Pesach Retreat at Isabella Freedman 2017 program book

Pesach Retreat

5777 | April 10-19, 2017

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

NEXT YEAR AT ISABELLA FREEDMAN!

Pesach 2018 March 30–April 7, 2018

Early Bird Special: Register by December 31, 2017 and save $50 with discount code RETURN50.

Share this discount code with your family and friends!

Register Today: hazon.org/passover

Table of Contents Orientation Sheet.................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Upcoming Retreats..............................................................................................................................................................................................6 Welcome Letter.....................................................................................................................................................................................................8 About Hazon..........................................................................................................................................................................................................9 Hazon and the new Jewish Food movement.......................................................................................................................................... 10 Pesach Food at Isabella Freedman.............................................................................................................................................................. 12 Schedule Monday, April 10........................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Tuesday, April 11........................................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Wednesday, April 12................................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Thursday, April 13...................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Friday, April 14............................................................................................................................................................................................ 23 Saturday, April 15...................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Sunday, April 16......................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Monday, April 17........................................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Tuesday, April 18........................................................................................................................................................................................ 36 Wednesday, April 19................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 Camp Teva............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 39 Presenter Bios..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 Tamar Fund.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Map.........................................................................................................................................................................................................back cover

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WELCOME to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center!

Welcome to the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. This beautiful campus has been touching people’s lives since the 1950s, and since 2014 has been the home of Hazon. The word “Hazon” is Hebrew for “vision.” We’re working to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. We hope that your stay here will indeed inspire you to reflect, to learn, to celebrate, to recharge, and thus to return to your home and your community with a renewed sense of hope for our world and a renewed commitment to health and sustainability in your own life.

Please read upon arrival If you need anything during your stay, please contact the Retreat Manager on duty.

EMERGENCY CALLS: In the event of a medical

emergency, please call 9-1-1 from your cell phone, OR: 9-9-1-1 from any land line phone, located in the buildings throughout campus. Please familiarize yourself with the location of the nearest phone to your room. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones.

After making a 9-1-1 call, please contact a retreat manager at the IF Emergency #: Dial 860-480-3674 from a cell phone. Emergencies only, please. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones.

SECURITY: Isabella Freedman is an oasis in a troubled world. And, we are committed to vigilance and preparedness for the unfortunate realities of our society today. Two general guidelines provide the basis for our security program: 1. Please wear your name tags at all times. Our staff need to be aware of who should be on our site.

2. In the event of a campus-wide emergency including a bomb threat, you will hear three one-second blasts of a very loud air horn, repeated multiple times. If you hear this, immediately evacuate to the decorative gate at Adamah farm located across the street from the main entrance and remain there until emergency services arrive. Do not use your cellphone or take time to look for others besides children.

FIRE SAFETY: Please only light candles at group

candle lighting in the main building. Camp fires are only allowed at the fire pit by the lake during scheduled programming and must be put out at the end of the activity. Please see a retreat manager for any questions.

FIRST AID: First aid materials are located at Guest Services, in the Lounge, yurts, Arts and Crafts building and Pool House. A defibrillator is located in the Lounge.

SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in all buildings,

and throughout campus. You may smoke only at the fire pit by the lake. Please dispose of cigarette butts in the designated cigarette bin.

KASHRUT: Our facility is strictly kosher for Passover.

Please do not bring any outside food or beverages or personal drinking and eating vessels (including water bottles and travel mugs) into the main building without prior approval from one of our kosher supervisors. Mugs from our coffee bar can be used throughout the main building.

Please do not take our dishes outside of the dining spaces. Food may be brought outside of the dining spaces in compostable to-go ware found at the coffee bar. Any supplemental food you wish to have at a meal must be

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brought (in original sealed packaging) to be checked by our kosher supervisor.

THERMOSTATS: The thermostats in your buildings/ rooms are programmed to keep you comfortable. You may adjust the temperature by increasing or decreasing the thermostat one or two degrees.

PARKING: Driving and parking is not allowed on grassy areas. Please only park in the designated parking areas: the lot near the main entrance and the lot near the barnyard.

lake are closed for the season.

CHILDREN: Please make sure that your children are

HIKING: Please stay on Isabella Freedman trails

supervised at all times, or are participating in children’s programming associated with your retreat.

BUSING TABLES: Please clear your table after finishing your meal. Bins for compost and dishware are located at the corner of the Dining Hall.

COMPOST & RECYCLING: Around campus you will see containers for compost (green), recycling (blue) and trash (black). Items that are compost: All food including bones, paper napkins, paper towels, togo ware (hot/cold cups, lids, utensils, containers) tea bags, paper wrappers, corks, and wooden coffee stirrers. We use our compost to fertilize our Adamah Farm!

LAKE AND SWIMMING / BOATING: The pool and

when hiking. We advise telling a friend when you go out on a trail and when you return, carrying a cell phone and water bottle, and only hiking during daylight hours.

Trail maps are located at Guest Services.

TICKS AND LYME DISEASE: We recommend doing a tick check after spending time outdoors. We have tick removal information available at Guest Services.

CHECK OUT PROCEDURE: On check-out day, you MUST move out of your room by 10 am. Kindly strip your bed and place all sheets and towels into the pillowcases.

(Please leave mattress pads, blankets, and comforters on the beds.)

HOT WATER/COFFEE: Due to our kosher policies, on

GOAT CARE: We are thrilled to welcome you to the

Shabbat we offer coffee and hot water until it runs out.

Once Shabbat ends, our staff make fresh batches. We appreciate your understanding, and we strive to provide enough coffee and hot water through the holiday.

Adamah Barnyard. Please respect any posted signs and/ or instructions given by staff members, and do not visit when a goat is sick, giving birth, or about to give birth.

You are welcome and encouraged to visit our goats, and any new goat kids, once we know that everyone is safe and healthy!

POTABLE TAP WATER: ALL tap water on campus comes directly from a local well source and is potable and delicious!

GAMES, BOOKS, AND MORE: We offer a variety of sport equipment, books, games, and toys for your pleasure. Please see a retreat manager to borrow any of these items. Please do not use any bikes located on campus as these belong to Isabella Freedman staff.

We hope you enjoy your stay with us!

It’s important to us to know both what you enjoyed and ways we could improve our work here. Please do fill out an evaluation form. If you do not receive one, please email evaluations@hazon.org.

JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

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Upcoming Hazon Retreats and Programs in 2017 SHAVUOT RETREAT

May 30-June 2 Isabella Freedman

Join us for a musical celebration of revelation that includes all-night learning, sunrise shacharit, Adamah Foods, a midnight hike to the top of the mountain, a pilgrimage parade with costumes and goats, outdoor fun for kids, and more. Includes Camp Teva for kids!

CAMP ISABELLA FREEDMAN

July 10-16 & July 17-23 (come for one week or two!)

Isabella Freedman Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center has been offering annual summer camp experiences for adults since 1956. We are honored to continue this tradition by providing you with a warm and welcoming atmosphere for one of the best summer vacations you’ll ever have.

TORAH YOGA: TASTING THE TREE OF LIFE

July 24-30 Isabella Freedman

Experience the wonder of Torah study and the groundedness of yoga practice with Diane Bloomfield, whose teachings spring forth from her own deep learning in Jerusalem.

LET MY PEOPLE SING!

August 3-6 Isabella Freedman

Join us for a weekend of song sharing and learning. Together, we will sing and share a wide array of Jewish song traditions, inclusive of the full range of Jewish ancestry and religious practices.

Includes Camp Teva for kids!

HAZON FOOD CONFERENCE

August 9-13 Isabella Freedman

Join us for the 12th annual Hazon Food Conference. Whether you want to expand your culinary expertise, experience the pleasure of harvesting your own organic fruits and veggies, unpack the complexities of our global food system, or connect to our ancient food tradition, there is something for everybody at the Hazon Food Conference. The Kids' Food Conference, specially designed for young foodies ages 5-12, makes it perfect for the whole family!

NEW YORK RIDE & RETREAT

September 1-4 (Labor Day Weekend) Isabella Freedman Join the People of the Bike for our annual fully-supported ride and retreat. This exciting, diverse community Shabbat and cycling experience is open for people of all cycling levels and ages. Includes Camp Teva for kids!

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JOFEE NETWORK GATHERING

September 14-17 Pearlstone Center, Reisterstown, MD Join Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming, and Environmental Educators for the annual JOFEE Network Gathering – an innovative and engaging conference for anyone interested in JOFEE programming!

ROSH HASHANAH

September 20-24 Isabella Freedman

This Rosh Hashanah, treat yourself to the transformative experience of welcoming in the new year with lively prayer services, deep teachings, immersion in a relaxing wooded venue, tashlich in our stream, community celebrations, and fabulous farm-to-table feasting. Includes Camp Teva for kids!

SUKKAHFEST!

October 4-15 Isabella Freedman Sukkahfest is a singular event — perhaps the most joyous, and almost certainly the most diverse, celebration of the holiday of Sukkot on planet Earth. Includes Camp Teva for kids!

THE ISRAEL RIDE

October 31-November 7 Israel Enjoy five glorious days of riding with routes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced cyclists.

All routes are fully supported with rest stops, mechanics, and lead riders.

JEWISH MEN’S RETREAT

November 10-12 Isabella Freedman

Along with the connections that naturally develop among men who meet at our retreats, many men have used the JMR as an occasion to deepen their relationships with their fathers, sons, or brothers, friends, and congregants by inviting them to join them for the weekend.

HAZON MEDITATION RETREAT

December 24-31 Isabella Freedman

Join Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Beth Resnick-Folk, Shir Yaakov Feit, and Rabbi Naomi Hyman for silent meditation with instruction, musical prayer services, evening teachings that draw on Jewish, Secular & Buddhist sources, and more.

Visit hazon.org/calendar for a complete list of upcoming events!

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Welcome!

Dear Friends, Welcome to Pesach 5777 at Isabella Freedman! I am thrilled and honored to celebrate this incredible holiday with you. Pesach is a very special time of year, as we embark on this journey of leaving Mitzrayim, our personal and ancestral narrow straights, and arrive in a land of freedom and opportunities. We have an incredible program planned for you!

I remember the rituals that my family did to prepare for Pesach. There was the arduous task of removing all the dishes, boxing and swapping everything, and restocking the kitchen with kosher-for-Pesach ingredients. Once the kitchen was converted, the smells of Pesach would waft through each room until the holiday was over. I was always tasked with setting up the seder table and I excitedly envisioned all the conversations that would occur well into the night. The story of Pesach is a story of family and friends coming together to retell a story with no true ending or beginning.

One year ago today, April 10, 2016, I was standing in the synagogue on this very land, under a beautiful chuppah, among 100 of my closest friends and family. I left Manhattan in September, 2014 needing a change, and I knew Isabella Freedman was the perfect place to connect to the land and Jewish community. Over the past two and a half years, I have watched the leaves change from green to red to yellow to brown, and then fall to the ground, and like magic, the cycle begins all over again. I have watched our community of residents grow and diminish, as new Adamah and Teva cohorts arrive and depart every three months throughout the season.

I have tasted the seasons, as the harvest evolves from squash to fresh greens, to cauliflower to tomatoes to fermented vegetables. I am so excited to share with you the magic of Isabella Freedman!

Pesach to me is about cycles and walking through the familiar to embrace change. I invite you to explore new ideas and activities while you are at Isabella Freedman. You never know how an experience will change the course of your life. I invite you to challenge your mind, think freely about new ideas and concepts, explore the incredible fruitful land, clear your mind through yoga and meditation, share a personal story or talent, or enjoy solo time reading a book or taking a stroll around the lake.

We invite you to wear your name tag throughout the weekend as a way to create an open community. Together, let us share the inspiration of community and the story of Pesach.

Blessings and gratitude, Ayala Azari Pesach Program Manager

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About Hazon THE WORD “HAZON” MEANS “VISION.” Our tagline is “Jewish inspiration. Sustainable communities.”

That encapsulates all that we strive to do: We work to renew Jewish life by creating a healthier and more sustainable world for all.

JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

OUR THEME QUOTE IS: “The Torah is a commentary on the world and the world is a commentary on the Torah.”

This reflects our belief that turning Jewish life outwards to address some of the greatest challenges of our time is good not only for the world, but also for the renewal of Jewish life itself.

OVERVIEW: Hazon was founded in 2000. Today’s Hazon includes not only our own legacy programs, but also those of Isabella Freedman and Teva, with whom we merged in 2013, and Elat Chayyim, with whom we merged in 2006.

WE EFFECT CHANGE IN THREE WAYS: • Transformative Experiences: Immersive multi-day programs that directly touch people’s lives in powerful ways • Thought-Leadership: Changing the world through the power of ideas—including writing, teaching, curriculumdevelopment, and advocacy • Capacity-Building: Not just working with people as individuals, but explicitly supporting and networking with great projects and partners in North America and Israel If you’re interested in talking to us about how we might work together in the future – planning a special celebration, organizational retreat, family reunion, life-cycle event or community gathering, please be in touch with Eli Massel, our Director of Outreach, elisheva.massel@hazon.org.

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Hazon and the New Jewish Food Movement As Jews, we’ve been thinking about kashrut – about what is “fit” to eat – for nearly 3,000 years. And a growing number of people today realize that our food choices have significant ramifications – for ourselves, our families, and the world around us.

Hazon stands at the forefront of a new Jewish Food Movement, leading Jews to think more broadly and deeply about our food choices. We’re using food as a platform to create innovative Jewish educational programs to touch people’s lives directly, to strengthen Jewish institutions, and, in the broadest sense, to create healthier, richer, and more sustainable Jewish communities. We invite you to learn more about the programs we offer, and we encourage you to learn about the other great organizations in this field, many of whom are represented at this conference.

If you’d like to learn more about any of these, please email foodeducation@hazon.org.

Hazon Food Conference All of Hazon's work building the New Jewish Food Movement comes together at the annual Hazon Food Conference. Join us this summer from August 9-13th to harvest, learn, play, and grow the movement.

Use code MATZAH100 by April 19th to get $100 off each adult registration, or code FRUIT75 from April 20 through Shavuot, June 2nd for $75 off. Speak with the retreat manager for further details.

JOFEE Fellowship

Animal Welfare Initiatives

The JOFEE Fellowship invigorates the Jewish educational landscape by developing a cohort of year-long fellows in professional placements who will receive intensive training and mentorship by leaders in the Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education field.

With our partners at the Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA), we are engaging camps and synagogues in connecting the dots between their Jewish values, animal welfare, and food policies.

Hazon Seal of Sustainability The Hazon Seal of Sustainability provides a roadmap and certification for Jewish organizations across the country engaging in sustainability-related education, action, and advocacy. Hazon helps organizations form a Green Team, perform an audit, and commit to meaningful sustainability projects. Over forty organizations have particpated in the Seal to date.

Shmita Project Shmita is the biblically mandated ‘Sabbatical Year’ of rest and release. Hazon has created a 60-page sourcebook tracking the evolution of shmita through Jewish texts from ancient times to today.

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Sustainable Israel Tour

Healthy and Sustainable Shabbat Join community leaders on a one-of-a-kind mission and Holiday Guides highlighting developments in Israel towards more sustainable food production, healthy living, and social justice.

Celebrate the Jewish holidays in line with your values.

Inspire a theme for a holiday, an activity for your family, or an event for your community.

Adamah

Tu B’Shvat Seder and Sourcebook

The grandmother of the Jewish farming movement, Adamah is an organic farming fellowship for Jews in their 20s to early 30s that cultivates the soil and the soul to produce food, to build and transform identities, and to gather a community of people changing the world.

We have completely reimagined the Tu B’Shvat haggadah, bringing in new texts, discussion questions, and activities to bring this ancient holiday into your home.

Teva

We have developed a list of food values that we strive to follow when we are planning food at all Hazon events, programs, and meetings. We hope that these values and reports of putting the values in action will inspire your community to take further steps to make healthier and more sustainable choices.

Shomrei Adamah (Guardians of the Earth) is Teva’s flagship program. Designed for fifth and sixth grade students, it integrates outdoor environmental education with Jewish concepts and values through exciting hands-on activities in a cooperative residential setting.

Green Kiddush Hazon supports synagogues to make their weekly kiddushes healthier, more sustainable, and more humane to animals. Our Green Kiddush guide is available to jumpstart the process.

Institutional Food Values

Hazon CSA Program The Hazon Community Supported Agriculture network connects dozens of Jewish communities to local farms, providing seasonal produce to members, and steady income to farmers.

Food Education Curricula Hazon has published curricula and resources linking Jewish thought with modern food values. Our sourcebooks, including Food for Thought, Fit to Eat, Setting the Table, Min Ha’Aretz, and Home for Dinner, are available for purchase in the bookstore and online.

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Pesach Food at Isabella Freedman Dear Friends, Welcome to Isabella Freedman. We are incredibly proud of our farm-to-table kitchen, which we call “Adamah Foods”. For every meal in every season, we strive to achieve the highest standards of sustainability through food sourcing that is seasonal, local, organic, fair trade, and supports animal welfare. Our chefs cook whole foods that are delicious, healthful, and creative, reflecting the broad spectrum of Jewish, American, and international cuisine.

Here are a few of our guiding principles: Eco-Kosher Isabella Freedman is a kosher facility under the supervision of the Hartford Kashrut Commission. We also care very much about making sure that every kosher product we buy is aligned with our food values and meets the standard of the Hazon Seal of Sustainability. At every meal you will find one of our mashigihim, kosher supervisors, in the Dining Room happily available to answer any questions about kashrut.

Adamah Foods: Where Farm Meets Table As spring is here, we are just at the beginning of our farming season. And while it is still too cold in the Northeast for our farm harvest, we are able to source much of our produce regionally from our southern neighbors such as broccoli, collard greens, cauliflower, spinach, green beans, and strawberries. We are also proud to serve our wonderful Adamah Foods ferments that are organically grown and pickled here on the farm.

Sustainable Sourcing Sustainable sourcing is a core value here at Isabella Freedman. We source all of our meat from Grow & Behold, which raises OU Glatt Kosher pastured meats raised on small family farms, and adheres to the strictest standards of kashrut, animal welfare, worker treatment, and sustainable agriculture. We use Monterrey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch list in determining how to serve ocean-friendly fish. When we buy foods grown far away, like chocolate, avocados, tea, and coffee, we make sure they come from Fair Trade sources. The Twin Suns wine that we serve is produced with limited chemicals, thanks to a farming system called Integrated Pest Management. This is all part of our core mission to create and inspire others to create a healthier and more sustainable world.

Dietary Needs and Food Allergies We take dietary needs, food allergies, and hospitality very seriously. It is imperative that each guest feels cared for and nourished. At each meal you will find options that will cover a wide range of dietary needs. If you have any questions or special dietary needs, our chefs and dining hall servers are here to make sure that you are well taken care of.

Kosher Le’ Pesach at Isabella Freedman During Pesach, we understand that folks come here with a wide range of observances and traditions, and we strive to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and nourished.

The following will give you a brief introduction to our practices for Pesach: Gebrukts While we do serve gebrukts on Pesach, we respect and are sensitive to the needs of our guests that do not eat gebrukts until the eighth day of Pesach. To that end, we strive to have many non-gebrukts meals, and in the case that we do serve gebrukts, we will always provide a nongebrukts alternative. For example, our matzah balls are non-gebrukts; if we make matzah brie or matzah pizza, we will also have a non-gebrukts option.

Dairy All of our dairy – milk, cheese and yogurt, is Cholov Yisroel.

Kitniyot We do not serve kitniyot during Pesach. We serve quinoa, a grain-like seed grown in South America, which has been certified by the Orthodox Union as kosher for Passover and is not kitniyot.

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One of my great joys as Director of Food Services is bringing my family recipes to our kitchen here at Isabella Freedman.

So whether it’s my bobe’s potatoes mit floimen (prunes), my mom’s matzah brie or my sister’s Moroccan fish, I get such pleasure seeing these dishes that are so dear to me being enjoyed by our guests. Last Pesach on the eighth day, I experienced such a joy when we prepared my bobe Dora Manchester’s, z’l, matzah meichal (or as we affectionately call it – gefilte matzah). It’s basically a sweet matzah and cheese lasagna that is so delicious, you can’t even believe. Made with butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, cinnamon, eggs, sugar, and of course, matzah, all these wonderful flavors come together in the most delicious way. The matzah is so soft and light like a soufflé. And the combination of the sweet sugar, cinnamon, and sour cream all sing together in perfect harmony. Growing up, this was the taste of Pesach, and it brought me such joy to see how many of our guests also loved it; so much so, that I got requests for the recipe by the dozens. So with great joy, here’s the recipe for my bobe’s matzah meichal.

Chag kasher v’sameach, Hazzan Mordechai Schram Director of Food Services

Bobe Dora Manchester’s Matzah Meichal 2 lbs. cottage cheese 8 tbs. melted butter 3 eggs

Pinch of salt 1 cup + 1 tbs. sugar 11 matzot

2 pints sour cream 2 tbs. cinnamon

Butter a square 10” baking pan.

Preheat the oven to 4000F. In a large bowl combine 2 lbs. of cottage cheese, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 3 eggs, a pinch of salt and sugar to taste.

Place 3 or so matzot on bottom and side of pan – break some pieces of matzah to fill in spaces and sides.

Pour ½ the batter on top of matzah.

Put another 6 or so matzot as a middle layer.

Pour on the rest of batter.

Put another 2 matzot on top of batter.

Pour 4 tablespoons of melted butter plus a pint or more of sour cream, cinnamon and sugar on top.

When the oven is hot, put the matzah meichal in the oven and immediately turn down to 2500F to bake for an hour.

Mordy’s Note: The meichal can be served hot or cold, but I recommend you eat it first hot, and then the leftovers, if there are any, can be enjoyed cold the next day. Enjoy!

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Monday, April 10 1:00 PM Guest Arrival, Welcome Snack

Great Hall

1:00–5:00 PM JOFEE Fair Great Hall Isabella Freedman Staff Come to the Great Hall to sample many of the Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) programs Hazon has to offer. Make bike blender charoset on our stationary bike. It is the ultimate expression of human power. Be sure to check out the Kids’ Zone, and silkscreen a matzoh cover.

1:00–6:00 PM Bookstore Bookstore Jesse Beller The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol Hamoed and arrival and departure days. Adamah pickles and jams will be available on April 19th. Store hours will be posted.

3:00–5:00 PM Silkscreen Matzoh Covers Great Hall Elizabeth Yaari No experience is required to participate in this collaborative silk painting for all ages. The theme is freedom. The painting will be transformed into matzoh covers for our seder tables.

5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Arts & Crafts Parents, please come with your child(ren) to learn about Camp Teva. We will briefly review the schedule and a few important policies.

6:00–8:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

6:00–7:00 PM Welcome Reception Great Hall We are excited to spend Pesach with new and familiar friends! Come to the Great Hall for a light supper and get to know one another as we embark on this journey of liberation.

7:11 PM Candle lighting – Intention Setting Great Hall Bailey Newman Braun Light is referred to as peace, because it gives us the ability to distinguish between different things, and thus to perceive the uniqueness of every person. Together we will ignite the flame that separates the beginning of Pesach from the rest of the year.

7:15–8:30 PM Traditional Orthodox Mincha followed by d’var Torah and Ma’ariv

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Synagogue

Monday, April 10 7:30–8:15 PM Moving from Constriction to Expansion Meditation Red Yurt Jess Berlin Before we embark on our ancestral journey of the Passover seder, prepare yourself through an intention setting and meditation practice. Passover is the time when we move from slavery to freedom, from constriction to expansion, from responding and reacting to other’s demands of us to acting from a place of true sovereignty and authority from within. Together we will get grounded and set ourselves up for deeper levels of personal freedom.

8:30 PM Communal Seder led by Rabbi Shmuel Braun Dining Hall Rabbi Shmuel Braun Rabbi Shmuel Braun will conduct a traditional seder of exceptional depth and liberatory power. The Haggadah's wisdom will be enhanced by Chassidic insights, Talmudic curiosities and illuminations of worldly diversity.

8:30 PM Semi-Private Seder Experience your personal traditions at your predesignated seder table.

Library

Tuesday, April 11 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release, and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Freedom Flow Yoga Red Yurt Jenna Basman A gentle moving meditation to celebrate your free spirit and connect with your Neshima (breath) & Neshama (soul). Wear comfortable clothes and bring water. See you on your mat!

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:00 AM–12:00 PM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf

Synagogue

9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

10:00–11:00 AM Explore the Sounds of the Forest Elizabeth Yaari During this walk we will speak only in nature’s language.

Red Yurt

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Tuesday, April 11 12:00–12:45 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush and D’var Torah 12:45–2:15 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch 2:15–2:30 PM Traditional Orthodox Mincha

Great Hall Dining Hall/Library Synagogue

2:15– 5:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:30–3:45 PM Goat Care at Isabella Freedman 101 Beige Yurt Z’ev Chana Learn all about goats and about the Adamah goat herd. This is the ideal space to ask all of your goat-related questions! This session will be conveniently located, with the option to head down to the goat barn at the end of the session. Please note that all goat-related sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

2:30–3:45 PM Reclaiming, Rebelling, Restoring: Women of the Exodus (Shifra and Puah) Synagogue Bailey Newman Braun Utilizing biblical text, hasidic teachings, poetry, and psychology, we will explore the powerful women who redeemed us from Egypt, challenged the status quo, and provided us with heroic legacies we should and can aspire to emulate.

2:30–3:45 PM Improvisational Games Red Yurt Elizabeth Yaari Whether it’s active, energetic, quiet, or reflective, this spontaneous play is a beautiful way to get to know your fellow retreaters.

3:30–5:30 PM Long Afternoon Hike Meet at Gazebo – Outside Jacob Weiss Hike through fern groves, fallen birch trees, traverse over boulders, and take in the scenery at the top of the Overlook. We will explore the Yellow Trail to the Blue Trail and down the Red Trail. There are several inclines and narrow paths. Closed-toe shoes are required.

4:00–5:00 PM Afternoon Hike Meet at Gazebo – Outside Jess Berlin We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. We will learn about the forest and play games along the way. Closed-toe shoes are required.

4:00–5:15 PM Remember! For You Were a Slave in the Land of Egypt Synagogue Gavriel Porten When speaking of the mitzvah of Tzedaka, our obligations towards the weak and the needy, the Torah invokes our collective memory of slavery, heightening our sensitivity towards the other. Join Gavriel as we delve into Talmudic stories and poems that explore the deeper meaning of Tzedaka, giving us a sharper understanding of ourselves in this special time of year. This is part one of our five-part series. Come to one, some or all.

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Tuesday, April 11 4:00–5:30 PM Freedom Flow Yoga Red Yurt Jenna Basman A gentle moving meditation to celebrate your free spirit and connect with your Neshima(breath) & Neshama (soul). Wear comfortable clothes and bring water. See you on your mat!

4:00–5:30 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

5:00–6:00 PM Supper Seder is late and you are hungry!

Great Hall

Kids’ Dinner

Great Hall

6:00–9:00 PM Camp Teva – Please see page 39 for details.

6:15–7:30 PM Chassidic Insight into the Haggadah Synagogue Avi-Natan Zadaka What are we really saying when we say, “It’s just a custom!”? A lively learning and discussion on the Haggadah, customs, and how they fit into our daily busy lives.

6:15–7:00 PM Moving from Constriction to Expansion Meditation Red Yurt Jess Berlin Before we embark on our ancestral journey of the Passover seder, prepare yourself through an intention setting and meditation practice. Passover is the time when we move from slavery to freedom, from constriction to expansion, from responding and reacting to other’s demands of us to acting from a place of true sovereignty and authority from within. Together we will get grounded and set ourselves up for deeper levels of personal freedom.

8:13 PM Candle lighting 8:15 PM Ma’ariv and D’var Torah

Great Hall Synagogue

9:00 PM Communal Seder led by Bob Sherman Dining Hall Bob Sherman This will be a highly participatory, yet traditional Seder, focused on the theme of what it means to be individually and collectively free from whatever enslaves or constrains us – physically, spiritually, socially, or psychologically. We will use both the Haggadah and supplemental texts. Since each of us is enjoined to actually experience the Exodus, you are encouraged to bring your questions, your answers, your reflections, and interpretations to share with others. Discussions will take place with the whole group and in smaller groups.

9:00 PM Semi-Private Seder Experience your personal traditions at your predesignated seder table.

Library

Wednesday, April 12 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release, and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Freedom Flow Yoga Red Yurt Jenna Basman A gentle moving meditation to celebrate your free spirit and connect with your Neshima (breath) & Neshama (soul). Wear comfortable clothes and bring water. See you on your mat!

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

9:00–12:00 PM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf 10:00–11:30 AM Narrow Passages in the Forest Elizabeth Yaari A nature walk to explore the birthing of animals, insects, plants, and trees.

12:00–12:45 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush and D’var Torah 12:45–2:15 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch

Synagogue Meet at Gazebo – Outside

Great Hall Dining Hall/Library

2:15– 6:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:15–2:30 PM Traditional Orthodox Mincha

Synagogue

2:30–3:45 PM Farm tour Meet at Gazebo – Outside Jacob Weiss Hosting our Adamah heirloom vegetables, a permaculture orchard, chickens, and compost, the Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from the Isabella Freedman campus. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields, and compost-yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we “till and tend” the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come.

18 • 5777 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Wednesday, April 12 2:30–3:45 PM From Slavery to Privilege: the Jewish Charge Synagogue Avi-Natan Zadaka We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, now we are free! But what does it mean to be Jewish and Free in America? What is our role? Looking at privilege through a social work lens, we will discuss our mission as Jews in this world.

2:30–3:45 PM Improvisational Theater Games Elizabeth Yaari Learn new ways to interact with one another in a fun, relaxed setting.

Red Yurt

4:00–5:15 PM Afternoon Hike Meet at Gazebo – Outside Jacob Weiss We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. We will learn about the forest and play games along the way. Closed-toe shoes are required.

4:00–5:15 PM Remember! For You Were a Slave in the Land of Egypt Beige Yurt Gavriel Porten When speaking of the mitzvah of Tzedaka, our obligations towards the weak and the needy, the Torah invokes our collective memory of slavery, heightening our sensitivity towards the other. Join Gavriel as we delve into Talmudic stories and poems that explore the deeper meaning of Tzedaka, giving us a sharper understanding of ourselves in this special time of year. This is part two of our five-part series. Come to one, some or all.

4:00–5:30 PM Freedom Flow Yoga Red Yurt Jenna Basman A gentle moving meditation to celebrate your free spirit and connect with your Neshima (breath) & Neshama (soul). Wear comfortable clothes and bring water. See you on your mat!

5:00–6:00 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

5:30–6:30 PM I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun Poetry, literature, and mysticism will guide us to appreciate the deeper meaning of the holiday and its significance for our lives throughout the entire year.

5:30–6:30 PM Bird Watching Meet at Gazebo – Outside Jaimie Sadeh and Beth Jacobs Listen to the world around you. Even though we cannot understand the calls of birds, they are nonetheless communicating.

On this walk, your guides will teach you how to identify and listen for the early spring birds of New England. We will provide a few binoculars to share but if you have your own, please bring them.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 19

Wednesday, April 12 6:30–8:00 PM Farm-to-Table Dinner

Dining Hall/Library

8:00–8:45 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

8:15–8:45 PM Traditional Orthodox Ma’ariv 8:45–9:15 PM Havdalah Together we mark the end of the first days of Pesach through joyful celebration.

Synagogue Great Hall

9:30–11:00 PM Movie: Woman in Gold Synagogue Sixty years after fleeing Vienna, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), an elderly Jewish woman, attempts to reclaim family possessions that were seized by the Nazis. Among them is a famous portrait of Maria’s beloved Aunt Adele: Gustave Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.” With the help of young lawyer Randy Schoeberg (Ryan Reynolds), Maria embarks upon a lengthy legal battle to recover this painting and several others, but it will not be easy, for Austria considers them national treasures.

Rated PG-13.

9:30–11:00 PM JOFEE – DIY Festival Great Hall Isabella Freedman Staff DIY enthusiasts will have a chance to make lacto-fermented horseradish, natural deodorant, beeswax candles, homeopathic tinctures, and participate in wood burning and whittling activities.

9:30–11:00 PM Bookstore Open Bookstore Jesse Beller The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol Hamoed, arrival and departure days. Adamah pickles and jams will be available on April 19th. Store hours will be posted.

9:30–11:00 PM Campfire Celebration Sit back and relax around the fire, sing songs, bring your instruments. This is sure to be a lively experience!

20 • 5777 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Campfire

Thursday, April 13 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release, and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Restorative Yoga Red Yurt Jenna Basman A gentle moving meditation to celebrate your free spirit and connect with your Neshima (breath) & Neshama (soul). Wear comfortable clothes and bring water. See you on your mat!

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to Table Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:00–11:00 AM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf

Synagogue

9:00 AM–12:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

10:00 AM Check-Out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10:00 am. You are welcome to stay through lunch.

11:00–12:30 PM Clay Day Elizabeth Yaari This interactive workshop to mold clay involves storytelling and movement.

Beige Yurt

11:00–12:30 PM Manna in Our Land: Wild Edibles Meet at Gazebo – Outside Arielle Aronoff Venture through fields and forest to learn about the earliest plants that are springing up in New England. Our world is full of gifts – manna – from Hashem. In this session, we will use all of our senses to identify and collect wild edibles and medicinal plants.

12:30–2:00 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch

Dining Hall

2:00–6:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:00–5:00 PM Sharon Historical Society Field Trip Meet in front of Great Hall Vlastik Valasek Current Exhibition – A Chance for Land and Fresh Air: Russian Jewish Immigrants in Ellsworth and Amenia, 1907-1940. Guided tour and private talk included. Sign up at Guest Services. ($10 per person transportation fee)

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 21

Thursday, April 13 2:00–3:15 PM Remember! For You Were a Slave in the Land of Egypt Synagogue Gavriel Porten When speaking of the mitzvah of Tzedaka, our obligations towards the weak and the needy, the Torah invokes our collective memory of slavery, heightening our sensitivity towards the other. Join Gavriel as we delve into Talmudic stories and poems that explore the deeper meaning of Tzedaka, giving us a sharper understanding of ourselves in this special time of year. This is part three of our five-part series. Come to one, some or all.

2:00–3:30 PM Electronic Dance Party Elizabeth Yaari Release the old you and find new ways to move.

Red Yurt

3:00–4:30 PM Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo – Outside Jacob Weiss We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games along the way.

3:30–4:45 PM Buddhism and Chassidic Judaism: Convergences and Disparities Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun More than one-fifth of all American Buddhists are Jewish. The time has come to understand that what they are looking for is already within our Torah.

4:30–6:00 PM Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield This yoga class focuses on alignment and breath awareness while flowing from one posture to the next using breath as the vehicle. This class pulls from some of the many different paths of yoga including Iyengar, Hatha, Power, and Ashtanga yoga.

Using sun salutations and breath-linked movement to transition from one pose to the next makes for a physically challenging class that allows students to flow and focus on their breath while detoxing the body, mind, and spirit.

5:00–6:00 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

5:00–6:00 PM Adamah: Why Jewish Farming Synagogue Shamu Sadeh Why should Jews be farmers? What does farming have to do with renewing the Jewish tradition? Come and learn about the philosophy and history of the Adamah farm.

6:00–6:30 PM Traditional Orthodox Ma’ariv 6:30–8:00 PM Farm-to-Table Dinner

22 • 5777 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Synagogue Dining Hall

Thursday, April 13 8:00–9:45 PM Camp Teva Movie Night!

Please see page 43 for details.

Arts & Crafts

8:00–8:20 PM Ma'ariv

Synagogue

8:30–9:45 PM Jewish Sources on Diversity and Difference Synagogue Isaiah Rothstein How does Torah teach about fringe or marginalized populations – those who are “different"? What does the Torah have to say about marginalized populations or the stranger? Come together for some learning with Torah, midrashic, and talmudic texts that highlight themes of inclusion and diversity, or the opposite. *No prior Judaic knowledge needed to participate in this discussion.

Friday, April 14 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release, and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Power Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield Based on Ashtanga yoga, power yoga is a more challenging vinyasa flow class that combines the alignment and deep focus of Iyengar with the fluidity and energy of Ashtanga, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:00 AM–12:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

9:00–11:00 AM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf

Synagogue

11:00–12:30 PM Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo – Outside Jacob Weiss Hosting our Adamah heirloom vegetables, a permaculture orchard, chickens, and compost, the Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from the Isabella Freedman campus. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields, and compost-yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we “till and tend” the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 23

Friday, April 14 11:00–12:30 PM Remember this Day on Which You Went Out of Egypt Beige Yurt Elizabeth Yaari This creative writing and storytelling workshop requires no prior experience. Learn some useful tools to be able to tell your story.

12:30–2:00 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch

Dining Hall

2:00–5:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:00 PM Guest Arrival and Welcome Snack

Great Hall

2:00–5:00 PM JOFEE Fair Great Hall Isabella Freedman Staff Come to the Great Hall to experience Hazon Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) programs.

Make bike blender charoset on our stationary bike. It is the ultimate expression of human power. And learn the ancient art of papermaking.

2:00–3:30 PM Nature’s Drum Circle Elizabeth Yaari Find percussion instruments on the floor of the forest and create rhythm.

Red Yurt

2:00–3:15 PM Your Time of Lovemaking Has Come Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun One of the most romantic prophecies of the Bible, brought forth in the Haggadah, serves as a textual basis to understand the dynamics of our intimate relationship with God. 3:30–4:45 PM Remember! For You Were a Slave in the Land of Egypt Synagogue Gavriel Porten When speaking of the mitzvah of Tzedaka, our obligations towards the weak and the needy, the Torah invokes our collective memory of slavery, heightening our sensitivity towards the other. Join Gavriel as we delve into Talmudic stories and poems that explore the deeper meaning of Tzedaka, giving us a sharper understanding of ourselves in this special time of year. This is part four of our five-part series. Come to one, some or all.

3:30–4:30 PM Aquatic Ecology Meet at Gazebo – Outside Arielle Aronoff Have you ever wondered who lives in Lake Miriam? Join Arielle on the shores and learn to identify the tiniest aquatic worms or a variety of fresh water snails. Ever heard of a scud? They are Arielle’s personal favorite macroinvertebrate! Come learn why and how each of these organisms contribute to a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Participants will stay dry, but come ready to get your hands a little muddy.

24 • 5777 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Friday, April 14 4:30–6:00 PM Power Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield This yoga class focuses on alignment and breath awareness while flowing from one posture to the next using breath as the vehicle. This class pulls from some of the many different paths of yoga including Iyengar, Hatha, Power, and Ashtanga yoga.

Using sun salutations and breath-linked movement to transition from one pose to the next makes for a physically challenging class that allows students to flow and focus on their breath while detoxing the body, mind and spirit.

4:30–5:45 PM The Changing Face of American Jewry: Getting Our Priorities Straight Synagogue Isaiah Rothstein Once upon a time, American Jewry appeared to be made up of mostly heterosexual, Ashkenazi-European Jews who were largely and almost dogmatically committed to traditional rabbinic Judaism. Today, we couldn’t be more different, and yet visibility for those who are “different” still seems foggy. Whether we consider the LGBTQ community or Jews of Color, how will our synagogues, schools and religious institutions respond to the diversified needs of our Am Yisrael (the Jewish People) in 2017?

4:30–5:45 PM Overcoming Immunity to Change Beige Yurt Bob Sherman Often we know exactly what we want to change yet find it very difficult to make it happen. What we don’t realize is that we behave the way we do for very good reasons and in order to change we need to understand the competing commitments that hold us back. We will use the immunity map designed by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey to better understand what we would like to change, what gets in the way of our doing so, and why. This can be the foundation for creating a plan to overcoming our built-in immunity.

5:00-6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Arts & Crafts Parents, please come with your child(ren) to learn about Camp Teva. We will briefly review the schedule and a few important policies.

5:00–6:00 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

6:00–8:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

6:00–7:00 PM Welcome Reception Great Hall We are excited to spend Pesach with new and familiar friends! Come to the Great Hall for a light supper and get to know one another as we embark on this journey of liberation.

7:00 (7:15 PM) Candle Lighting and Intention Setting Bailey Newman Braun Set an intention and light candles as a community. [Official candle lighting time is 7:15 PM.]

Great Hall

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 25

Friday, April 14 7:00–8:30 PM Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat

Synagogue

8:30–10:00 PM Farm-to-Table Shabbat Dinner

Dining Hall/Library

10:00–11:00 PM Freedom Songs and Storytelling Great Hall Isaiah Rothstein Though words can heal, song penetrates to the deepest recess of the heart. Join guitarist and song-writer Isaiah Rothstein in concert as he shares his original music, Chassidic songs of yore, and the negro spirituals and freedom songs which relate to the Jewish tradition.

Saturday, April 15 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Yoga: Hallel (Praises) for the Body Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter In this class, we will begin our epic days at Isabella Freedman by waking up our bodies with gentle stretches that link breath with movement. Some juicy flows will create heat and get our hearts working. Then we will challenge our balance, our strength, and our flexibility by spending more time on a few select poses. The class will end with a guided meditation.

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

9:00–12:00 PM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf 10:00–11:00 AM Enter the Wilderness Elizabeth Yaari Learn new ways to interact with nature to calm your fears of the wild things in the forest.

26 • 5777 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Synagogue Meet at Gazebo – Outside

Saturday, April 15 12:00–12:45 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush and D’var Torah 12:45–2:15 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch

Great Hall Dining Hall/Library

2:15–6:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:15–2:30 PM Traditional Orthodox Mincha

Synagogue

2:30–3:45 PM A Song Seder: A Mish Mosh of Yiddish, Hebrew & English Tunes Library Yael Kornfeld-Mlotek Song has accompanied the Jewish people throughout our history: songs of love, struggle, defiance and celebration. Join our “Song Seder” as we’ll sit together and share some of our favorite tunes. Song sheets will be available featuring Yiddish, Hebrew, and English lyrics, as well as wordless melodies. Come with your favorite song ready.

2:30–3:45 PM Color Erases Color Paints: Growing Up Mixed Race in Monsey NY Synagogue Isaiah Rothstein Both my maternal and paternal ancestors were slaves: As Hebrews in the desert hills of Egypt, and as Africans on plantations in the American South. Growing up in Monsey, N.Y., it was exciting to be part of one of the only mixed-race families in the community. Visiting my family revealed another segment of my family tree that were made up of people of varying religious faiths and ethnic backgrounds.

I’ve learned a lot growing up the way I did, but one thing is for certain: Color Erases and Color Paints.

2:30–3:45 PM Holiday of Freedom Red Yurt Aryeh Samet Canter Passover gets its name from the angel of death passing over the Israelite homes on the eve of the seventh plague. This experience, along with the idea of leaving slavery, can be hard to connect to in today’s world. Through text, song, and meditation, we will try to re-live this miracle as we move towards our own personal freedom.

4:00–5:15 PM The Man Behind the Mask: Moses and Leadership Beige Yurt Jina Davidovich Often referred to as “Moshe Rabbeinu” – Moses our teacher – Moses is both enigmatic and ever-present throughout the story of the Jewish people. From the time that he refuses to take the mantle of leadership at the burning bush, to finding his own voice at the Red Sea, we meet a Moses who is both fallible and powerful. How did his persona shape the character of the Jewish people in the desert and into the future? And why – the fateful question – was he not permitted to fulfill his dream of leading the fledgling Jewish nation into land of Israel?

4:00–5:15 PM Reclaiming, Rebelling, Restoring: Women of the Exodus (Tzipporah) Synagogue Bailey Newman Braun Utilizing biblical text, hasidic teachings, poetry and psychology, we will explore the powerful women who redeemed us from Egypt, challenged the status quo and provided us with heroic legacies we should and can aspire to emulate.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 27

Saturday, April 15 4:00–5:15 PM Hike Ida Assefa We will hike the Yellow Trail through the woods and learn about the forest along the way.

Meet at Gazebo – Outside

4:30–6:00 PM Freedom Flow: Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter This class is a celebration of inspired movement, conscious breathing bodies and poses that awaken, cleanse and help heal our bodies. We will warm up with sun salutes and flow through a sequence that targets a specific body part and/or leads up to a final pose. We will end in a state of bliss and relaxation.

5:00–6:00 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

6:30–8:00 PM Farm-to-Table Dinner – Seudah Shlishit 8:00–8:20 PM Traditional Orthodox Ma'ariv

Dining Hall/Library Synagogue

8:30–9:00 PM Havdalah Great Hall Havdalah (literally “separation”) marks the end of Shabbat and the start of the new week. Havdalah is done as soon as three stars are visible in the sky. The rituals of Havdalah include blessings over drinking wine, smelling spices, seeing a flame of a candle, and a blessing on separation.

9:30–11:00 PM Movie: Zootopia Synagogue From the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, the city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) becomes the first rabbit to join the police force, she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law. Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. Unfortunately, that means working with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a wily fox who makes her job even harder. Rated PG. 9:30–11:00 PM Miracles and Matza: A Story Slam Great Hall Jina Davidovich On Passover evening, we are told to stay up until sunrise telling the story of our liberation. Let’s do it! Bring your stories, poems, limericks, and other verbal art forms to the stage as we join together to share our personal narratives of freedom, slavery, and redemption.

28 • 5777 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Sunday, April 16 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release, and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Restorative Yoga Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter In this class, we will begin our day by waking up our bodies with gentle stretches that link breath with movement. Juicy flows will create heat and get our hearts working. Then we will challenge our balance, our strength and our flexibility by spending more time on a few select poses. The class will end with a guided meditation.

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:00 AM–12:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

9:00–11:30 AM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf

Synagogue

10:15–11:30 AM Toil in the Sun as Liberation Beige Yurt Janna Siller How are waking up at dawn to open the chicken coop or weeding all afternoon liberatory acts? Learn how tending the land at Adamah and other Jewish farms provides participants with the skills, confidence, and health to find emancipation. We’ll talk about the big picture connections between the Adamah farm and liberation for all. We’ll also leave time for more "ground level" conversation, so join us if you have any specific gardening questions as well!

10:15–11:30 AM Art Project: The Twelve Tribes Elizabeth Yaari Create an art piece of the twelve tribes of Israel by binding together found objects in nature.

Red Yurt

11:30–12:30 PM Topsy Turvy Teva Bus Meet at Topsy Turvy Bus Frances Lasday The Topsy Turvy Bus has a lot of love to give. Come and learn about the history of the Topsy Turvy Bus, the workings of its veggie oil system, and see what all the fuss is about!

11:30–12:30 PM Sustaining Our Vision / Learning from Hazon Synagogue Nigel Savage Hazon’s founder, Nigel Savage, will share some thoughts on the history and evolution of Hazon and offer suggestions and inspiration for us all, moving forward.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 29

Sunday, April 16 12:30–2:00 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch

Dining Hall/Library

2:00–5:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:00–3:15 PM Goat Care at Isabella Freedman 201 Beige Yurt Z’ev Chana No need to have attended Goats 101 to participate in this session! Learn about how the Adamah goats are cared for. Ask all your goat-related questions. The first half of this session will be conveniently indoors, and the second half of this session will travel to the goat barn with the option to participate in some of the regular goat care routines. Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

2:00–3:15 PM Mindful Consumption Synagogue Rebecca Bloomfield This class will explore the different ways in which we consume, how this affects ourselves, our community and the environment, and how we can change/improve the way we consume! We will explore the mitzvah of ve’ahavta lere’acha kamocha, as well as contemporary thought and resources on the topic of consumption and will discuss what it means for us in a modern context. If you’re curious about consumption, interested in decreasing waste, and excited to learn a simple DIY skill, join us!

2:00–3:15 PM Releasing the Twelve Tribes Elizabeth Yaari Take the twelve tribes art piece, which is made out of found objects, and release it on the lake.

Red Yurt

3:30–4:45 PM Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo – Outside Ida Assefa Hosting our Adamah heirloom vegetables, a permaculture orchard, chickens, and compost, the Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from the Isabella Freedman campus. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields, and compost-yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we “till and tend” the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come.

3:30–4:45 PM Nature Journaling Meet at Gazebo – Outside Arielle Aronoff In this session, we will take a leisurely walk and learn to listen to the individuals who comprise the forest ecosystem. With excerpts from famous nature writers such as John Burroughs and Robin Wall Kimmerer you will be guided through a series of writing exercises with time for free writing as well. Paper and pens will be provided, however, if you have a journal it is recommended to bring your own.

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Sunday, April 16 3:30–4:45 PM Passover: Delving into Our Past, Revealing Our Roots, Only to Rediscover Ourselves in the Present Synagogue Gavriel Porten Wherever you are in the land of Israel, layers of history lie below. In our mini-course, we will explore some of the amazing archaeological sites in the land and their connection to Passover. We will discover that our ancestors have left us a rich treasure that can teach us much about our own lives today. Each class will present a specific site through slides, maps and illustrations. As we do so, we will look at the Jewish sources that relate to the various finds and see how each illuminates the other, shedding new light on the texts, the site and the holiday of Passover.

4:45–6:00 PM Freedom Practice for Modern Living Beige Yurt Chava Tzemach The story of Passover is still relevant today; our “Egypt” just looks a little different than it did then. Come discover what is enslaving you today and learn how to shed the shackles of modern living through simple living practices that connect you to your true priorities in life.

4:45–6:00 PM Let My Body Go! An Ecstatic Dance Experience Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter Come join us as we explore our feelings and our bodies through dance. We will go through a playlist that is meant to ignite different sensations in our bodies and help us to process and release any tension, constriction or general build up of chametz in our bodies.

4:45–6:00 PM Learning and Singing Rabbi Avram Mlotek 5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner

Synagogue

Arts & Crafts

5:00–6:00 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

5:30–6:30 PM Afternoon Snack

Great Hall

6:00–8:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

6:15–7:15 PM Sunset Walk Meet at Gazebo – Outside Ida Assefa Experience the transition from light to dark as we watch the sun set over the Adamah Farm. The chickens will be settling in for the evening as we prepare our selves to enter into the next days of Chag. This will be an easy walk to the farm primarily along our country roads. We will sing songs and set an intention for the coming days.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 31

Sunday, April 16 7:17 PM Candle Lighting

Great Hall

7:15–8:00 PM Traditional Orthodox Mincha and Ma'ariv 8:00–9:30 PM Farm-to-Table Dinner

Synagogue Dining Hall/Library

9:30–10:30 PM Night Hike Meet in Synagogue Caleb Zedek Experience an early Spring night as the owls do. Leave your flashlights at home and walk with an experienced guide around the lake trail.

9:30–11:00 PM Song Session Great Hall Jesse Beller The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish ritual, and the celebration of Pesach is a prime example. Come to sing, learn, and share Pesach songs from all over the Jewish world, some well known and some obscure.

Monday, April 17 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Restorative Yoga Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter In this class, we will begin our epic days at Isabella Freedman by waking up our bodies with gentle stretches that link breath with movement. Some juicy flows will create heat and get our hearts working. Than we will challenge our balance, our strength and our flexibility by spending more time on a few select poses. The class will end with a guided meditation.

8:00–9:00 AM Avodat Lev: Early Morning Prayers Campfire Shamu Sadeh Avodat Lev brings us together for meditation, chanting, and creative sharing. We begin the day in silent meditation, which is unstructured quiet time. Instruction is available for those unfamiliar with contemplative practice. We then find our collective voice, chanting short phrases from Shacharit (the traditional morning liturgy) to open our hearts to ourselves, each other, our community, and the world. Instruments will be used during this prayer service.

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast

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Dining Hall

Monday, April 17 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

9:00–12:00 PM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf 10:00–11:00 AM Bibliodrama Elizabeth Yaari Explore the experience of the post exodus through role play of biblical characters and objects.

12:00–12:45 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush and D’var Torah 12:45–2:15 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch

Synagogue Red Yurt

Great Hall Dining Hall/Library

2:15–5:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:15–2:30 PM Traditional Orthodox Mincha

Synagogue

2:30–3:45 PM Meditative Hike and Singing Meet at Gazebo – Outside Simcha Halpert-Hanson Take space to focus your kevannah for Pesach. How can this chag bring healing? Consider this question on a lightly guided hiking meditation to the Overlook. Once at the top, we will join together to direct our hearts through chants and rounds as a vehicle for further reflection and opening.

2:30–3:45 PM A Time for Action Synagogue Aaron Potek We’ll study a section of the Talmud from Tractate Sotah that reinterprets the story we read on the seventh day of Passover about the splitting of the Red Sea. Together we’ll explore the spiritual value and cost of acting independently and taking action. All texts will be in English – no prior knowledge or skills required.

2:30–3:45 PM Who is the God of Exodus?

Beige Yurt Jina Davidovich When we first meet the God of Shemot (the Book of Exodus), God is a co-conspirator in the plan of the Jewish midwives to save the babies that Pharaoh decreed should be killed. This God seems merciful and intimately keen on saving life. In the next few chapters, however, we are exposed to a God who is destructive, seemingly unconcerned with the plight of the Egyptians suffering from a series of plagues, and intent on letting the world know God’s might. How can we reconcile these different manifestations of God and connect to these narratives in order to achieve our own personal, and communal, redemption?

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 33

Monday, April 17 4:00–5:15 PM Nature’s Art Gallery Elizabeth Yaari Explore nature’s art, which surrounds us at all times.

Meet at Gazebo – Outside

4:00–5:15 PM Jewish Sources on Diversity and Difference (Text Study) Synagogue Isaiah Rothstein How does Torah teach about fringe or marginalized populations – those who are “different”? What does the Torah have to say about marginalized populations or the stranger? Come together for some learning with Torah, midrashic and Talmudic texts that highlight themes of inclusion and diversity, or the opposite. *No prior Judaic knowledge need to participate in this discussion.

4:00–5:15 PM Reclaiming, Rebelling, Restoring: Women of the Exodus (Batyah) Beige Yurt Bailey Newman Braun Utilizing biblical text, hasidic teachings, poetry and psychology, we will explore the powerful women who redeemed us from Egypt, challenged the status quo and provided us with heroic legacies we should and can aspire to emulate.

4:00–5:30 PM Freedom Flow: Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter This class is a celebration of inspired movement, conscious breathing bodies and poses that awaken, cleanse and help heal our bodies. We will warm up with sun salutes and flow through a sequence that targets a specific body part and/or leads up to a final pose. Of course, we will end in a state of bliss and relaxation.

5:00–6:00 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

5:00–6:00 PM Afternoon Snack

Great Hall

5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner

Great Hall

34 • 5777 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Monday, April 17 5:00–6:00 PM Song of the Sea: Singing Together in Joy Aryeh Samet Canter Library Tradition teaches us that on the seventh day of Passover the Children of Israel crossed the Sea of Reeds. The Torah describes how after this miraculous crossing they sang together. At this session we will sing songs from this episode and other joyous melodies.

6:00–9:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

6:00–7:00 PM Cycles of Seven: Shabbat, Omer, and Shmita in Jewish Tradition Synagogue Nigel Savage Today is the 7th day of Pesach, in the first week of the omer, and the second year of the shmita cycle. How do these cycles of seven connect to each other – and what can, could, or should we learn from them?

7:00–8:15 PM The Yiddishe Kop (Jewish Head) – A Talmudic Adventure Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun Come have a taste of the brilliance of Talmudic “pilpul” (deep analytical prowess) and see why our people have been enjoying it for thousands of years. Beginners that have never yet experienced in-depth Jewish learning are welcome as well…in fact encouraged.

8:20 PM Candle Lighting 8:30–9:00 PM Traditional Orthodox Ma'ariv 9:15–10:30 PM Farm-to-Table Dinner

Great Hall Synagogue Dining Hall/Library

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 35

Tuesday, April 18 7:30–8:00 AM Mindful Meditation Elizabeth Yaari Experience breath, openings, release and a sense of freedom in this gently guided meditation.

Red Yurt

8:00–9:00 AM Restorative Yoga Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter In this class, we will begin our epic days at Isabella Freedman by waking up our bodies with gentle stretches that link breath with movement. Some juicy flows will create heat and get our hearts working. Than we will challenge our balance, our strength and our flexibility by spending more time on a few select poses. The class will end with a guided meditation.

8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast

Dining Hall

9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

9:00–12:00 PM Traditional Orthodox Services: Shacharit, Hallel, Torah Reading, and Musaf 10:00–11:30 AM Explore the Sounds of the Forest Elizabeth Yaari During this walk we will speak in the language of the forest.

12:00–12:45 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush and D’var Torah 12:45–2:15 PM Farm-to-Table Lunch

Synagogue Red Yurt

Great Hall Dining Hall/Library

2:15–6:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 39 for details.

2:15–2:30 PM Traditional Orthodox Mincha 2:30–3:45 PM Friendship Circle Elizabeth Yaari Celebrate new friends, new beginnings, new ideas, and show gratitude to one another.

Synagogue Red Yurt

2:30–3:45 PM The Crisis of Modern American Jewry Synagogue Aaron Potek Modern American Jewry is in a state of crisis. By revisiting the Wicked Child’s question that gets shut down at the seder, together we’ll explore the various modern day answers and unpack why most, if not all, are not compelling.

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Tuesday, April 18 2:30–3:45 PM Birth Pangs and Poetry: The Song of the Sea Beige Yurt Jina Davidovich One of the first examples of an extended poem that we see in the Torah is the Song of the Sea (Exodus 14:30 – 15:19), which the Jewish people sing after they are miraculously rescued (yet again) from the Egyptian army that chased them out of Egypt.

Together, we will study this text and explore how a young nation praised, revered, and feared the God who took them out of Egypt. Can we connect to this type of prayer today? And should we consider writing our own poetry to communicate with God? 3:00–5:00 PM Long Hike Meet at Gazebo – Outside Ida Assefa Hike through fern groves, fallen birch trees, traverse over boulders, and take in the scenery at the top of the Overlook. We will explore the Yellow Trail to the Blue Trail and down the Red Trail. There are several inclines and narrow paths. Closed-toe shoes are required.

4:00–5:15 PM “I’m Not White, I’m Jewish”: Did the Jews Negotiate their Whiteness in America?

Synagogue Isaiah Rothstein Though most caricatures of Jews depict and Eastern European hunchback with a large nose, the Jewish community is diverse beyond any single one racial or ethnic marker. Particularly with the election of Donald Trump, articles have surfaced like: “Are Jews White or Jewish?” or “Are Jews White Right Now?” What do you think? Together, we will explore the history of whiteness, the creation of race as a construct, and how the American Jewish community (attempted to?) negotiated their whiteness.

4:00–5:15 PM Remember! For You Were a Slave in the Land of Egypt Beige Yurt Gavriel Porten When speaking of the mitzvah of Tzedaka, our obligations towards the weak and the needy, the Torah invokes our collective memory of slavery, heightening our sensitivity towards the other. Join Gavriel as we delve into Talmudic stories and poems that explore the deeper meaning of Tzedaka, giving us a sharper understanding of ourselves in this special time of year. This is part five of our five-part series. Come to one, some or all.

4:00–5:30 PM Freedom Flow: Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Ariela Sharon Canter This class is a celebration of inspired movement, conscious breathing bodies and poses that awaken, cleanse and help heal our bodies. We will warm up with sun salutes and flow through a sequence that targets a specific body part and/or leads up to a final pose. Of course, we will end in a state of bliss and relaxation.

5:00–6:00 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Z’ev Chana Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

5:30–6:30 PM Moshiach Now? Synagogue Aryeh Samet Canter At the end of Passover there is a chasidic tradition to have a Seudah Moshiach, or a festive meal to welcome the messiah.

In this session we will explore various texts that talk about Moshiach and explore our own personal relationships with this person/concept.

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Tuesday, April 18 6:30–8:00 PM Seudat HaMashiach – Last meal before the end of Pesach Dining Hall/Library Rabbi Shmuel Braun Seudah HaMashiach is intended to deepen our awareness of Moshiach and enable us to integrate it into our thinking processes. The idea of the Moshaich seudah is to look forward to the complete messianic redemption in the future. This joyful celebration marks the end of Pesach with singing, eating, and drinking.

8:00–8:45 PM Camp Teva Closing Program Please see page 39 for details. Please note there will be no Camp Teva programming tomorrow. It was so much fun to spend Pesach with you!

8:15–8:45 PM Traditional Orthodox Ma'ariv

Synagogue

8:45 PM Havdalah Great Hall Havdalah (literally “separation”) marks the end of Shabbat and the start of the new week. Havdalah is done as soon as three stars are visible in the sky. The rituals of Havdalah include blessings over drinking wine, smelling spices, seeing a flame of a candle, and a blessing on separation.

9:30–11:00 PM Community Talent Show Great Hall Shaun Azari What is your talent? Do you have any party tricks? Share them with us! Our Community Talent Show will showcase the greatest talents seen since the splitting of the red sea! From song and dance to acrobatics. Everyone is encouraged to share. *Sign up in advance at Guest Services.

9:30–11:00 PM Bookstore Open Bookstore Jesse Beller The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol Hamoed, arrival and departure days. Adamah pickles and jams will be available on April 19th. Store hours will be posted.

9:30–11:00 PM Campfire

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Campfire

Wednesday, April 19 8:00–9:00 AM Traditional Orthodox Shacharit

Synagogue

9:00–11:00 AM Farm-to-Table Brunch

Dining Hall

9:00–11:00 AM Adamah Farmers Market Sample some delectable organic preserves from the Adamah farm and discover treasures in the bookstore.

9:00–11:00 AM Bookstore Open Jesse Beller Pesach is over and you are welcome to purchase Adamah products!

Great Hall

Bookstore

10:00 AM Check-Out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10:00 am. You are welcome to stay through lunch.

Parents, you can relax into the retreat, knowing that your children are playing and learning with exceptional Jewish experiential educators. We have an engaging, thoughtful, and fun Pesach Camp Teva program planned for children ages 5–12. Everything from seders and morning shacharit to exploring the forest and the farm. Children under the age of 5 are welcome to participate with an adult. Camp Teva Programming runs between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner with some evening programming scheduled. Children must be dropped off and picked up by parents/ guardians and are required to stay with educators once checked in, unless they are picked up early by parents/guardians.

Please come to the first night’s kids’ dinner to learn more about our program and some important policies that we would like to share with you.

All activities meet in Arts and Crafts, unless otherwise noted. From there we will move to other locations on campus. If you have any questions please direct them to Arielle Aronoff, the Camp Teva Manager.

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Monday, April 10 1:00–5:00 PM Kids’ Zone at The JOFEE Fair Great Hall Make your own beeswax candles for chag at the Kids’ Zone. There will be plenty of other kid friendly activities to enjoy such as bike blender haroset and fermented horseradish root!

5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent Orientation Arts & Crafts Dinner will be late late late so come to Arts and Crafts at 5pm for a delicious meal. Bring your parents too and we will tell you all about the fun activities Camp Teva has planned for you and how the next 9 days will work.

6:00–7:00 PM Get to Know You Join us in our first session to have fun and get to know one another!

7:00–7:15 Candle Lighting with Family

Arts & Crafts

Great Hall

7:15–8:30 PM Kids’ Seder Arts & Crafts Experience a seder like you’ve never experienced before. Travel back in time to Mitzrayim through hands on interactive activities, science experiments, games, and songs galore!

Tuesday, April 11 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning! Wake up, Stretch, and Run Arts & Crafts Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away.

9:30–10:30 AM Find Your Sense of Place Arts & Crafts Have you been to Isabella Freedman before? Is this your first time here? Either way we want to show you around! Come pet the goats, meet the chickens, and see what’s happening at Isabella Freedman.

10:30 AM–12:00 PM Charoset Every Which Way Arts & Crafts Have you ever had charoset with prunes? How about banana charoset? Get creative with your charoset recipes! We will make them now, and have them for our seder tonight.

12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush

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Great Hall

Tuesday, April 11 12:45–2:15 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:15–4:00 PM Cave Exploration Arts & Crafts Discover the magic held within the caves of Isabella Freedman. We will be hiking, exploring, and searching for the hidden wonders that exist all around us.

2:15–4:00 PM Chocolate Macaroons Arts & Crafts What makes this night different from all other nights? Chocolate macaroons for starters! But we need your help! Come make chocolate macaroons for our seder tonight.

4:00–5:00 PM Beautify Our Space Arts & Crafts Seder means “order”. There is an order in the way we tell the story and there is an order to how each part of the story is represented by a particular food. We will set the table and add our own personal touches to our seder.

5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner Great Hall Dinner will be late late late. Join us in the Great Hall for Dinner. It’s a good night to be a kid because you will have your own Kids’ Buffet Line!

6:00–7:30 PM What Would You Place on Your Camel’s’ Back?

Arts & Crafts Imagine you were living in Egypt and you had just a few moments to pack a bag for your desert journey. You didn’t know if this trip would last a week, a year or forty years! What kind of things would you pack to remember your home and the people you love the most? What would you bring to protect yourself from the weather? What toys or games or books would you bring to keep you busy and not bored? What would you bring so you could keep learning and growing? Bring the bag that you packed from home and share your special items with the group. We can’t wait to hear and see what you have brought!

7:30–9:00 PM Kids’ Seder Arts & Crafts Did you have fun at last night’s’ seder? Come do it all again! Travel back in time to Mitzrayim through hands on interactive activities, science experiments, games, and songs galore!

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Wednesday, April 12 9:00–10:00 AM Good Morning! Morning Prayers and Dance Arts & Crafts Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away.

10:00 AM–12:00 PM Kickball!

The title speaks for itself! Come play kickball with Camp Teva.

Arts & Crafts

12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush

Great Hall

12:45–2:15 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:15–3:30 PM Theater 101 Arts & Crafts Arts and Crafts will transform into a theater as we move through improv games and create skits. Are you Moses speaking to the burning bush? Miriam leading the Israelites with dance and song? Or are you Pharaoh, stubborn and mighty in your palace?

2:15–4:00 PM Signs of Spring Hike Arts & Crafts Wander through the wilderness of Isabella Freedman’s forests. Explore the Yellow Trail and look for signs of spring and celebrate the awakening of the plants from the winter.

3:30–5:00 PM Stone Soup Arts & Crafts Join us around the campfire to make a soup with stones. We’ll need everybody to bring the ingredients, even if all you have is a rock.

5:00–6:30 PM Topsy Turvy Bus Tour and Energy Games Arts & Crafts Have you seen that crazy bus parked on the edge of camp? What’s that all about? Find out in this super fun Topsy Turvy Bus tour.

6:30–8:00 PM Dinner

Dining Hall

8:00–8:45 PM Camp Teva Hangout Arts & Crafts There’s a little bit of time between Dinner and Havdalah. Come back to Arts and Crafts and hang out with us for awhile. There are plenty of games and stories.

8:45–9:15 PM Havdalah 9:30–11:00 PM DIY Fair Tables and stations abound with fun activities for the evening.

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Great Hall Great Hall

Thursday, April 13 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning! Wake up and Stretch!

Arts & Crafts Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away.

9:30–10:30 AM Eco-Spa Arts & Crafts Relax into your morning at Camp Teva’s Eco-Spa. You will learn how to make balm/ moisturizer and decorate your very own tin to take some home with you.

9:30–10:30 AM Matzah Houses Arts & Crafts Parents always say “don’t play with your food”. Well, we’re telling you otherwise! Build a matzah house all with edible ingredients!

10:30 AM–12:30 PM Survival 101 Arts & Crafts Lost in the woods?! Don’t fear! After this session, you’ll know how to survive! We will be in the forest building shelters.

12:30–2:00 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:00–4:00 PM Beautify Our Space Arts & Crafts Now is your opportunity to paint on furniture! What?? Seriously! Come to Arts and Crafts and paint our wooden chairs and bookshelf!

4:00–5:00 PM Today’s Plagues Arts & Crafts Now that we’ve spent some time together on the farm and in the woods, you know how important it is to live in harmony with everything in the world – plants, animals, people too. Some people haven’t learned that yet. Let’s write to them to help them understand.

5:00–6:30 PM Field Games We’ve been inside all afternoon. Let’s get out and play!

6:30–8:00 PM Dinner

Arts & Crafts

Dining Hall

8:00–9:45 PM Feature Film: The Prince of Egypt Arts & Crafts Wear your pajamas and cozy up on pillows to watch The Prince of Egypt. From the 10 plagues of Egypt to the parting of the Red Sea, its an animated spectacle over 3,000 years in the making.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 43

Friday, April 14 9:00–9:30 AM Wake up and Stretch!

Arts & Crafts Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away.

9:30–10:30 AM Seeds for Spring!

Arts & Crafts Spring is a time for planting. New life is coming up all around us, let’s take part in the process. You will plant seeds to bring home to grow either in your garden or on your windowsill.

10:30 AM–12:30 PM Survival 102 Arts & Crafts We’ve learned how to shelter ourselves in the woods, and now we’ll need to gather food and make fire. Learn which plants you can eat and which ones to stay away from. How to build a fire and light it with only one match… or no matches at all!

12:30–2:00 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:00–4:00 PM Mystical Bird Feeders and Fiber Cache Arts & Crafts Mystical birds: In some Jewish folklore, birds were thought to possess supernatural knowledge because of their position in the sky. Use a combination of recycled and natural materials to make a take-home birdfeeder for your local feathered friends!

You can also make a Fiber Cache to help give them soft fibers to take to build their nests.

4:00–5:00 PM Shabbat Prep Arts & Crafts Help us prepare for Shabbat by collecting plants for bouquets & making havdalah spice bundles from herbs growing on the farm.

2:00–5:00 PM JOFEE Fair: Candle Making Arts & Crafts Make your own beeswax candles for chag at the Kids’ Zone. There will be plenty of other kid-friendly activities too like bike blender charoset and fermented horseradish root!

5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent Orientation (for all families arriving today) Arts & Crafts Dinner will be late late late so come to Arts & Crafts at 5pm for a delicious meal. Bring your parents too and we will tell you all about Camp Teva and how the coming days will work.

6:00–7:00 PM All the Icebreakers!

Arts & Crafts The most fun part of any activity is the icebreaker at the beginning. What if we had an entire session just of icebreakers? In this session we will do every icebreaker you have ever done, and tons more new ones!

7:00 PM Candle Lighting with Families

Great Hall

7:15–8:30 PM Welcoming Shabbat Arts & Crafts Welcome the Shabbat Queen into Arts and Crafts with song and dance. She may not be joining us to create art but I’m sure she would love to bring happiness into our community.

8:30–10:00 PM Dinner

Dining Hall

Saturday, April 15 9:00–10:00 AM Share Your Prayer Arts & Crafts Have you ever put down the siddur and made up your own prayer? You’ll have a chance to share your prayer, or if you want, say it quietly to yourself. We will also sing familiar prayers, and learn what is happening in the Torah this week.

10:00 AM–12:00 PM Ecology Hike Arts & Crafts Wander through the wilderness of Isabella Freedman’s forests. Explore the Blue Trail and learn about the four magic ingredients that make up all life!

12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush

Great Hall

12:45–2:15 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:15–3:30 PM Musical Memory Arts & Crafts Shabbat is a great time to sing, sing, sing! But it’s also a perfect time for games. Let’s combine the two! Join us as we sing, play and laugh hysterically in this classic Shabbat game.

2:15–3:30 PM Goat Afternoon to You! Arts & Crafts Visit the goats on this beautiful Shabbat afternoon. We just ate lunch, maybe they’re hungry too. Let’s give them some hay, and play with the kids..

3:30–5:00 PM Capture the Flag!

The title speaks for itself! We have the perfect number of people for a great game of Capture the Flag.

Arts & Crafts

5:00–6:30 PM Story Slam Arts & Crafts How did you lose your first tooth? Have you ever made a discovery that you want everybody else to know about? What kind of silly things do your siblings do? Everybody has a story to share and now is your time to shine!

6:30–8:00 PM Dinner 8:30–9:00 PM Havdalah

Dining Hall Great Hall

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 45

Sunday, April 16 9:00–9:30 AM Wake up and Stretch!

Arts & Crafts Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away.

9:30–10:30 AM Paper Making Arts & Crafts As we learn from our tradition, we have a responsibility to care for trees and to plant trees for the future. Recycled papermaking is a way to make new paper without needing to harvest new trees. In what ways does Judaism compare the Torah to trees?

In what ways can Judaism be compared to a tree?

9:30 AM–12:30 PM Building Homes for Wood Ducks and Bluebirds Arts & Crafts The Wood Duck nests in trees near water. After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them in any way. The ducklings may jump from heights of over 50 feet without injury. Proper holes for them are few and far between so let’s help out the Wood Duck population by building boxes for females to nest in.

12:30–2:00 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:00–3:00 PM Game Show!

Arts & Crafts Are you good at fooling your friends? Can you tell when someone is trying to fool you? Come play our version of To Tell The Truth (your parent has heard of it) and see how good you are at being a lie detector. Ages 10+ 2:00–4:00 PM Land-Fill-Harmonic Arts & Crafts One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Collect discarded items and make them into new musical instruments.

4:00–5:00 PM Finishing up your Art Projects If there are projects you are still working on, now is a great time to finish them up.

Arts & Crafts

5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner Arts & Crafts Dinner will be late, not until eight! Come to Arts & Crafts for a delicious meal. Don’t forget to compost that peel…

6:00–7:30 PM Fairy Houses for Last Days of Chag Arts & Crafts The forest fairies need a place to stay for chag. Help us build beautiful homes so they can relax and enjoy the holiday just like us.

7:30 PM Candle Lighting Join our families in the Great Hall to light candles.

7:30–8:00 PM Camp Teva Hangout Come back to Arts and Crafts to play games before dinner.

8:00–9:30 PM Dinner

Great Hall

Arts & Crafts

Dining Hall

Monday, April 17 9:00–9:30 AM Wake up and Stretch!

Arts & Crafts Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away.

9:30–10:30 AM Make Butter and Cheese Arts & Crafts Did you know that butter is sooo easy to make? All you need is heavy cream a jar, and some energy to shake it all up. Come see for yourself! We’ll also make farmers’ cheese!

10:30 AM–12:00 PM Field Games and Visit the Goats Let’s make our way down to the goats while playing games.

Arts & Crafts

12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush

Great Hall

12:45–2:15 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:15–4:00 PM Challenge and Discovery Arts & Crafts Challenge yourself, build agility, have fun, and work together. Our afternoon will be filled with challenges to get your brain and body working together.

4:00–5:00 PM Play the Power Ball Arts & Crafts It will be another late night; gather your strength to make an energy-packed dessert for after dinner. We’ll use the bike blender to make Power Balls filled with delicious fruits and nuts.

5:00–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner Dinner at 9:15?? That’s my bedtime! Come eat now.

Great Hall

6:00–8:00 PM Campfire Stories and Songs Light a campfire, have dessert, listen to magical stories and sing songs. Enough said.

Arts & Crafts

8:00–9:30 PM Games Galore!

It’s beginning to get late but I still have some energy to hang out and play my favorite games.

Arts & Crafts

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 47

tuesday, April 18 9:00–9:30 AM Wake up and Stretch!

Arts & Crafts Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away.

9:30–10:30 AM Gaga! And Other Wake Up Games Arts & Crafts Gaga! A game of quick reflexes. Whether you’ve played a thousand times before, or if it’s your first time, join in on the fun.

10:30 AM–12:00 PM Work with Educators on Your Talent Do you want help practicing your talent for the talent show later? We’re here to support you.

Arts & Crafts

12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush

Great Hall

12:45–2:15 PM Lunch

Dining Hall

2:15–3:30 PM Basketball Games We will go to the Basketball court to play games. Knockout, Horse, do you know any others? Come teach us.

Arts & Crafts

3:30–4:30 PM Goat Afternoon to You! There’s never a dull moment with the goats. We just can’t get enough of them!

Arts & Crafts

4:30–6:30 PM Camp Teva Talent Show Share your talent with our Camp Teva community. We can’t wait to see what you can do!

Arts & Crafts

6:30–8:00 PM Dinner

Dining Hall

8:00–8:45 PM Goodbye Sharing Circle Arts & Crafts This has been one amazing holiday. Thank you for sharing it with us! Come say goodbye, collect your projects, and play one last game with Camp Teva! See you next time!

8:45 PM Havdalah

Please note, there will be no Camp Teva programming on Wednesday, April 19. See you next time!

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Great Hall

Presenter Bios FEATURED EDUCATORS, LEADERS & STAFF Ayala Azari, Event Coordination Manager Ayala Azari serves as the Event Coordination Manager at Isabella Freedman. Ayala’s portfolio supports simchas (celebrations) including weddings and special family events as well as the Jewish holiday’s and organization partnerships. Prior to working as an event coordinator, Ayala was part of the dynamic Isabella Freedman kitchen team creating kosher, kosher, local, and sustainable dishes.

She received her B.A. in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Psychology from Sonoma State University. Growing up in California, Ayala has always had an affinity for hiking, healthy eating, yoga, and sunny days. Her passion and knowledge of planning weddings extends beyond her professional role as she planned her own wedding at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. She currently lives in Falls Village with her husband.

Jesse Beller, Store Manager Jesse Beller manages the bookstore at Isabella Freedman, online sales and e-commerce at Hazon.org, and various and sundry other merchandising projects throughout Hazon. Before joining Hazon and moving to the Isabella Freedman campus, Jesse worked for over a decade in video production and post-production, with stints in TV, feature films, advertising & marketing, and new media. Jesse is a singing fool, a film geek, a computer nerd, a bookworm, a news junkie, and a history buff.

Jess Berlin, Senior Program Manager Jess Berlin manages the Programs Team at Isabella Freedman as the Senior Program Manager, whose aim is to consistently deliver exceptional programming to all retreat guests. This role feels like a natural fit for Jess as she is a strong believer in the power of multi-day immersive experiences as a tool for creating long-lasting positive change in a person’s life. Jess grew up in a family of yogis, restaurateurs and food manufacturers, where cooking and hosting large gatherings was an essential part of her life. She has a lifelong passion for Judaism and spirituality, having spent four years studying and teaching in Israel as well several months studying meditation in India. After graduating from Queens College, with a degree in Urban Planning, she served as a key administrator at American Jewish World Service and AVODAH and a farm educator at Eden Village Camp.

Rebecca Bloomfield, Adamah Associate Director Rebecca is the Associate Director of the Adamah Fellowship. Her values of good food, strong community, and the connection to something-greater have brought and kept her here at Isabella Freedman. She loves yoga, coffee shops, walking in the woods, and any time spent at her family’s cabin on Ontario’s Lake Temagami, where you can drink straight from the lake. Rebecca released an album of cover songs this year to raise money for an increasingly important cause. All proceeds from the sale of the album will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union. To hear her music visit www.singbigger.com Rabbi Shmuel Braun Rabbi Shmuel Braun is a teacher, mentor and lecturer, especially known for his ability to take the loftiest concepts in Jewish mysticism and connect them to everyday life in a way that students from any background and level of knowledge can appreciate. Having grown up Modern Orthodox in Woodmere, L.I., Rabbi Shmuel Braun then spent many years studying at the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, in the Brisk Yeshiva in Jerusalem by Reb Meir Soloveitchik, and also in institutions affiliated with Yeshiva University, Munkatch, and Chabad. All this together with his devotion and passion for the humanities facilitated his developing a unique, progressive and inclusive style that engages all people with diverse backgrounds and beliefs. Besides sending out daily Torah recordings to an audience of hundreds of people and working on writing books, Rabbi Shmuel Braun travels and lectures on topics of Jewish Philosophy, Law, and Mysticism.

Bailey Braun Bailey is a passionate school social worker, a Torah teacher, and a beloved mentor and ally to those fighting for a voice and platform. In melding her therapeutic practice with her commitment to Torah values and deep love of textual learning, Bailey has brought her unique perspective as a public speaker to synagogues, college campuses, and Jewish organizations throughout Canada. Her classes focus on and facilitate conversation about Women in Jewish History, Psychology, Social Justice, and Mysticism.

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Presenter Bios Aryeh Samet Canter Aryeh is a mystical engineer living in Brooklyn. He is engrossed in finding the G!dly sparks of energy in all of creation and working to bring it out into the world. He loves chasidic philosophy, singing in community, and living life. During the day he is seeking a graduate degree in environmental engineering from New York University and a month ago he was blessed to get to marry the most amazing woman, Ariela Sharon. He is also the author of the Tumblr page r-yay.tumblr.com.

Ariela Sharon Canter Ariela is passionate about connection: to people, to her body, to the world, to the divine, to nature to everything!

She’s been teaching yoga since high-school (now she is 27) to kids, the elderly and all those ages in between.

She is a fellow with PresenTense and enjoys spending her time surrounded by inspiring social entrepreneurs diving into the process of turning ideas into realities. When she’s not teaching yoga, she is developing The Creative Healing Collective, an organization that provides art and movement workshops for people who are grieving. She dabbles in photography and at night she dances.

Jina Davidovich Hailing from Los Angeles, Jina Davidovich is a second year law student at Fordham Law School, where she is on the board of the Law, Religion, and Lawyers’ Work Institute; the co-chair of the OUTLaws student group; and a member of the International Law Review. Prior to attending law school, Jina worked at UJA-Federation of New York in the Wiener Center for Leadership and Learning. In this role, she oversaw numerous fellowship and internship programs, prepared curricula on a variety of Jewish topics, and led classes for lay leadership and staff. Jina is a graduate of the Drisha Institute Artists’ Fellowship, where she spent a year studying traditional Jewish texts and grappling with their meaning through her poetry. She has performed and taught spoken word poetry throughout the tristate area.

Jina studied English Literature and Women’s Studies at Yeshiva University, and spent a year studying Talmud and Bible at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim in Jerusalem.

Simcha Halpert-Hanson (pronouns: they/their/them) Simcha is a native of Boston with a Poetry and Jewish Studies degree from Eugene Lang College at the New School. Simcha has written and played music on the topic of transgender Jews for the last five years and has had their work published in a variety of media outlets including the New York Times, Yedioth Ahronoth, the JTA and the Forward.

Simcha recently completed a summer with the Adamah Farming Fellowship as well as a year-long fellowship studying Talmud full-time at Yeshivat Hadar. Simcha is an alum of the Jewish Organizing Institute and Network (JOIN) where they worked with the Boston Workmen’s Circle in strengthening their community and connection to Jewish identity.

Rabbi Avram Mlotek Rabbi Avram Mlotek is the co-founder of Base Hillel and serves as rabbi for its DWTN location. Mlotek graduated cum laude from Brandeis University and has studied at Sarah Lawrence College, Yeshiva University’s Cantorial School, and City College’s Educational Theatre department.

A native Yiddish speaker, Mlotek’s Yiddish cultural work has brought him to China, Ethiopia, Israel, Sweden and Australia. Prior to joining Base, Avram served as a rabbi in training at The Carlebach Shul, The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and Hunter College Hillel. He completed two units of clinical pastoral education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Mlotek’s writing has appeared in The Forward, Tablet, Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, The Jewish Week, The Huffington Post and Kveller, among other blogs. In 2012 The NY Jewish Week selected him as a “leading innovator in Jewish life today” as part of their “36 Under 36” section. In May 2016, Mlotek was listed as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Rabbis” by The Jewish Daily Forward. He is blessedly married to Yael Kornfeld, a geriatric social worker, and proud Tati to Revaya and Hillel Yosl.

Yael Kornfeld-Mlotek Yael Kornfeld works as the Synagogue Outreach Social Worker at DOROT, advocating and serving older adults in the community. Before starting her MSW program at Hunter College School of Social Work, Yael was an Avodah Service Corps Fellow in Washington, DC. A co-founder of Base Hillel, which empowers rabbinic couples’ homes to serve as convening points for Jewish life, Yael and her partner, Rabbi Avram Mlotek live in downtown Manhattan with their two delicious children, Ravi and Hillel.

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Gavriel Porten Gavriel Porten has been pursuing his passion, educating adults and youth about Judaism and Israel, both as a guide in the field and educator in the classroom. He attended the Har-Etzion Hesder yeshiva, has a BA in psychology and Jewish history from Hebrew U. and earned his law degree from Bar-Ilan University. He is a licensed tour guide, currently teaching Jewish history at Alexander Muss High School in Israel. He also taught history at the Himmelfarb High School in Israel and Midrash at the Yakar Community Bet-Midrash, both in Jerusalem. The past few summers he spent in NYC, teaching at Drisha Institute.

Aaron Potek Aaron Potek was born and raised in Saint Louis Park, MN and graduated from the University of Michigan School of Engineering. After receiving rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in Riverdale, NY, he served as the campus rabbi at Northwestern University. Aaron currently works with Jewish 20s and 30s as the Community Rabbi for GatherDC in Washington, DC. Isaiah Rothstein Isaiah Rothstein was born and raised in Monsey, NY, the youngest of three boys. Growing up in a mixedraced Lubavitch family, he identifies proudly as a Jew of Color. After a year and a half of yeshiva study in Israel, Isaiah received his BA from Binghamton University. He has ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and a MA from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Isaiah is the spiritual leader at Carmel Academy and organizes at The Beis Community in Washington Heights.

Shamu Sadeh, Adamah Director Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh is the co-founder and director of Adamah. He teaches Judaism and ecology, turns the compost piles, maintains the orchards, and supervises and mentors staff and Adamah Fellows. His wife Jaimie and kids Yonah, Ibby and Lev keep the bees, help harvest and pickle, and DJ staff dance parties.

Nigel Savage, President & CEO Nigel Savage is an Englishman in NY. He founded Hazon in 2000. Nigel has spoken, taught, or written for a wide and significant range of audiences. A selection of his essays are at hazon.org/nigel. In his spare time he picks gingko nuts in Central Park.

Z'ev Chana Schuman, Adamah Apprentice and Barnyard Manager Z'ev is from Albany, NY. Z'ev arrived as an Adamahnik in the fall of 2014, and fell in love with the work, the community, and the seasons at Adamah. Z'ev loves dirt, the woods, the goats, renewed Jewish ritual and text study, and harvesting their meals.

Adam “Segulah” Sher, General Manager, Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center Adam serves as the General Manager of Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, CT. Adam leads the fantastic Isabella Freedman team, who produce and host over 70 events each year including pilgrimage holidays, conferences, spiritual retreats, family celebrations, and synagogue retreats. He enjoys classic reggae and soul music, mystical poetry, disc golf, and purple things. He lives in Falls Village with his son Eli, and wife Megan – whom he met at Isabella Freedman in 2007 when she staffed the Adamah Farm & Fellowship.

Bob Sherman Bob joined The Jewish Education Project in New York as CEO (then known as the New York Board of Jewish Education, Inc.) in 2007. For additional information about The Jewish Education Project visit the website jewishedproject.org.

Prior to this position, Bob was the executive director of the Bureau of Jewish Education in San Francisco. He began his career in Jewish education as headmaster of day schools in CT and CA. Bob was awarded an MA from The Jewish Theological Seminary. He lives in Maplewood, NJ, is married to Lorraine and has 3 children.

Janna Siller, Farm Manager Janna leads the Adamah crew in growing organic vegetables for CSA distribution, value-added production, Isabella Freedman food service, and donations, while maintaining the fields as resonant learning space for fellows and visitors. She teaches classes on practical farming and gardening skills as well as classes that explore the big picture systems, policies and issues that shape what we eat and how it is grown.

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Presenter Bios Chava Tzemach Chava is the founder and director of a new environmental education initiative, Sustainable Skoolie Adventure, which will take sustainability education on the road in a mobile, sustainable home. Chava is a Teva Educator, Hazon Colorado grant recipient, and tree enthusiast who, together with her cat companion, has taken the leap into simple and tiny living. You may visit her website, sustainableskoolieadventure.com, to follow her adventures and book an educational program.

Jacob Weiss, JOFEE Fellow Jacob is thrilled to be a JOFEE fellow at Isabella Freedman working with the retreats team. He was born and raised in the great city of Cleveland, Ohio, and has spent the better part of the past six years living in New York City.

Jacob studied Political Science and Fine Arts at Yeshiva University, and then went on to receive his Chef’s training at the Natural Gourmet Institute. He has spent his time since then cooking at various restaurants in New York, as well as taking time away from the kitchen, to work on farms around the country. With his free time, Jacob loves to cook for friends and family, get lost in the woods, take long bike rides and climb on things.

Jenna Zadaka Jenna grew up in Minnesota, where she first fell in love with Yoga. While working at a Center for Conscious Living, she valued the discipline of connecting body and spirit through dynamic movement. After living in Israel for a few years and training through KinneretYoga teacher training, she has been teaching Yoga in Jerusalem, Minnesota, and New York. Jenna’s specialties include prenatal yoga, gentle vinyasa flows, and restorative practices. Jenna has strived to integrate her Jewish spiritual practice with her passion for health, movement, meditation, and mindfulness. Jenna lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Avi, and one year old baby, Elan-Zalman.

Elizabeth Yaari Elizabeth Yaari’s gatherings attract people of all ages and abilities to deeply connect with one another, discover the abundant offerings of nature and co-create using painting, movement, rhythm, meditation and creative writing.

Yaari co-founded Explora-Torah and guides people on explorations of the Torah through Bibliodrama and the arts.

Avi-Natan Zadaka Avi-Natan is a Husband, Father, Social Worker, and Rabbi (in-training). He is inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Kook, his father, and Jane Addams. Avi-Natan infuses his clinical and social work with Jewish/Chassidic teachings and lessons. When he isn’t reading a book, or throwing his son in the air, Avi-Natan can be found long boarding down Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

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CAMP TEVA STAFF Arielle Aronoff, Camp Teva Manager Arielle Aronoff works at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center as the Camp Teva Manager. She values outdoor education and deep connection to nature. Prior to her work with Hazon, Arielle worked as a farmer, baker, and healthy school food advocate/educator. Arielle spends her time hiking, baking sourdough bread, and foraging for mushrooms and other wild edibles.

Rachel Brustein Rachel hails from the urban wilderness of Chicago, and currently lives in DC, where she is an Avodah Corps Member working at Interfaith Power & Light, an interfaith climate justice organization. She worked at Eden Village Camp for the past two summers, her initial exposure to Jewish environmental education. Rachel graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore in 2016 with a degree in sociology, and wrote a capstone paper on feminist interpretations of uses of the mikvah.

Emily Glick, Teva JOFEE Fellow Emily entered the Hazon community by way of Teva and Isabella Freedman. It was here that she nourished her love of living and working in community, and found ways to tie together her passions of spirituality and social justice.

Prior to this life Emily studied Social Thought & Political Economy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A portion of her time in college was spent studying Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Haifa. While in Israel she taught at the Leo Baeck School for Coexistence and led programming at various community centers throughout the city. When she isn’t thinking about driving the Topsy Turvy Bus around the United States, you can find Emily riding her beloved bicycle, dancing, practicing her baritone ukulele, or eating salty foods.

Josh Jacobs Josh is the summer assistant director at Eden Village Camp, and the assistant director of the Congregational School at Park Avenue Synagogue. He has master’s degrees in Jewish education and modern Jewish studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a certificate in Israel education from the Davidson School at JTS. He led experiential Jewish education programs in Ghana, Uganda, Mexico, and Nicaragua for the American Jewish World Service. In his spare time, Josh tutors math, rides his bike everywhere, and asks, “is this recyclable?”

Joshua Hooper Josh is a Jewish leader, educator, and artist. The essence of his work centers around activism – to inspire, promote, and reinforce social change within Jewish communities and beyond. Earth-based Judaism is at the core of his activism and work with others in facilitating spaces that exemplify sustainable living.

Joshua spent his undergraduate years at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Tel Aviv facilitating Jewish life on campus and running programs around Israel advocacy.

Currently, he is finishing up his MA in Jewish Education and Nonprofit Management at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Frances Lasday, Teva Lead Program Staff In her role as Teva Lead Program Staff, Frances is thrilled to be spending her time nerding out over curriculum development and referring to the vast library of books in the Teva office. Frances came to Hazon to live and work on the Topsy Turvy Bus which she did for two summers before settling at Isabella Freedman to work for Teva in the Fall of 2016. Frances graduated from the University of Vermont in May 2016, with a major in Environmental Studies, a minor in Food Systems and a thesis on the possibility of local kosher meat in the state of Vermont. In her free time she enjoys reading, starting knitting projects, general silliness, and getting dirty.

Yocheved Retig Yocheved is an alumna of the Pardes Educators Program in Jerusalem, Israel, where she earned her master’s in Jewish Education in partnership with Hebrew College. She is a passionate learner of Jewish texts and loves learning with students of all ages. She works to help students “dig” into their Jewish identities through fun activities, deep questions, surprising texts, and experiential education.

She lives in Washington Heights with her wife, Yudis Retig.

Yudis Retig Yudis Retig is currently earning a master’s in Occupational Therapy at Columbia University. She has an extensive background teaching Jewish youth of all ages in experiential settings such as Eden Village summer camp, as well as in the classroom. She is a graduate of the Adamah Jewish farm fellowship at Isabella Freedman, and has had the pleasure of leading activities for Camp Teva in the past.

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Presenter Bios Laura Evonne Steinman Laura is a community artist, educator, and activist who comes from a multi-faith family. She is the Director of Religious Education at Arlington Street, a Unitarian Universalist (UU) Congregation in Boston, MA. The program she directs has a focus on art, social justice, and ritual in a spiritual setting. Laura Evonne facilitates art and education workshops for folks of all ages, focusing on her passions: the natural world and recycled materials. She lives in the Merrimack Valley, North of Boston with a bunch of animals, a little farm stand and a little free library. Laura Evonne is also the designer of the “Occupy Your Heart” sticker, which comes with the question: “What Fills Your Heart?” More information can be found at handinhandarts.com.

Caleb Zedek, Teva Lead Program Staff Caleb is originally from Orange County, CA but really loves the East Coast for all of its seasonal glory! He enjoys making music both on his own and in harmony with others. He loves making it to the top of high-up places. Caleb walks without shoes and camps without tents as often as he can; nothing fulfills him more than feeling the earth beneath his feet and the enormity of the universe above!

Chelsea Stephens, Teva Lead Program Staff Chelsea is the 2017 Teva JOFEE Fellow, where she works building community, developing curricula, and educating.

After graduating from Rutgers University, where she explored her passion for literature and Medieval history, Chelsea has taught in the forests of Connecticut, urban farmed in Philadelphia, and studied Jewish texts in Jerusalem. She spends her time at Freedman knitting socks and dreaming about the next Teva season.

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together, we make it possible THE TAMAR FUND Retreats have the power to change lives. At Isabella Freedman, we have a commitment to making Jewish retreats financially accessible.

Hazon works to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community, and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. Retreats are at the heart of what we do best. Each year we offer thousands of people the opportunity to immerse themselves in a vibrant and inclusive Jewish community. Through food, the outdoors, and the environment, we reframe and renew Jewish life; we inspire those who are already Jewishly involved and bring new people through the door; and we strengthen institutions and communities.

It costs about $150 per person per day for most of our retreats at Isabella Freedman. For some members of our community, especially young adults, that fee can be a barrier to participating in a program that could change their lives. A $180 scholarship from the Tamar Fund is often enough to make a $450 retreat affordable. Even a small gift goes a long way.

We are committed to making our programs accessible to all interested people to the greatest extent possible, regardless of their ability to pay. Towards that vision, Hazon awards over $110,000 in financial aid each year, much of it unfunded.

The Tamar Fund provides need-based financial aid to ensure that people from across the spectrum of the Jewish community have access to retreat experience at Isabella Freedman.

"Throughout my young 20s, as I was exploring the world, Judaism and the expanses of my own identity, Isabella Freedman retreats were my steady anchors.

Here, I could let go of the outside world and be present in beautiful land with beautiful people, a place where I could simply be and connect. Isabella Freedman's generous scholarships made these experiences possible.

I thank Isabella Freedman with my full heart."

Natalie

The Tamar Fund is in loving memory of Tamar Bittelman, z”l who attended the Food Conference in Davis, California in 2011. Torah, Jewish community, ecology, and DIY food were values that Tamar held dear in her own life, and she very much appreciated the intersection of these values at the Hazon Food Conference. Sharing a meal with Tamar, particularly a Shabbat or Chag meal, was an experience filled with kedushah, where one was effortlessly and joyfully escorted to “a different place.”

Your gift to the Tamar Fund, in any amount, opens our programs to those who might not otherwise be able to participate. Please contact Gina Schmeling, Director of Individual Giving, at gina. schmeling@hazon.org to discuss your gift. You can also visit the donation box outside of the bookstore. Thank you!

make it possible. donate today.