10:25 pm

Kiddush and Cheese(cake) Feast

Dining Tent

10:30 pm — 5:30 am — All-Night Learning Vigil — Tikkun Leil Shavuot — ‫תקון ליל שבועות‬

Saturday Program Descriptions Torah Yoga: Wake up with an embodied Jewish spiritual experience. Description in Q&A Meditation: Beginner or advanced meditators start the day with a lightly guided session.

Moving the Body through the Sefirot: Join Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen for an embodied journey through the 49 sefirot that began with liberation at Pesach, preparing for revelation, now.

Flame and Form: Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) -- a teaching from the Hassidic master, Kedushat Levi, in preparation for Shavuot and reading the Bamidbar Torah Portion.

Adamah Farm & Barnyard Tours: Your choice of JOFEE experiences: explore our organic farm, compost & chicken system, vegetable fields, and more — or, meet the goats and learn about Jewish connections with animal husbandry and dairy production.

Preparing and aligning our bodies to stand and receive Matan Torah: There is a section in Pirkei Avot 6:6 that states that even more difficult to attain than religious or political positions of power, is the acquisition and/ or embodiment of Torah. As we study these 48 ways, we will add the body as the 49th, the very vessel to hold our Torah for the coming year. Delving into the body and its hidden places, we just may come face to face with the empty, inner expanse so needed for revelation.

Radical Compassion: The Mystical Teachings of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev: Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev is often depicted as a heroic figure in Hasidic lore: a spiritual master whose unbounded love for all members of his community—rich or poor, learned or untutored—led him to defend the Jewish people against any would-be foe— terrestrial or celestial. In this session, we will explore the Master’s derashot (sermons) to understand how he conceived of his relationship with the Divine, the Jewish people, and the world= In so doing, we will reflect on the Berditchever’s teachings in our own lives.

Sefer Yetzirah and Revelation: Explore selected texts directly from this ancient mystical “Book of Formation”. One of the original sources for the core concepts of Kabbalah.

Remembering our Zaide Zalman: Reb Zalman, (ztzvk’l / the remembrance of a righteous and holy person is a blessing), was still here with us at this retreat just last year. We mourn his passing; his legacy lives on. In the spirit of the zman matan torateinu, we’ll sing his music, study texts from his Sefer, “Yishmru Daat” and share the ways he has touched and inspired us.

In addition, the Shalosh Shudes gathering will be a time to share stories and songs of Reb Zalman ‫זצ׳ל‬ Cheese(cake)?: Those of kabbalistic [mystical] bent equate the numerical value of the word ḥalav (milk), 40 (‘het’=8, ‘lamed’=30, ‘vet’=2), with the number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18). Others look to the mountain itself, which is termed in Psalms mount of gavnunim (68:15), meaning many peaks. They connect that description with the Hebrew word g’vinah, meaning cheese.

All-Night Learning Vigil — Tikkun Leil Shavuot ‫תקון ליל שבועות‬ TIME

10:30 pm - 5:30 am

10:30 — 11:25

PROGRAM

LOCATION

Ner Tamid: A Sacred Fire

Fire Circle

Who’s in and who’s out? Revelation and Inclusivity in the Shavuot narrative - with Rabbi Abby Sosland

Synagogue

Ten Utterances: Creation, Revelation, and the Power of Human Deeds - with Rabbi Or Rose Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil Guided Visualization - with Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen

Lounge Arts & Crafts Synagogue

11:30 — 12:25

12:30 — 1:25

Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil

Arts & Crafts

Reveling Toward Revelation

Synagogue

with Rabbi Shoshana Mitrani Knapp

Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil Shavuot and the Art of Becoming Jewish 1:30 — 2:25

with Rabbi Brent Spodek

Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil Why Mt. Sinai? - with Susan Raskin Abrams

Arts & Crafts Synagogue Arts & Crafts Synagogue

2:30 — 3:25 Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil Kabbalah of the 10 Commandments 3:30 — 4:25

with Reb Elihu Gevirtz

Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil

4:30 — 5:30

Learning to Pray, Praying to Learn: Neo-Ḥasidic Teachings on Shavuot and the Epistemology of the Heart - with Eden Pearlstein A Bridge to the Beyond - with Ronit Ziv-Kreger Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil

Arts & Crafts Synagogue Arts & Crafts Lounge Synagogue Arts & Crafts

The early sages did not sleep on that night, rather they learned Torah.

They said to each other: come, let us bestow a holy legacy upon us and our children in two worlds. Zohar 3:98a 5:30 — 8:00

The Dawn of Revelation - Daybreak Davennen’

Lakeside Patio

All-Night Learning Vigil — Tikkun Leil Shavuot — ‫תקון ליל שבועות‬ Ner Tamid: A Sacred Fire: All night long. Join us for quiet, unstructured time around the fire creating a contemplative space for prayer, reflection, and song.

Who’s in and who’s out? Revelation and Inclusivity in the Shavuot narrative: The midrash teaches that the blind and the deaf were able to see and hear the receiving of Torah, and all those with disabilities were healed on that day. Which of us would stand at the mountain today?

Ten Utterances: Creation, Revelation, and the Power of Human Deeds: Explore the teachings of the Sefat Emet, on God’s first words of creation and those the Divine spoke at Sinai, and the role of humankind to serve as “partners” (shutafim) or co-creators of a harmonious and blessed world.

Guided Visualization: Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen holds a lineage as a teacher of a powerful visualization practice. In the midnight hour of our vigil, join her to experience this technique first-hand.

Reveling Toward Revelation: Through the depth, magic and power of Hebrew chant, we will join our breath, voices and intentions together to create a sacred place to receive the hidden meaning of key Hebrew phrases. Our voices will be the shofar, vibrating at the highest level on this holy night, calling to God for connection.

Shavuot and the Art of Becoming Jewish: The agricultural mitzvot (leket, shichacha and peah) are the essential mitzvot for conversion. Explore this central theme of Shavuot in this session.

Why Mt. Sinai?: A series of stories exploring the mysterious mountain of revelation. We Will Obey and We Will Hear, The Contest of the Mountains, Our Children Shall Be Our Guarantors, Divine Blackmail at Sinai, The (Actual) Revelation at Sinai, Moses and the Angels Wrestle Over Torah.

Kabbalah of the 10 Commandments: Explore what it means to receive the 10 commandments through the lenses of the Holy Zohar, and Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav.

Learning to Pray, Praying to Learn: Neo-Hasidic Teachings on Shavuot and the Epistomology of the Heart: Learning of the twin mountains of prayer and of study from Reb Shlomo Carlebach.

A Bridge to the Beyond: A learning and an reaching to the beyond in advance of revelation.

Daf Hourly Sessions with Arthur Kurzweil Here are the topics to be explored during the Daf Hourly sessions throughout Shavuos.

A new text (not in this order) will begin each one-hour session:

1.“Help! A cow is running through my vineyard.”

2 “I found a Torah scroll! Now what do I do?”

3. What did Noah do with the animal droppings?

4. The Four who Entered Paradise.

5. What did Nachum ish Gamzu teach Rabbi Akiva for 22 years?

6. “Hey kid, do you want some free candy?”

7. The two Rabbis who didn’t talk for 40 years.

8. The famous mouse on Pesach.

9. A goat and a fish drive a wagon.

10. Who owns the white space?

11. Why is the camel’s tail short and the ox’s tail long?

12. Trying to get Rabbi Zera to laugh.

13. Trying to get R. Yehudah haNasi to laugh.

14. The paradoxical questions of Rabbi Abahu.

15. A flying knife slaughters a cow.

Sunday May 24 — Shavuot Day One — Sivan 6 TIME

5:30 — 8:00

PROGRAM

The Dawn of Revelation - Sunrise Davennen’

LOCATION

Lakeside Patio

8:00 — 9:30 am

Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:30 am - 12 pm

Free Time

Everywhere!

10:30 — 11:30

Torah Yoga

Synagogue

12:00 — 1:00 pm

Holiday Lunch

Dining Tent

1:15 — 2:30 pm

Hike to the Overlook

Meet at Gazebo

JOFEE Experiences

Adamah Farm Tour

Meet at Stage

2:45 — 3:45 pm

*Mishpacha Groups*

4:00 — 6:00 pm every half hour

Counseling Sessions with Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen sign up at Guest Services desk

Beige Yurt

Wise Women of the Bible

Synagogue

with Rabbi Jill Hammer

See Location Chart

4:00 — 4:55 pm Sojourning into the Book of Ruth with Tom Livny

From Being a Stranger to Mothering Royalty with Ronit Ziv-Kreger Ph.D.

Red Yurt Red Yurt

5:00 — 5:55 pm Tracing the Lineage of the Messiah: Ruth and the Dream of Redemption with Rabbi Abby Sosland

Synagogue

Dedication Ceremony: The Reb Zalman Memorial Library

Great Hall

Dinner

Dining Tent

7:45 pm

Musical Mincha-Ma’ariv Davennen’

Great Hall

9:15 pm

Welcoming Shavuot Day Two Candle Lighting , Kiddush, and Blintzes

Great Hall

6:00 pm 6:30 — 7:30 pm

Jewish Astronomy 9:45 — 11:00 pm

with Rabbi Yaakov Reef

Bonfire and Kumzitz/Singalong/Hootenanny

Meet at Gazebo Fire Circle

SUNDAY PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS The Dawn of Revelation - Sunrise Davennen’: The peak spiritual experience of the Shavuot retreat. As the mist rises over Lake Miriam, and the sun’s rays crest the mountain, our voices rise together and we re-member the Torah of the Future.

Hike to the Overlook: An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

Adamah Farm Tour: Explore our organic farm, compost & chicken system, vegetable fields, and permaculture systems.

Counseling Sessions with Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen: Four half-hour sessions are available on a first-come first-served basis. Rebbetzin Eve asks that those who sign up make donations to Elat Chayyim after the holiday.

Wise Women of the Bible: Text study exploring Lady Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs, The Wise Woman of Tekoa and of Avel from the Book of Samuel, and Serach bat Asher.

Bibliodrama - Sojourning into the Book of Ruth: Bibliodrama is a method of studying and interpreting biblical texts through the use of drama exercises. This approach allows participants to gain a three dimensional understanding of the struggles and experiences of the biblical characters.

From Being a Stranger to Mothering Royalty: What can we learn from Ruth about finding and making our place? In more ways than one Ruth begins as a stranger and finds her way into a foreign culture and tradition. We'll explore the midrash tradition and teaching of Dr. Avivah Zornberg to deepen our understanding of Ruth and what we can learn from her.

Tracing the Lineage of the Messiah: Ruth and the Dream of Redemption: The Book of Ruth ends with the genealogy of King David, whom we know is the progenitor of the Messiah. What does the Messianic bloodline (Judah, Ruth, David, and others) teach us about the possibility of redemption in our own lives?

Dedication Ceremony - The Reb Zalman Memorial Library: A broad and deep collection of books, generously donated by Arthur & Bobby Kurzweil, has become a permanent addition to and enhancement of Isabella Freedman. In memory and in honor of Reb Zalman’s love of learning from diverse sources, and love for this special place, we gather to dedicate this new space.

Jewish Astronomy: Explore TaNaKH Cosmology, Talmudic Astronomy, and the Kabbalah of the Mazalot - all followed by actual stargazing. Come prepared for a short hike.

Monday May 25 — Shavuot Day Two — Sivan 7 TIME

7:30 — 8:30 am

PROGRAM

LOCATION

Torah Yoga with Rachel Dewan

Synagogue

Quieting the Mind Meditation with Ronit Ziv-Kreger Ph.D.

Red Yurt

8:00 — 9:30 am

Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:30 — 11:30 am

Holiday Morning Davennen’ and Yizkor

Great Hall

Bikkurim Parade

Barnyard

11:30 - 12:30 pm

Procession from Great Hall to Barnyard and back to Dining Tent

12:30 — 1:00 pm

Adamah First Fruits Kiddush

Dining Tent

1:00 — 2:00 pm

Holiday Lunch

Dining Tent

2:00 — 3:00 pm

Make your own Pickles

Meet at Stage

JOFEE Experiences

Adamah Permaculture Tour Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil

2:00 — 2:55 pm

Who exactly is Giving the Torah?

Visions of the Divine when you are done with Zeus

Meet at Gazebo

Synagogue Red Yurt

with Rabbi Brent Spodek

Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil 3:00 — 3:55 pm

Border-Crossings: Reb Zalman’s Legacy as an Interreligious Pioneer with Rabbi Or Rose Daf Hourly - with Arthur Kurzweil

4:00 — 4:55 pm

Ashan and the Way of the Darshan: Space, Time, and Soul

Synagogue Red Yurt Synagogue Red Yurt

with Eden Pearlstein and Shir Yaakov Feit

5:00 — 6:00 pm

Torah Yoga

Synagogue

5:00 — 6:15 pm

Mincha Davennen’

Great Hall

6:30 — 7:30 pm

Dinner

Dining Tent

7:45 — 8 :45pm

*Mishpacha Groups*

9:00 pm

Ma’ariv and Havdallah followed by DARSHAN

See Location Chart

Great Hall

MONDAY PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS Torah Yoga: Wake up with an embodied Jewish spiritual experience. Description in Q&A Quieting the Mind Meditation: We’ll experience a guided meditation practice in accord with the teaching of the Piazetzna Rebbe, a great spiritual teacher and tzadik who was known as the children's Rebbe.

Bikkurim Parade: The most joyous and creative moment in our retreat! Renew and reenact the ancient procession to the Temple for Shavuot with our First Fruits. Adorned goats, drumming, a marriage ceremony between the Divine & Humanity and more await.

Adamah First Fruits Kiddush: The culinary highlight of the holiday. Featuring the actual first fruits of our Adamah Jewish organic educational farm in creative preparations, cocktails, and other delicacies — a showcase of the AdamahFoods farm-to-table magic!

Make your Own Pickles: Learn about lacto-fermentation and do it yourself. Changing the world one pickle at a time. Healthy, delicious, and empowering.

Permaculture Tour: Orchards, berries, and herbs, oh my! A whole-system way of life.

Who exactly is Giving the Torah? Visions of the Divine when you are done with Zeus: If the appeal of the angry-old-man-with-white-beard-on-throne has worn off, this is your time to go deeper.

Border-Crossings: Reb Zalman’s Legacy as an Interreligious Pioneer: Among the many gifts Reb Zalman bequeathed to us were his pioneering efforts in inter-religious dialogue. In this session, we will examine several teachings and stories told by our teacher about his experiences from the religious borderlands. What motivated him to seek out such encounters? What did he learn from these experiences? What were some of the questions he carried with him? How can we continue this work? What might we need to do differently?

Ashan and the Way of the Darshan: Space, Time, and Soul: Darshan’s song “Ashan” is both an incantation and an explication of some of the deep themes of Shavuot. Approach original lyrics as midrash and text-study.

Darshan: Iconoclastic neo-hasidic hip-hop that Bubbe would love. Darshan is a musical project and creative methodology founded by MC Eden Pearlstein and Reb Shir Yaakov that combines deep engagement with Jewish text and tradition with a radical commitment to spiritual inspiration and cultural innovation.

Tuesday May 26 — Farewell Day ‫ — יום להתראות‬Sivan 8 TIME

PROGRAM

LOCATION

Please move out of your room by 10am 8:00 — 9:00 am

Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:15 — 10:00 am

Davenology Morning Service in honor of Reb Zalman ‫זצ׳ל‬

Great Hall

10:15 - 11:15 am

*Mishpacha Groups*

11:20 — 12 pm 12:15 pm 12:15 pm - 2pm

Closing Circle Lunch To-Go ADAMAH FARMERS MARKET!!

Bookstore & Gift Shop Open

See Location Chart

Patio Dining Tent TBD Bookstore

Mishpacha Groups and Locations For decades, Reb Zalman ‫ זצ׳ל‬would ask the groups he worked with to split up into smaller groups based on the participants’ astrological signs. The mishpacha group model of small-group structured time in large retreats is crucial (more info in the Q&A section). For this retreat, we are going to try on the astrological method of forming groups. This may mean that some groups are larger than others. If you don’t know your sign, ask someone else - and proceed to the spaces designated below at the appointed times. If the weather is pleasant, once your group is assembled, feel free to move to an outside location. Enjoy!

Aries ———————————Synagogue Taurus ——————————- Synagogue Gemini —————————— Synagogue Cancer —————————— Lounge Leo ————————————Lounge Virgo ——————————— Lounge Libra ——————————— Great Hall Scorpio —————————— Great Hall Sagittarius ————————— Great Hall Capricorn —————————- Beige Yurt Aquarius —————————— Gazebo Pisces ——————————— Red Yurt