pesach retreat at isabella freedman March 30-April 8, 2018
Printed on recycled paper
HAZON FOOD CONFERENCE AUGUST 1-5, 2018 • Isabella Freedman Whether you want to expand your culinary repertoire, 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, the Hazon Food Conference proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. • More than 90 hands-on workshops, food demos, and classes with chefs, writers, farmers, activists, and other food industry and sustainability leaders • Delicious kosher, organic, and ethically sourced, farm-to-table cuisine • Huge Outdoor Food Festival featuring signature dishes from expert chefs • One-on-one food industry mentor coaching
• Share the learning and fun with your children ages 5-12 at the specially designed Kids’ Food Conference • Berry picking and veggie harvesting • Swimming, boating, and hiking in a beautiful lakeside setting • Vibrant, pluralistic Jewish community Shabbat with Renewal, Traditional Egalitarian, and Orthodox services
Are you a Jewish educator? Ten educators will be awarded a full scholarship to attend the Food Conference and participate in a special training program to learn how to bring 'Bubbie's Kitchen' children's cooking curriculum to their communities. See website for details.
hazon.org/foodconference
Table of Contents Orientation Sheet.................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Welcome Letter.....................................................................................................................................................................................................6 About Hazon..........................................................................................................................................................................................................7 Hazon and the new Jewish Food movement.............................................................................................................................................8 Upcoming Retreats........................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Pesach Food at Isabella Freedman.............................................................................................................................................................. 12 Schedule Friday, March 30......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Saturday, March 31................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Sunday, April 1............................................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Monday, April 2.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Tuesday, April 3.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Wednesday, April 4................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Thursday, April 5........................................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Friday, April 6.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Saturday, April 7......................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Sunday, April 8............................................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Camp Teva............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Presenter Bios..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Tamar Fund.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Map.........................................................................................................................................................................................................back cover
Isabella Freedman Emergency #: 860-453-3963 Emergencies only, please. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones. See the next page for more information.
Honoring Native Land At Isabella Freedman, we cultivate the soil to grow food, we climb mountains to gain new perspectives, we mikvah in the lake to mark transitions, and we pray, learn, and engage with our tradition and with the forests and living waters. Long before we started applying our own stories and traditions to this land, it was the sacred home of the Mohican people. For more than five hundred years, Indigenous communities across the Americas have demonstrated resilience and resistance in the face of violent efforts to separate them from their land, culture, and community. Too often their history is erased. As Jews we have experienced exile and persecution, and as part of the larger process of decolonization and reconciliation, we honor the Indigenous People who have stewarded this land for thousands of years. Want to learn more about the history of Indigenous People where you live? Visit native-land.ca
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 3
WELCOME Welcome to 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 860-453-3963 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: Please wear your name tags at all times. Our staff need to be aware of who should be on our site. In the event of a campus-wide emergency, 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. 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. FIRE SAFETY: Please only light candles at group candle lighting in the main building. Camp fires must be approved by the event coordinator in advance and are only allowed at the fire pit by the lake. Camp fires must be put out at the end of the activity. Please see a retreat manager for any questions.
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. 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. 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 brought (in original sealed packaging) to be checked by our kosher supervisor. 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, to-go 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!
4 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
GUEST FRIDGE: You may store personal food items in the fridge located in the Sunroom near Guest Services. (These items do not have to be kosher.) Please label your name on all items. POTABLE TAP WATER: ALL tap water on campus comes directly from a local well source and is potable and delicious! HOT WATER/COFFEE: Due to our kosher policies, on 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. CHILDREN: Please make sure that your children are supervised at all times, or are participating in children’s programming associated with your retreat. 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. 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.
LAKE AND SWIMMING / BOATING: The pool is closed for the season. Use of the lake is at your own risk – life vests are located in the shed by the dock. Please return the vests and oars to the shed and the boats to the rack after use. HIKING: Please stay on Isabella Freedman trails 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. VISITING THE GOATS: During the spring, we welcome the babies of our hardworking mother does! You are encouraged to visit the Adamah barnyard during scheduled goat activities. Please only enter into fenced-in areas with an Isabella Freedman staff member present, and please respect any signage and/or directions given by staff members. Please do not feed the goats or visit when a goat is sick, giving birth or about to give birth. We want to be sure that everyone is safe and healthy! 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.)
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.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 5
Welcome! Dear Friends, Welcome to Pesach 5778 at Isabella Freedman! I am thrilled and honored to celebrate this incredible holiday with you. Pesach is a very important time of year, as we embark on this collective journey of leaving Mitzrayim (Egypt), our personal and ancestral narrow straits, and arrive in a land of freedom and opportunities. I have very strong memories of Pesach from growing up. Just about every single year since I was two, my entire extended family would gather for Seders, and most of us for the entire holiday. Pesach was important to us as a family, and it was a given that I would get to see certain family members over the holiday. Looking back it was a key time marker for me, as I was always counting down until I would get to reunite with family. It was the start of a new cycle, and we always came together to honor that, and to retell, and learn from the exodus story from Mitzrayim. This Pesach will be my second at Isabella Freedman, with my holiday family here, and I am truly looking forward to retelling, honoring, and celebrating the Pesach story in community with you all. The story of Pesach is the collective story of the Jewish people moving from a narrow place of oppression into that of sovereignty, joy, and freedom. It is a redemption story that can be accessed by anyone engaging with the human experience. One of the key points of the exodus story that always stood out to me was the moment when Bnei Yisrael (People of Israel), had just witnessed the ten plagues, but were now pinned between the Egyptians and the Red Sea. At that point they could either succumb to the Egyptians, or trust in Hashem or a higher being, that the sea would indeed be split for them to cross through. We are taught through a midrash (a commentary on the text) about a character named Nachshon ben Aminadav, who was from the tribe of Judah, and how he was the first person to take steps forward into the Red Sea, and how that act of faith, was what ultimately led to the Sea dividing for the rest of Bnei Yisrael. It must have taken immense trust and courage in a higher being, to take those first steps into the great unknown of the Red Sea. Bnei Yisrael had just been through so much in Egypt as a people, but were now being asked to stretch their faith yet one step further, and leap into the waves of the unknown. We are continually approaching our own personal versions of the Red Sea, as we move through life. If we are feeling right at the edge of defeat, and beginning to lose faith in the possibility of achieving joy or freedom, sometimes surrendering to the flow can feel like the hardest possible next step. In moving into spring, and welcoming a new cycle of growth and life, I want to bless all of us with the courage to go deeper, and channel the Nachshon ben Aminadav that lives within each of our hearts. May we garner the trust necessary to take that plunge, with love, into the complete unknown, knowing that Hashem or a higher being, will be there guiding us through to the other side. Together, let us share in the inspiration of community and the story of Pesach. In freedom, Jacob Weiss Pesach Program Manager 6 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
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.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 7
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 1-5, 2018 to harvest, learn, play, and grow the movement.
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.
8 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
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.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 9
Upcoming Hazon Retreats and Programs in 2018 SHAVUOT RETREAT
May 18-22 | Isabella Freedman Join Eve Ilsen, Rabbi Art Green, Rabbi Jill Hammer, Rabbi David Ingber, Yael & Rabbi Avram Mlotek, Shoshana Jedwab, Shir Yaakov Feit, Eden Pearlstein, and other renowned teachers for all-night learning, lakeside sunrise prayers, First Fruits Kiddush, and a midnight mountain hike. Includes Camp Teva for kids!
JEWISH INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE
June 14-17 | Pearlstone Center, Reisterstown, MD Join participants from across the country – including people who are already members of intentional communities as well as folks who are just curious and excited by the idea – as we learn from and share with each other, vision together, and plant seeds for communities to come.
CAMP ISABELLA FREEDMAN
July 9-15 & July 16-22 (come for one week or two!) | Isabella Freedman An all-inclusive vacation for active adults 55+. Summer camp fun includes arts & crafts, movement and mindfulness classes, lectures and discussion groups, nature programs, and cultural activities.
TORAH YOGA: ACQUIRING GARMENTS OF LIGHT
July 23-29 | Isabella Freedman Through the study of Torah and the practice of yoga, we will seek out light in our body, mind, heart, soul, and ultimately the world.
HAZON FOOD CONFERENCE
August 1-5 | Isabella Freedman Expand your culinary expertise, enjoy local, seasonal organic fruits and veggies, unpack the complexities of our global food system, and connect to our ancient food tradition. The Kids’ Food Conference, specially designed for young foodies, makes it perfect for the whole family!
ROMEMU YESHIVA: CONTEMPLATIVE ELUL PRACTICE
August 13-16 | Isabella Freedman The Romemu Yeshiva aims to teach Torah and support the practices of Tefillah (prayer), Tzedakah and Gemilut Hasadim (acts of justice and kindness) through a contemplative lens.
LET MY PEOPLE SING!
August 23-26 | 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!
10 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
NEW YORK RIDE & RETREAT
August 31-September 3 (Labor Day Weekend) | Isabella Freedman Join the People of the Bike for our 18th annual ride! Enjoy a relaxing Shabbat retreat followed by two days of cycling around the beautiful Berkshires. This fully-supported ride, fundraiser, and community experience is for people of all cycling levels and ages. Let’s make the world healthier and more sustainable for all!
ROSH HASHANAH
September 9-12 | Isabella Freedman Orthodox and Renewal 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
September 23-October 3 | Isabella Freedman Perhaps the most joyous, and almost certainly the most diverse celebration of the holiday of Sukkot on planet Earth. Come for all or part of the 10-day festivities. Includes Camp Teva for kids!
JOFEE NETWORK GATHERING
October 11-14 | Tamarack Camps, MI For anyone interested in bringing Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming, and Environmental Education (JOFEE) elements to your work and home commuities.
ARAVA INSTITUTE & HAZON ISRAEL RIDE
October 23-30 | Israel Cycle from Jerusalem to Eilat and broaden your understanding of the region as you meet Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians working towards peace, environmental sustainability, and regional cooperation.
HAZON MEDITATION RETREAT
December 23-30 | Isabella Freedman Silent meditation with instruction, musical prayer services, and evening teachings that draw on Jewish, secular, and Buddhist sources.
Visit hazon.org/calendar for a complete list of upcoming events!
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 11
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 produces OU Glatt Kosher pastured meats from animals 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.
12 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
One of my great joys as Director of Hospitality 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. For the past two years we have served 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 and we are looking forward to serving it again on the 8th day of Pesach this year, b’h. Chag kasher v’sameach, Hazzan Mordechai Schram Director of Hospitality
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!
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 13
Friday, March 30 1:00 PM Guest Arrival/ Welcome Snack Great Hall
6:45 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall
1:00–4:00 PM JOFEE Welcome Fair Great Hall 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. And be sure to check out the Kids’ Zone for other Passover oriented crafts.
7:15–8:30 PM Orthodox Mincha and Maariv Synagogue
1:00–6:00 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol haMoed, arrival and departure days. 5:30–6:15 PM Kids’ Dinner & Mandatory Parent/Guardian Orientation Dining Hall Dinner will be late so bring your children to the Dining Hall at 5:30pm for a delicious meal. Here you will learn about the fun activities Camp Teva has planned for you and all of the important logistics.
7:15–8:30 PM Kids’ Seder and Welcoming Shabbat Arts & Crafts See page 32. 7:30–8:00 PM Pesach: Giving Up Control Meditation Red Yurt Dan Pelberg The rest of the year we are under the illusion that we have control over everything in our lives. Learn how Pesach comes to teach us the importance of waking up to whatever is happening, and let go of our need to control. 8:30 PM Communal Seder Dining Hall Led by Rabbi Shmuel Braun, Bailey Braun, Eden Pearlstein, and Elizabeth Yaari Semi-private Seder Library
5:30-6:30 PM Light Supper Great Hall
Saturday, March 31 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students. 8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Water Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Experience water’s subtle soothing effects and the way it transports us to a sense of well being 9:00–12:00 PM Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue Camp Teva & Gan Adamah See page 33.
14 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Saturday, March 31 10:00–11:30 AM Puah Bibliodrama for all Genders Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Imagine you are a young Hebrew woman slave in Egypt at a time when oppression is at its worse for you. Think of a sound that might best describe the feeling you have and bring that sound to this session to see what happens to it. We’ll be walking to the lake. 12:00–12:45 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush and Dvar Torah Great Hall 12:45–2:15 PM Festive Lunch Dining Hall 2:30–3:45 PM Stages of Freedom: Pesach as a Journey of Redeeming our Voice Beige Yurt Eden Pearlstein Our ability to speak and express ourselves is essential to our becoming fully free. And yet, so many of our voices, stories, and prayers are never spoken or heard. According to Hasidut, this is a form of slavery. Through text-study, group discussion, silent contemplation, and song we will explore the Torah narrative about slavery and redemption through the metaphor of self-expression. Idis, Pelotith and Mary Oliver Synagogue Bailey Braun This class will explore the little known stories of Lot’s wife and daughter and the hidden connection to the holiday of Pesach with the help of Mary Oliver’s poetry, and the wisdom of philosophy and mysticism Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games on the way. Closed toe shoes are required. 2:30–5:30 PM Camp Teva See page 33. 3:30–5:30 PM Long Afternoon hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Hike through fern groves, fallen birch trees, traverse over
boulders and then relish in your accomplishments while taking in the scenery at the top of the Overlook. We will explore the Yellow trail to the Selah trail and then around and down the Red trail. Closed toe shoes are required. 4:00–5:15 PM Passover and Liberatory Practices: Feminist Frameworks for Revolutionary Healing and Liberation Synagogue Laine Zisman Newman In “Theory as Liberatory Practice,” scholar bell hooks calls theory a “location of healing” and notes the powerful ways in which theory can provide us with a framework for understanding the world. Through theory we find ways to name our pain and oppression; we find community and discussion; and we find spaces of freedom and liberation. Theory as story, as text, as experience, and activism has the capacity to create change. In this class, we will consider what we might gain in thinking through feminist theories and our own experiences of enslavement and liberation this Passover. How might feminisms offer a framework for understanding simultaneous experiences of oppression and privilege and of slavery and freedom? Together we will find collective possibilities for healing and critical liberation. *This class is open to people of all genders. Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha Class for Students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class. 5:30–6:30 PM Supper/ Kids' Dinner Great Hall 6:00–7:00 PM Spilling Blood, Spilling Wine: Compassion & the Egyptians Synagogue Rishe Groner The Egyptians suffered from blood, boils, death and destruction–and on their drowning in the Red Sea, God hushed the angels from singing songs, “The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: The work of My hands, the Egyptians, are drowning at sea, and you wish to say songs?” How do we bring compassion into our celebratory Passover practices, from spilling wine to half Hallel? How must we translate that into compassion in our own battles with our spiritual enemies today? Come with an open heart and an open mind as we explore these texts and grapple with them in discussion together.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 15
Saturday, March 31 6:30–8:30 PM Kids’ Seder/Campfire Arts & Crafts See page 33.
8:00 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall
7:15–8:30 PM Orthodox Mincha/ Maariv and Dvar Torah Synagogue 7:30–8:00 PM Dealing With Your Own Personal Mitzrayim Meditation Red Yurt Dan Pelberg We will look at how the story of Egypt is as real today as ever, and how we can learn to deal with our own personal struggles that constrict us.
8:30 PM Communal Seder Dining Hall Led by Rabbi Shmuel Braun and friends Semi-private Seder Library
Sunday, April 1 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students. 8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall 8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Air Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Enjoy a renewed attentiveness to the subtleties of air and the way it supports our prayers 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva & Gan Adamah See page 34. Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue
9:30–10:00 AM Soul-hacks: A Daily Journey to Personal Growth through Sefirat HaOmer Red Yurt Rishe Groner Sefirat Haomer is a ladder to our highest self, based on the 49 permutations of the 7 basic Sefirot in Kabbalah. We’ll explore each day’s Sefirah to create a daily meditation and Soul-hack: one practical, tangible way we can hack away to the core our souls and become the best we can be. Rishe has been teaching Soul-hacks online for two years and is excited to bring them to Isabella Freedman this year! Join us daily for this boost to your personal practice, and sign up for the emails to be continued through the rest of the Omer period. 10:00–11:30 AM Theatre Improv Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Bring your heebie-jeebies, collywobbles and restlessness and enjoy a spontaneous, interactive event to loosen up, release the tension and let go
16 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Sunday, April 1 12:00–12:45 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush Great Hall 12:45–2:15 PM Festive Lunch Dining Hall 2:30–3:45 PM Connecting Liberation with Revelation: Sefirat HaOmer as Developmental Process Synagogue Eden Pearlstein The 49-day cycle that takes us from Pesach to Shavuot, from slavery to Sinai, is an auspicious time for transformation. As such, the Rabbis and Kabbalists of the past have generated numerous metaphors to contextualize this dynamic period. In this class we will discuss, develop, and deconstruct 2 such metaphors: that of the developing child, and that of the lover and bride. Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Heirloom vegetables, permaculture orchard, compost, chickens–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. 2:30–6:30 PM Camp Teva See page 34. 4:00–5:15 PM Gratitude is the Medicine: Modeh Ani as Mission Statement Synagogue Rishe Groner An embodied, meditative exploration of a fundamental practice in Jewish life: the Modeh / Modah Ani prayer, recited each morning in gratitude. Join us for experiential discovery of what gratitude means to us through sharing, text study, meditation and chant. As we chant “Hodu” “Give thanks” throughout Pesach in the Hallel, we’ll explore what that truly means as an ongoing gratitude practice. Learn how gratitude is the medicine that has the power to change not only the outcome of our day, but the world around us.
4:00–5:15 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games on the way. Closed toe shoes are required Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha Class for Students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class. 5:15–6:30 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Isabella Freedman Educator Visit our goats, play with any newborn kids, or tend to the beautiful pregnant mothers if the kids are not born yet. You might get a chance to help bring the goats freshwater, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to be canceled if any goats need medical attention. Sublime Redemption From a Supermarket in California Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun The Kabbalistic understanding of freedom represented through the lens of the Romantic and Beat poets. 6:30–6:45 PM Orthodox Mincha Synagogue 6:30–8:00 PM Dinner Dining Hall 8:15–8:30 PM Orthodox Maariv Synagogue 8:30 PM Havdalah Great Hall Together we mark the end of the first days of Pesach through joyful celebration.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 17
Sunday, April 1 9:30–11:00 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol haMoed, arrival and departure days.
9:30–11:00 PM Campfire Celebration Fire pit Sit back and relax around the fire, sing songs, bring your instruments. This is sure to be a lively experience!
Film: Wonder Synagogue Based on the New York Times bestseller, Wonder tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
Monday, April 2 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students. 8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall 8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Trees Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Resonate with the power of a tree to connect to all life, above and below and especially you 9:00–10:30 AM Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva See page 35.
9:30–10:00 AM Soul-hacks: A Daily Journey to Personal Growth through Sefirat HaOmer Red Yurt Rishe Groner Sefirat Haomer is a ladder to our highest self, based on the 49 permutations of the 7 basic Sefirot in Kabbalah. We’ll explore each day’s Sefirah to create a daily meditation and Soul-hack: one practical, tangible way we can hack away to the core our souls and become the best we can be. Rishe has been teaching Soul-hacks online for two years and is excited to bring them to Isabella Freedman this year! Join us daily for this boost to your personal practice, and sign up for the emails to be continued through the rest of the Omer period. 10:00 AM Check out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10 am. You are welcome to stay through lunch. 10:00–11:30 AM Wings of Eagles: Tallit Making Workshop Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Explore your own personal experience of being lifted up and away from danger and create a tallit on silk to keep as a prayerful reminder.
18 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Monday, April 2 11:00–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt Rabbi Matti Brown/ Jesse Beller & Friends For anyone who missed the morning prayers in the synagogue, we will jam with musical instruments and sing the Psalms of the joyful Hallel service together. Kid-friendly! 12:00–1:30 PM Lunch Dining Hall 2:00–3:15 PM Tzipporah and Virginia Woolf Beige Yurt Bailey Braun Who was Tzipporah, the woman who married Moshe Rabbeinu? Where did she come from, and what is her legacy? This class will explore her hidden connection to the holiday of Pesach through the writings of Virginia Woolf, and the wisdom of philosophy and mysticism Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games on the way. Closed toe shoes are required Chain Reaction: How Bikes Helped Build Hazon Synagogue Miriam Leichtling: Director of Cycling Events & Engagement, Hazon Join us for an hour of fun, photo-filled stories about Hazon’s early days, when founder and CEO Nigel Savage rode from Seattle to DC to raise awareness about the environment. Learn how Hazon has grown, where cycling has taken us since, and where our journey might bring us next. Swag for all participants! No knowledge of cycling necessary. 2:00–6:30 PM Camp Teva See page 35. 3:30–4:45 PM Preparing to Sing the Song of the Sea: Creative Writing Practice based on Torah Synagogue Eden Pearlstein Shevi’i shel Pesach / the Seventh Night of Passover commemorates the splitting and crossing of the Sea of Reeds. Torah tells us that as the Israelites made it to safety
they burst out into the Song of the Sea. What is this Song of the Sea, and how can we connect to it and channel it in our lives? Through text study, group discussion, and creative writing, we will dive into the Sea of Song to see what we can find. 3:30–4:45 PM In Merit of the Righteous Women: or Liberation and #MeToo Beige Yurt Rishe Groner “In the merit of the righteous women our nation was redeemed, and in their merit we will be redeemed in future”. The Talmud refers to the sacred faith of the Jewish women as the key to redemption, but how is that translated to our current awakening of feminine consciousness in the world today? We’ll explore concepts of Kabbalah, Chassidut, ecofeminism and Gaia theory through discussion and text study to understand how the awakening of the Divine Feminine today is part of the process towards global change. 3:30–4:45 PM AccepDance Red Yurt Henny Stern An opportunity to step into YOUR unique dance and creative self-expression, while discovering and honoring the ways in which your body wants to move and be. Through guided/self guided meditation, somatic movement, and dance, you will have a chance to move from “self-conscious to breath-conscious” in a supportive and non-judgmental space, while delighting in personal and collective AccepDance! 5:00–6:15 PM Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha class for students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class. Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Isabella Freedman Educator Visit our goats, play with any newborn kids, or tend to the beautiful pregnant mothers if the kids are not born yet. You might get a chance to help bring the goats freshwater, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to be canceled if any goats need medical attention.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 19
Monday, April 2 5:00–6:15 PM Searching For What Seems Absent: Spiritual Study/Conversation for Passover Synagogue Rabbi Justin David In Jewish tradition, God is perennially hidden, which is ironic, as human beings often (though certainly not always) yearn for God to be close. Where does this yearning come from? Can it be fuel for our spiritual lives? Please join us as we engage in some study and conversation around the reflections of Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto, who before the war addressed these questions in his book Conscious Community, or B’nai Machshavah Tovah. All are welcome. Spring Ecology Walk Meet at Gazebo Arielle Aronoff There might be snow on the ground, there might be spring flowers dotting a slowly greening landscape. Its hard to know what this early spring season will bring us. Join me to explore forest and fields for signs of spring. Weather permitting, we will taste maple sap straight from the tree and explore a vernal pool, a temporary pool of water fed by snow melt and spring rains. Vernal pools provide habitat for amphibians to lay their eggs without the fear of predator fish.
6:20–6:30 PM Orthodox Mincha Synagogue 6:30–8:00 PM Dinner Dining Hall 8:00–8:15 PM Orthodox Maariv Synagogue 8:30–10:30 PM Jamie Saft: Solo Piano Great Hall Jamie Saft Join Jamie Saft, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound engineer and producer for an evening of solo piano in the Great Hall.
Tuesday, April 3 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students.
8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Birds Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Take some silent time to deeply hear the song of the birds. Conduct the sound through your body and be able to reproduce it at any time during your stay
8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
9:00–10:30 AM Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva See page 35.
20 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Tuesday, April 3 9:30–10:00 AM Soul-hacks: A Daily Journey to Personal Growth through Sefirat HaOmer Red Yurt Rishe Groner Sefirat Haomer is a ladder to our highest self, based on the 49 permutations of the 7 basic Sefirot in Kabbalah. We’ll explore each day’s Sefirah to create a daily meditation and Soul-hack: one practical, tangible way we can hack away to the core our souls and become the best we can be. Rishe has been teaching Soul-hacks online for two years and is excited to bring them to Isabella Freedman this year! Join us daily for this boost to your personal practice, and sign up for the emails to be continued through the rest of the Omer period. 10:00 AM Check out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10 am. You are welcome to stay through lunch. 10:00–11:30 AM The Staff: Bibliodrama and Whittling Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari The staff is a lead character in the Exodus and in its ubiquitous role appears to be a tool of the Almighty activated through human agency. Enter the text through your imaginations and feel your way into the power of the staff as you whittle or decorate your own 11:00–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt Rabbi Matti Brown/ Jesse Beller & Friends For anyone who missed the morning prayers in the synagogue, we will jam with musical instruments and sing the Psalms of the joyful Hallel service together. Kidfriendly! 12:00–1:30 PM Lunch Dining Hall 2:00–6:30 PM Camp Teva See page 35.
2:00–3:30 PM Creating the Ride of a Lifetime: A Behind the Scenes look at The Israel Ride Synagogue Miriam Leichtling: Director of Cycling Events & Engagement, Hazon Every year Hazon partners with the Arava Institute of Environmental Sciences to produce the Israel Ride – an incredible journey from Jerusalem to Eilat over 5 days. With over 220 cyclists, 100 crew members, and 25 staff members, production for this event takes all year. Learn fun facts about how this ride is put together, who it supports, and incredible stories it inspires. Marvel at the beauty of the Negev through incredible drone videography and wonder at how on earth the Jews did it leaving Egypt 2500 years ago. Bring your sense of adventure. Leave your passports at home. 2:00–3:30 PM Miriam’s Timbrel: The Secret of the Dance Beige Yurt Rishe Groner “And Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand. And all the women went out after her, and they chanted, 'Sing to the Lord...'” Miriam’s dance is moment of victory for the Israelites, but what was the significance of her drum – the famous “tof” or timbrel? What was the meaning of all the women following her in song, and what was the subtext of their song? We’ll explore the Kabbalistic cosmology of the universe, a proposed paradigm for redemption and liberation, and the themes of dance and drumming in all of our lives as it relates to shifting consciousness. Join us for a text study based on Chassidic and Kabbalistic wisdom, and prepare for part two with an embodied dance practice on Chol Hamoed. Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Heirloom vegetables, permaculture orchard, compost, chickens–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! • 21
Tuesday, April 3 3:45–5:00 PM Like Whiteness to Milk Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun The redemptive experience of absorption into the Divine in the writings of A.J. Heschel, Thomas Merton, and Sri Ramakrishna. Science and Torah: Friends and Enemies Beige Yurt Jon Greenberg Science and Torah are often seen as adversaries. We will explore some examples of cases in which the apparent conflicts have been resolved, and some others in which Torah and science can enrich one another. Some examples include leaning to the left at the seder “to avoid choking,” changing ideas about the solar system, and the scientific basis of the blessings over various fruits and vegetables, Biblical metaphors from nature, and the identification of Biblical species. 3:45–5:00 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games on the way. Closed toe shoes are required. AccepDance Red Yurt Henny Stern An opportunity to step into YOUR unique dance and creative self-expression, while discovering and honoring the ways in which your body wants to move and be. Through guided/self guided meditation, somatic movement, and dance, you will have a chance to move from “self-conscious to breath-conscious” in a supportive and non-judgmental space, while delighting in personal and collective AccepDance! 5:15–6:30 PM Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha Class for Students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class.
5:15–6:30 PM Personalizing the Process Beige Yurt Eden Pearlstein We all know that Passover tells the radical story of our collective birth as a people. But we also learn that we must find ourselves in this story as well. In this creative writing class we will utilize the two primary literary genres contained in the Seder itself: Haggada/Narrative and Hallel/Thanksgiving as creative methods to explore and articulate our own personal liberation and process of becoming. Searching for the Chametz Within Synagogue Mike Moskowitz We will start with a Chassidic framing of the first Mishna in Tractate Pesachim, then offer a Yeshivish invitation into the void of the space between as a way to become more sensitive to holding multiple identities. On passover nothing is simple on the surface and reunifies to a simplicity above and below, breaking the binary. No talmud background necessary. 6:20–6:30 PM Orthodox Mincha Synagogue 6:30–8:00 PM Dinner Dining Hall 8:00 PM Dessert and Cocktails Great Hall Come join us in the Great Hall for dessert and cocktails being mixed by human power on our bike blender. 8:00–8:20 PM Orthodox Maariv Synagogue 9:00–10:30 PM Evening Concert Great Hall Jamie Saft and his New Zion Trio with ePRHYME Tonight’s performance will feature Jamie Saft and his New Zion Trio, as well as being joined by the iconoclastic, neoHasidic rapper and word-smith ePRHYME. (Eden Pearlstein)
22 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Wednesday, April 4 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students. 8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall 8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Plants Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Sense the information that plants are exchanging with us and write your findings. We will help each person make poetry from this writing.
10:00–11:30 AM Blocks to Freedom: Clay Workshop Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Clay is the medium of choice to set the scene of this interactive workshop 11:00–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt Rabbi Matti Brown/ Jesse Beller & Friends For anyone who missed the morning prayers in the synagogue, we will jam with musical instruments and sing the Psalms of the joyful Hallel service together. Kidfriendly! 12:00–1:30 PM Lunch Dining Hall
9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva See page 36.
2:00–6:30 PM Camp Teva See page 36.
9:00–10:30 AM Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue
2:00–3:15 PM New Seas to Split and Desserts to Cross: Another Exodus (Research Study w/ a Torah Lens) Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein In the 21st century we have and will continue to see unparalleled events that are affecting our lives as individuals, as communities, and ultimately as denizens of an increasingly fragile planet. As such, the synagogue model for community engagement is on trial by layleaders and clergy alike. Is the synagogue enough? What research has been conducted to help us envision a movement for alternative platforms that engage the Jewish future in innovative and meaningful experiences for this generation.
9:30–10:00 AM Soul-hacks: A Daily Journey to Personal Growth through Sefirat HaOmer Red Yurt Rishe Groner Sefirat Haomer is a ladder to our highest self, based on the 49 permutations of the 7 basic Sefirot in Kabbalah. We’ll explore each day’s Sefirah to create a daily meditation and Soul-hack: one practical, tangible way we can hack away to the core our souls and become the best we can be. Rishe has been teaching Soul-hacks online for two years and is excited to bring them to Isabella Freedman this year! Join us daily for this boost to your personal practice, and sign up for the emails to be continued through the rest of the Omer period. 10:00 AM Check out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10 am. You are welcome to stay through lunch.
Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games on the way. Closed toe shoes are required
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 23
Wednesday, April 4 2:00–3:15 PM Pickling Workshop Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educator At this workshop you’ll be introduced to the amazing world of bacteria and lacto fermentation. Participants leave with a jar of pickles that they made themselves.
Following our text exploration of Miriam’s dance on the first days of the holiday, we’ll journey into the shifting consciousness of the drum with a female-identifying dance and movement practice. Go outside your comfort zone and explore the riches within the body through a prayer-filled ecstatic dance experience. For femaleidentified beings only.
3:30–4:45 PM To See Oneself as Leaving Egypt: A Meta-Meditation Beige Yurt Rabbi Matti Brown How does refraining from eating or owning ‘leavened bread’ help us leave all self-narrowing and limitation in our life and relationships? Join us in discussing and contemplating a delicious ‘liberation teaching’ of the Baal Shem Tov.
5:00–6:15 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Isabella Freedman Educator Visit our goats, play with any newborn kids, or tend to the beautiful pregnant mothers if the kids are not born yet. You might get a chance to help bring the goats freshwater, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to be canceled if any goats need medical attention.
Serach and Denise Levertov Synagogue Bailey Braun Who was the mysterious biblical character Serach bat Asher? Where did she come from, and what is her legacy? This class will explore her hidden connection to the holiday of Pesach with the help of Denise Levertov’s poetry, and the wisdom of philosophy and mysticism. Biblical & Talmudic Botany Greenhouse Tour Meet at Gazebo Jon Greenberg This summer’s fresh vegetables and herbs are just getting started now in the greenhouses. Come see what’s growing and learn some great stories about these crops that help to feed the world (and us at Isabella in particular) and their significance in Jewish and world history, from onion worship to the prophet who was also a toxicologist. 4:15–5:30 PM Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha Class for Students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class. 5:00–6:15 PM Miriam’s Dance: An Embodied Journey into Liberation! Beige Yurt Rishe Groner “And Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand. And all the women went out after her, and they chanted, “Sing to the Lord...””
Pesach Insights from the history of food and agriculture Synagogue Jon Greenberg Find out how an ancient Middle-Eastern culture war between beer drinkers and wine drinkers helped to shape the meaning of Pesach and discover the unexpected agricultural and theological meaning of the Haggadah’s three main mitzvot: Matzah, the Paschal lamb, and Maror. 6:20–6:30 PM Orthodox Mincha Synagogue 6:30–8:00 PM Dinner Dining Hall 8:00–8:20 PM Orthodox Maariv Synagogue 8:45–10:15 PM Searching for God in a Magic Shop: A Kabbalah Magic Show Synagogue Arthur Kurzweil Although you will be witness to a bunch of rather cool magic tricks, beware: it’s all a trick. This magic show is really a discussion about some of life’s most profound questions.
24 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Thursday, April 5 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students. 8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
10:00–11:30 AM Exploration of the Liminal in Shadow Theater Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Using many special effects and your own stories create a scene in the shadow theater that best expresses that place in which you exist in the liminal. Liminal means: 1) a transitional or initial stage of a process 2) being in an intermediate stage, phase or condition.
8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Vegetables Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Increase your awareness of patterns, shapes and stories nestled in vegetables. Prepare for some surprises
11:00–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt Rabbi Matti Brown/ Jesse Beller & Friends For anyone who missed the morning prayers in the synagogue, we will jam with musical instruments and sing the Psalms of the joyful Hallel service together. Kidfriendly!
9:00–10:30 AM Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue
12:00–1:30 PM Lunch Dining Hall
9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva See page 37.
2:00 PM Guest Arrival/Welcome Snack Great Hall
9:30–10:00 AM Soul-hacks: A Daily Journey to Personal Growth through Sefirat HaOmer Red Yurt Rishe Groner Sefirat Haomer is a ladder to our highest self, based on the 49 permutations of the 7 basic Sefirot in Kabbalah. We’ll explore each day’s Sefirah to create a daily meditation and Soul-hack: one practical, tangible way we can hack away to the core our souls and become the best we can be. Rishe has been teaching Soul-hacks online for two years and is excited to bring them to Isabella Freedman this year! Join us daily for this boost to your personal practice, and sign up for the emails to be continued through the rest of the Omer period.
2:00–5:30 PM Camp Teva See page 37.
10:00 AM Check out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10 am. You are welcome to stay through lunch.
What does God pray for? Synagogue Ora Weinbach In this in-depth text study, we will explore the theological implications and personal takeaways of the Talmud’s discussion of God’s prayer. Accessible to learners of all levels of Talmud skill.
2:15–3:30 PM Spiritual compromise for the physical well being of another Beige Yurt Mike Moskowitz Passover is the birth of a nation and the beginning of our communal responsibility for each other. How does Jewish Law see the spiritual needs of one as including the physical needs of another. We will explore texts that examine what the Torah contributes to the baseline of natural law. Translations included.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 25
Thursday, April 5 2:30–4:30 PM JOFEE Welcome Fair Great Hall 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. And be sure to check out the Kids’ Zone for other Passover oriented crafts. 2:00–6:00 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol haMoed, arrival and departure days. 4:15–5:30 PM Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha Class for Students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class. What is Sefira? Answers from the History of Food and Agriculture Synagogue Jon Greenberg What is the significance of the seven weeks that the Torah places between Pesach and Shavuot? We’ll discover some surprising answers from a comparison of Israelite and Egyptian agriculture and geography, and the connection between irrigation and idol worship.
7:00 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall 7:00–8:15 PM Camp Teva See page 37. Orthodox Mincha/ Maariv and Dvar Torah Synagogue 8:15–9:45 PM Dinner Dining Hall 9:30–10:30 PM Night Hike Meet in Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educator Experience an early Spring night as the owls do. Leave your flashlights at home and walk with an experienced guide around the lake trail. 9:30–10:45 PM Why Did the Jews Cross the Sea? To Get Away From the Other Side Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun Living a Messianic redemption of the Self, as explained in a Chassidic discourse from the Lubavitcher Rebbe
5:30- 6:00 PM Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Arts & Crafts We will gather in Arts & Crafts to talk about the logistics of the next few days, learn about the amazing programming in store and play a game to get introduce everybody. 6:00 PM Supper/ Kids' Dinner Great Hall
26 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Friday, April 6 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students.
12:00–12:45 PM Adamah foods kiddush and Dvar Torah Great Hall
8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
2:30–6:00 PM Camp Teva See page 38.
8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Leaves Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Observe the life cycle of the leaf and the uses it has in its fallen state
2:30–3:45 PM Why Do I Gotta Do All This Stuff? Mitzvot as Tools for Connection Synagogue Yocheved Retig Are you interested in enriching your relationship to mitzvot, Judaism, God, or your observance? Are you interested in doing more mitzvot, but are having a hard time taking the plunge, or keeping it up? Do you like to learn about hashkafa (Jewish worldview)? Do you like guided reflections, text study (in the original and in translation), and learning about yourself? If you said yes to any of the above, come to this session, and together we will expand and enrich our relationship with mitzvot. All learning levels encouraged!
9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva & Gan Adamah See page 38. Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue 9:30–10:00 AM Soul-hacks: A Daily Journey to Personal Growth through Sefirat HaOmer Red Yurt Rishe Groner Sefirat Haomer is a ladder to our highest self, based on the 49 permutations of the 7 basic Sefirot in Kabbalah. We’ll explore each day’s Sefirah to create a daily meditation and Soul-hack: one practical, tangible way we can hack away to the core our souls and become the best we can be. Rishe has been teaching Soul-hacks online for two years and is excited to bring them to Isabella Freedman this year! Join us daily for this boost to your personal practice, and sign up for the emails to be continued through the rest of the Omer period. 10:00–11:30 AM Footsteps Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Whether you have one foot in the grave or you’re putting your best foot forward, join this lively, rhythmical event and express your freedom from old thoughts and behaviors through your feet
12:45–2:15 PM Festive Lunch Dining Hall
Story Time with Rebbe Nachman Beige Yurt Eden Pearlstein Rebbe Nachman, the great grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, was one of the most radical and enigmatic Hasidic luminaries of the early 19th century. In addition to his wildly idiosyncratic teachings, his emphasis on personal spiritual practices, and his legendary travels and wanderings, Rebbe Nachman was also one of the greatest Jewish literary figures of the Modern era. His 13 long tales are Kabbalistically dense, Kafka-esque journeys through fantastic worlds and states of consciousness. In this class we will read aloud one of Rebbe Nachman’s masterpieces, “The Master of Prayer,” and explore the story’s connections to Pesach. Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games on the way. Closed toe shoes are required.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 27
Friday, April 6 4:00–5:15 PM Immanence and Transcendence: Two Midrashic Masterminds on the Nature of God Synagogue Ora Weinbach We will explore Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael’s categorically different theologies extrapolated from midrashim authored by their respective schools of thought. How do miracles reflect God? Does God ever take physical form? Does God feel feelings? How connected is God to the human experience? Based on the work of Rabbi AJ Heschel, developed in his masterpiece “Heavenly Torah”. Responding to Trauma—The Psychology and Theology of the Seder Beige Yurt Jon Greenberg Many of the foods we eat and drink have additional layers of symbolism that have been forgotten. We will reconstruct some of these meanings, including those of red and white wine and the many vegetables used for maror, to arrive at some surprisingly deep and relevant guidance for responding to the memory of our enslavement and liberation that applies as well to present-day social and personal trauma. Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Heirloom vegetables, permaculture orchard, compost, chickens–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. 5:30–6:45 PM Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha Class for Students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class.
5:30–6:45 PM Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barn Isabella Freedman Educator Visit our goats, play with any newborn kids, or tend to the beautiful pregnant mothers if the kids are not born yet. You might get a chance to help bring the goats freshwater, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to be canceled if any goats need medical attention. My G-d, Trans-inclusivity, and the Splitting of the Sea Synagogue Mike Moskowitz A text study of the splitting of the sea through Midrashim exploring identities. What did the Children of Israel see at the splitting of the sea that motivated them to want to beautify their relationship with God? How can we create safe spaces for others to be themselves in relationship with G-d. 6:00–7:00 PM Supper/ Kids' Dinner Great Hall 7:00 PM Shabbat Candle Lighting Great Hall 7:10–8:30 PM Orthodox Mincha/ Kabbalat Shabbat/ Maariv Synagogue 7:30–8:30 PM Camp Teva See page 38. 8:30–10:00 PM Dinner Dining Hall 10:00–11:00 PM Songs of Soul and Silence Synagogue Rabbi Matti Brown We will simply sit together and sing restful, meditative wordless melodies, listening deeply and harmonizing with each other, contemplating our gratitude for life, and sometimes dipping into silence. Come for an hour of immersion in sacred sound.
28 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Saturday, April 7 8:00–9:15 AM Yang Yin Style Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Yang Yin Style Class with a Strength and Fitness Focus leading into a mindful deep release practice for Intermediate Level Yoga Students.
12:00–12:45 PM Adamah foods kiddush Great Hall
8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
2:30–6:45 PM Camp Teva See page 39.
8:15–9:00 AM Morning Nature Meditation: Earth Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Fully expand your awareness of the earth through all the senses. Reflection and writing
2:30–3:45 PM One Person with One Heart: The Challenge of Jewish Unity In The Age Of Modernity Beige Yurt Ora Weinbach In this session, we will complicate the concept of Jewish Unity as it applies in the modern era. Through exploring the philosophical contradiction of Jewish pluralism, we likely wont arrive at any easy answers, but perhaps we can attain a more sophisticated paradigm through which to view our interactions with Jews who are different than us.
9:00 AM–12:00 PM Camp Teva & Gan Adamah See page 39. Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue 9:30–10:00 AM Soul-hacks: A Daily Journey to Personal Growth through Sefirat HaOmer Red Yurt Rishe Groner Sefirat Haomer is a ladder to our highest self, based on the 49 permutations of the 7 basic Sefirot in Kabbalah. We’ll explore each day’s Sefirah to create a daily meditation and Soul-hack: one practical, tangible way we can hack away to the core our souls and become the best we can be. Rishe has been teaching Soul-hacks online for two years and is excited to bring them to Isabella Freedman this year! Join us daily for this boost to your personal practice, and sign up for the emails to be continued through the rest of the Omer period. 10:00–11:30 AM Laughing Exercises Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari Laughing Exercises eh? Yes and don’t worry, the effects won’t last more than a lifetime. Moderate laughing experience is necessary.
12:45–2:15 PM Festive Lunch Dining Hall
Fun Stories from Jewish Food History Synagogue Jon Greenberg Come learn about Jewish history through some great stories about the forgotten roles of foods in creating our Jewish heritage, including the Jewish exile who taught Americans that tomatoes are not poisonous, the disastrous origins of Jewish confections, why the prophet Isaiah spoke about a “land of milk and honey” as a punishment, how the parsley family came to represent everything from freedom to brutal murder, and the deep meaning of the many recipes for charoset. Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook. Learn about the forest and play forest games on the way. Closed toe shoes are required
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 29
Saturday, April 7 4:00–5:15 PM The Most Generative Thing We Will Do in Our Entire Lives? The Spiritual Practice of Avoiding Ona’as Devarim Beige Yurt Yocheved Retig What we say over the course of our lives may be the most generative thing we ever do. Our speech helps define our relationships and experience in life – even (and especially) if we aren’t aware of it. Come discover the spiritual practice of avoiding ona’as devarim (pain caused by speech), and new methods for putting it to use. We’ll think of ourselves as scientists and artists using data and nuance to hone our craft of speech. This practice has the power to help revitalize and redefine our relationships with ourselves and others. What you do with it is up to you! Early Spring Ecology Walk Meet at Gazebo Arielle Aronoff There might be snow on the ground, there might be spring flowers dotting a slowly greening landscape. It's hard to know what this early spring season will bring us. Join Arielle to explore the forest and fields for signs of spring. Weather permitting, we will taste maple sap straight from the tree and explore a vernal pool, a temporary pool of water fed by snow melt and spring rains. Vernal pools provide habitat for amphibians to lay their eggs without the fear of predator fish. Honoring Solo and Communal Contributions Synagogue Mike Moskowitz A blend of academic and rabbinic Talmud on honoring the Sabbath as a frame for honoring our own uniqueness. What might the Talmud’s prioritization of spiritual practice contribute to the way we choose to get involved in social justice as spiritual practice. All levels welcome. 5:15–6:30 PM Yocheved and Marge Piercy Synagogue Bailey Braun Who was Yocheved, the mother of Moshe Rabbeinu? Where did she come from, and what is her legacy? This class will explore her hidden connection to the holiday of Pesach with the help of Marge Piercy’s poetry, and the wisdom of philosophy and mysticism
5:15–6:30 PM Restorative/ Gentle Hatha Yoga Red Yurt Kinneret Dubowitz A Restorative/ Yin / Gentle Hatha Class for Students who need a more gentle prop and modification supported class. 6:00–6:30 PM The Joy of Gratitude Beige Yurt Dan Pelberg As we near the end of our Pesach journey we recognize all the goodness bestowed upon us in our lives, even in times where it may be difficult. We will talk about why expressing gratitude is the perfect way to begin the end of our Pesach journey. 6:30–6:45 PM Orthodox Mincha Synagogue 6:45–8:00 PM Seudat HaMashiach/ Dinner Great Hall/Dining Hall Seudah HaMashiach is intended to deepen our awareness of Moshiach and enable us to integrate it into our thinking processes. The idea of the Moshiach 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. 8:00–8:15 PM Orthodox Maariv Synagogue 8:30 PM Havdalah Great Hall Together we mark the end of Pesach through joyful celebration. 9:30–11:00 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol haMoed, arrival and departure days. Campfire Celebration Fire Pit Sit back and relax around the fire, sing songs, bring your instruments. This is sure to be a lively experience!
30 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Saturday, April 7 9:30–11:00 PM Film: Kedi Synagogue Hundreds of thousands of Turkish cats roam the metropolis of Istanbul freely. For thousands of years they’ve wandered in and out of people’s lives, becoming an essential part of the communities that make the city so rich. Claiming no owners, the cats of Istanbul live between two worlds, neither wild nor tame – and they bring joy and purpose to those people they choose to adopt. In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to the people, allowing them to reflect on their lives in ways nothing else could. Critics and internet cats agree – this cat documentary will charm its way into your heart and home as you fall in love with the cats in Istanbul.
Sunday, April 8 8:00–9:00 AM Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue 9:00–11:00 AM Brunch Dining Hall 9:00–12:00 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica. The store will be open during Chol haMoed, arrival and departure days. 10:00 AM Check out Please check out of your room by 10:00 am. We hope to see you again next year ! 10:30 AM Shuttle departure to Wassaic Meet in Great Hall
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 31
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. Gan Adamah is for children ages 2–4. Parents/ Guardians can choose to drop their children off or stay with them. Gan Adamah is located in the Beige Yurt. Please see the schedule below for times. 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, Director of Teva.
Friday, March 30 1:00–4:00 PM Kids’ Zone at The JOFEE Fair Great Hall Learn how to make origami jumping frogs that we’ll use during our seder tonight. Make charoset on the bike blender! There is fun to be had during check-in for kids and adults alike. 5:30–6:15 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent Orientation Dining Hall Dinner will be late late late so come to the Dining Hall at 5:30pm 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 all of the important logistics.
6:45 PM Candle Lighting with Family Great Hall 7:15–8:30 PM Kids’ Seder and Welcoming Shabbat 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!
32 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Saturday, March 31 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning! Wake up and Stretch 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.
2:30–4:00 PM Cave Exploration 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.
9:00 AM–12:00 PM Gan Adamah Ages 2-4 Beige Yurt Parents can drop their toddlers off in the Beige Yurt where we will have movement, toys, and fun chag activities.
2:30–4:00 PM Chocolate Macaroons What makes this night different from all other nights? It’s Frances’ Birthday! Join us to make chocolate macaroons for her birthday party.
9:30–10:15 AM Good Morning Shabbat Song, dance, prayer. Lets wake up our bodies for a joyful Shabbat morning. 10:15 AM–12:00 PM Goats and Forest Exploration Say hay to the goats and explore the forest. Maybe we’ll meet some animals and find out what they like to eat. 9:30 AM–12:00 PM Good Morning Shabbat Hike Ages 9+ Have you ever heard of Hitbodedut? It is a radical form of meditative prayer in the forest. This will be a combination of hiking and prayer. 12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush Great Hall 12:45–2:15 PM Lunch Dining Hall
4:00–5:30 PM Birthday Party! It’s Frances’ Birthday; lets throw her a party! Bring your birthday wishes, silly songs, and games. We will bring our silly songs, games, and delicious birthday treats. 5:30–6:30 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! 6:30–7:30 PM Kids’ Seder 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! 7:30–8:30 PM Camp Fire Fire Pit Sing songs, roast marshmallows and tell stories around the campfire.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 33
Sunday, APril 1 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! 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. 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Gan Adamah Ages 2-4 Beige Yurt Parents can drop their toddlers off in the Beige Yurt where we will have movement, toys, and fun chag activities. 9:30 –11:00 AM Sweet Potato Pancakes Latkes don’t have to be just for Hanukkah. We can make them for Pesach too! 11:00 AM–12:00 PM Kickball! The title speaks for itself! Come play kickball with Camp Teva 12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush Great Hall
2:30–4:00 PM Signs of Spring Hike Wander through the wilderness of Isabella Freedman’s forests and look for signs of spring and celebrate the awakening of the plants from the winter. We might find edible plants, frog eggs, and maybe a frog and salamander will greet us on the trail. 3:30–5:00 PM Stone Soup Fire Pit by the lake 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 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
12:45–2:15 PM Lunch Dining Hall 2:30–3:30 PM Theater 101 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?
34 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Monday, April 2 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! 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 AM–12:00 PM Making Masks Using found materials,we will create Passover characters. Do you want to transform into Mr or Ms. Matzo, Moses, Miriam, Aaron, AfikoMan, Pharaoh, Egyptian princess Batya, Four Children, Darkness, Frogs, Hail? We will act out our characters 9:30 AM–12:00 PM DIY Upcycled Instruments Make your own musical instrument from found materials. Used yahrtzeit candle holders make great shakers. Perhaps something from the dumpster can be used as a drum… 11:00 AM–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt Bring those newly made instruments to Hallel in the yurt. There will be dancing, singing and great celebration for the Passover holiday!
12:00–1:30 PM Lunch 2:00–4:00 PM Building the Mishkan (Shelter Building) After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the Israelites got really good at shelter building. Join us to learn how to build a debris shelter from sticks and leaves to add to your own wilderness survival skills. 4:00–5:00 PM Wild Tea It’s beginning to feel a lot like Spring. Explore camp to find out what we can eat and what we can make into tea even in the earliest days of Spring. 5:00–6:30 PM Growing Gardens Arts & Crafts We will plant seeds in the garden behind Arts and Crafts. These will be some of the first seeds in the ground! 6:30–8:00 PM Dinner
Tuesday, April 3 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! 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.
11:00 AM–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt There will be dancing, singing and great celebration for the Passover holiday!
9:30 AM–12:00 PM DIY Cup of Elijah or Miriam Make your own Kiddush cup out of recycled wine bottles. You will get to pick your bottle, cut it with a special glass cutter, sand it, and etch in a design of your choosing. This activity will be modified for age level. If you have really great fine motor
12:00–1:30 PM Lunch 2:00–3:00 PM Pond Probe Pond front by the Firepit The pond is brimming with amazing macro and micro invertebrates. Come find out who they are and use science to test the health of Lake Miriam.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 35
Tuesday, April 3 3:00–4:30 PM Story Stones Can rocks tell stories? With a little help from you, yes! Join in the fun as we collect, paint and tell stories with stones. 3:00–4:30 PM Hike to the Overlook The hike to the overlook is filled with cool games and adventures on the way. Join us as we walk up the mountain, learn to play camouflage (rated best forest game 10 years running), and learn about the plants and animals that live in this forest.
4:30–6:30 PM Movie Afternoon Come hang out and watch a movie with us. 6:30–8:00 PM Dinner
Wednesday, April 4 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! 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 –11:00 AM Circus Arts Become a clown, learn to juggle, practice on the pogo stick and hula hoops. We’ll become a travelling circus troupe, entertaining all who dare to watch! 11:00 AM–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt Bring your clown selves to the Red Yurt! There will be dancing, singing and great celebration for the Passover holiday! 12:00–1:30 PM Lunch
2:00–3:30 PM Forest Exploration We love to hike! Join us as we explore the forest. Where have you not been yet? Lets go there! 3:30–4:30 PM Where Our Feelings Live Sometimes we feel sad, sometimes we feel happy. We feel angry, loving, disappointed and frustrated, among so many emotions–and it can be challenging to feel them all in our bodies! We’ll do some interactive art, draw our bodies and dance around to learn 4:30–6:30 PM Open Crafts Come to Arts and Crafts where we will have lots of options for you to make matzah covers, bird feeders, pine cone fairies and just about anything you can imagine! 6:30–8:00 PM Dinner
36 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Thursday, april 5 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! 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 Candle Making Have you ever made your own candles? We will be hand dipping candles for Chag and Shabbat. You can also make your own candle holders from clay. 10:30 AM–12:30 PM DIY Eco-Friendly Matzah Home Make your own house with Matzah walls and other yummy treats for decoration. Share a story about your creation. 11:00 AM–12:00 PM Musical Hallel Red Yurt There will be dancing, singing and great celebration for the Passover holiday! 12:00–1:30 PM Lunch
3:30–5:30 PM Field Games and Arts & Crafts It’s been a busy week! Let’s unwind with some open craft time, you can work on anything you haven’t had a chance to finish or start a new project. If you prefer to run around outside, we have lots of amazing games to play! 5:30- 6:00 PM Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation We will gather in Arts & Crafts to talk about the logistics of the next few days, learn about the amazing programming in store and play a game to get introduce everybody. 6:00–7:00 PM Supper/Kids' Dinner Great Hall 7:00–8:15 PM Matzah S’Mores and Campfire Join us around the campfire after supper for dessert. We’ll make matzah s’mores, sing songs, and tell stories. 8:15–9:45 PM Dinner
2:00–3:30 PM Mad Science Experiment! We have some amazing science experiments in store for you! By playing with food and mixing ordinary ingredients, we will all turn into chemists, make a big mess, and have a lot of fun!
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 37
Friday, April 6 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! 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. 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah Ages 2–4 Beige Yurt Parents can drop their toddlers off in the Beige Yurt where we will have movement, toys, and fun chag activities. 9:30–10:30 AM DIY Cheese and Butter Learn how to make your own cheese and butter. We’ll make some of each and get to snack on tam tams and veggies. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM Meet the Goats and Chickens Now that we know how to make cheese, let’s meet some of the animals that give us milk. The goats and their babies love visitors and we love to visit them! After the goats, we walk to the farm to meet the chickens. 12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush Great Hall 12:45–2:15 PM Lunch Dining Hall
2:30–3:30 PM Bubble Science Learn the exciting science behind bubbles, how they’re made and how they work! We will make bubble art, play with GIANT bubbles, frozen bubbles, glow in the dark bubbles, smoke bubbles and more. 3:30–4:30 PM Eco Spa Start your afternoon relaxing at Camp Teva’s Eco-Spa. You will make your own lip balm/ moisturizer that you can take home. 3:30–4:30 PM Forest Exploration Join us to explore the forest, we’ll meet the trees, and find hiding spots that only the squirrels know. 4:30–6:00 PM Let’s Make Dessert Tonight is Shabbat, let’s make a special dessert to have after dinner, before Kabbalat Shabbat. 6:00–7:00 PM Kids' Dinner 7:30–8:30 PM Welcoming Shabbat Shabbat is here! We will dance and sing to bring the Shabbat Queen. Bring your favorite Shabbat songs and your dancing shoes (or you can take off your shoes!) Remember that dessert we made earlier? We get to eat it now! 8:30–10:00 PM Dinner
38 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Saturday, April 7 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! 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. 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Gan Adamah Ages 2–4 Beige Yurt Parents can drop their toddlers off in the Beige Yurt where we will have movement, toys, and fun Shabbat activities. 9:30–10:15 AM Good Morning Shabbat Song, dance, prayer. Lets wake up our bodies for a joyful Shabbat morning. 10:15 AM–12:00 PM Goats and Forest Exploration Say hay to the goats and explore the forest. Maybe we’ll meet some animals and find out what they like to eat. 9:30 AM–12:00 PM Good Morning Shabbat Hike Ages 9+ Have you ever heard of Hitbodedut? It is a radical form of meditative prayer in the forest. This will be a combination of hiking and prayer. 12:00–12:45 PM Kiddush Great Hall
12:45–2:15 PM Lunch Dining Hall 2:30–4:00 PM The Exodus – A Play Create your own rendition of the exodus and act it out. We can even perform it for your parents tonight! 2:30–4:00 PM Challenge and Discovery Meet Outside of Arts & Crafts Ages 9+ Challenge yourself, build agility, have fun, and work together. Our afternoon will be filled with challenges to get your brain and body working together. 4:00–5:30 PM Crossing the Sea Lake Miriam is named for the woman who led us to the sea dancing and singing. Come to the lake and see what is in store for us today! 5:30–6:45 PM Camp Teva Hangout and Play Practice Outdoor games, indoor games, we know all of the games, and I bet you know some too! We’ll also practice our play to present tonight. 6:45–8:15 PM Dinner 8:30 PM Havdallah
Sunday, APril 8 Please note, there is no Camp Teva programming today. Thanks for playing and learning with us. See you next time!
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 39
Presenter Bios Arielle Aronoff is the Director of Teva. She initially found a place in the Isabella Freedman community as a Teva educator and did not want to leave. Before coming to Hazon, Arielle worked as a farmer, baker, and healthy school food advocate/educator. Arielle spends her time hiking, baking sourdough bread, and foraging for berries and mushrooms. 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. Bailey Braun 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. 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 will appreciate. Having grown up Modern Orthodox in Woodmere, Long Island, 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. 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. Before jumping with both feet into the streams of Jewish joy, Rabbi-Chazan Rabbi Matti Brown passionately sought for an experience of the oneness underlying the world’s wisdom traditions. A mentorship with Rav DovBer
Pinson helped him focus and resolve this search, which in turn led him to Jerusalem to study for rabbinic ordination with posek Rav David Fink and educator Reb Sholom Brodt. As a certified life coach and somatics practitioner, Matti loves to turn spiritual teachings of the Torah into penetrating questions for self-investigation, insight and embodiment. As a baal tefillah and songwriter, Matti has helped fill the prayers of hundreds of people with song. He is also an editor of Jewish books, and currently lives in Jerusalem with his wife, the singer and storyteller Rachel Ravitz, and their twin daughters. Justin David has been the Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Northampton since 2002. During that time, he has helped the community grow through his commitment to social justice, inclusion, innovation in worship, Jewish education and interfaith work. He is a recipient of the 2018 Human Rights Hero award from T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization of over 1800 rabbis and cantors across the US. His book, Longing: Jewish Meditations on a Hidden God, is set for publication by Cascade Books in May, 2018. Among his favorite projects is Abundance Farm at CBI, an organic farm whose produce goes directly to the Northampton Survival Center, and which serves as an outdoor classroom, summer camp and outdoor worship/meditation space. Kinneret Dubowitz is a Toronto based yoga teacher who has been teaching yoga for 22 years. Kinneret has a Master’s degree in Creative Arts/Dance Movement Therapy from Lesley College (1999), Cambridge, MA, and received her yoga alliance yoga certification in 1996 from the Toronto School of Flow Yoga giving her the current credentials as an ERYT (experienced registered yoga alliance teacher). As well, Kinneret is a certified Yin Yoga teacher from Soghrati Yoga School under the teaching of Yin Yoga/Yoga Therapist expert Tracey Soghrati. Dr. Jon Greenberg received his bachelor’s degree with honors in biology from Brown University and his Master’s and Doctorate in agronomy from Cornell University. He has also studied with Rabbi Chaim Brovender at Israel’s Yeshivat Hamivtar and conducted research on corn, alfalfa, and soybeans at Cornell, the US Department of Agriculture, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Cancer Research. Since 1989, he has been a science teacher and educational consultant. Dr. Greenberg was Senior Editor of science textbooks at Prentice Hall Publishing Co.
40 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Previously on the faculty of Yeshivas Ohr Yosef, the School of Education at Indiana University, and the University of Phoenix, he has taught at the Heschel School since 2008. He is a frequent speaker at synagogues, schools, and botanical gardens. Rishe Groner is a Jewish experiential educator, writer, teacher and spiritual leader with a focus on post-Hasidic embodiment and practice. She is the founder of The GeneSis, a non-denominational approach to Jewish experiential spirituality based on Kabbalah, mysticism, and the Divine Feminine presence. Rishe is a strategist, marketer and event producer who creates Embodied Shabbos and holiday experiences in Brooklyn's Jewish and underground scenes, as well as arts and music festivals across the country. In her eighteen years of Jewish educational experience, she has facilitated in Australia, California, Nevada, Oregon, Israel and New York, ranging from Chabad on Campus to Romemu, from Limmud NY to Burning Man. Her writings on on the topic of Judaism, feminism and spirituality have appeared in Lilith, Tablet, The Wisdom Daily, Hevria, and TheGene-Sis.com. Arthur Kurzweil is a writer, publisher, teacher, genealogist, and last but not least an accomplished magician. His books include On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz, Kabbalah for Dummies, The Torah for Dummies, and From Generation to Generation: How to Trace your Jewish Genealogy. A member of the Society of American Magicians (founded by Harry Houdini) as well as a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Arthur Kurzweil blends his spiritual interests with magical effects, adding his own insights and weaving together an enchanting presentation for his audiences. Frances Lasday is the Teva Education Coordinator, and 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.
Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is a vocal ally for inclusivity and leading religious authority on transgender rights. He has three ultra-orthodox rabbinic ordinations from his years in the Mir in Jerusalem and BMG in Lakewood, NJ. Rabbi Moskowitz studied academic Talmud at Yale and JTS, where he is currently finishing a doctorate in Talmud and Rabbinics. He is the senior educator for Uri L’Tzedek, Orthodox Social Justice. His writings can be found at www. rabbimikemoskowitz.com. Laine Zisman Newman received her PhD from the University of Toronto's Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies and the collaborative programs in Sexual Diversity Studies and Women and Gender Studies. Her primary research focuses on the influence of space on queer women’s performance practices. In addition to her research, Zisman Newman is founder and chair of Toronto’s Queer Theory Working Group at the Jackman Humanities Institute and co-founder of Equity in Theatre, a national organization that works to improve equity in the professional Canadian performance industry. She is currently an instructor at the Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto. Eden Pearlstein is an acclaimed Hip Hop Artist and Jewish Educator. As a founding member of the Darshan Project (along with Shir Yaakov and Basya Schechter), Eden's creative work weaves together ancient Hebrew text and mystical rap/poetry in a contemporary form of musical midrash. Eden's work as an educator primarily focuses on subjects related to Hasidism, Neo-Hasidism, Kabbalah, Prayer, Poetry, Spiritual Practice, Ritual Art, Aesthetic Experience, and Self-Expression. Eden teaches in a number of diverse communities, from Hasidic to Renewal, in a wide array of learning environments including Rabbinic schools, retreat centers, synagogues, kollels, and private residences. Eden holds 2 Master's Degrees from JTS — one in Jewish Thought and Philosophy and the other in Experiential Education. Dan Pelberg is a meditation practitioner and teacher with significant silent retreat experience, having learned and sat with Rabbis and teachers in Israel, India, and the United States. He has taught on college campuses, Jewish social groups, Hebrew schools, on retreats, and more. Dan is an alum of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and Brandeis Collegiate Institute.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 41
Presenter Bios Yocheved Retig is a limudei kodesh teacher with a B.A. in Tanakh and a Master's in Jewish education. She learned in yeshiva for three years and enjoys giving support to kids and adults alike in reaching their spiritual, learning, and Jewish life goals. You can often find Yocheved with her wife, playing with their new puppy or organizing minyan. Rabbi 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 an 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. Jamie Saft is a world-renowned keyboardist, composer, sound engineer and producer living in Upstate New York. As a long time collaborator of John Zorn and boundarypushing composer in his own right, Saft made his mark in the Downtown Radical Jewish Culture movement over the last 25 years. Additionally, Saft has performed and recorded with the likes of Bobby Previte, Bad Brains, and Iggy Pop, among many others. Most recently Jamie released his first solo piano album recorded live in Genova Italy to great critical acclaim. Jamie's group New Zion Trio brings together Roots Reggae, Dub, Doom, and Jazz styles in an extra mellow acoustic ensemble–perfect for spaced out head bobbing to full on dance parties. Henny Stern is a licensed clinical therapist and the founder of AccepDance, with a private practice in Brooklyn, NY. AccepDance, inspired by ecstatic dance and various embodied dance practices, offers workshops to empower people to discover their unique dance and creative self expression, through trusting their body’s lead to move from “self conscious to breath conscious.” Henny practices in holistic ways as a psychotherapist- combining
traditional talk therapy with meditation, art, and body centered methodologies, as well as while leading AccepDance spaces- integrating freestyle movement with somatic mind-body work, with the understanding that tapping into the body reveals unconscious beliefs and deep wells of wisdom that keep us rooted to our authentic selves and others. Eliezer Weinbach is the Retreat Coordinator at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. Prior to joining Hazon, he worked as a Research Associate for Haskins Laboratories, a research institution affiliated with Yale University. He attended Yeshiva University where he studied Psychology. In his spare time Eli enjoys reading, listening to music, and adventuring. Ora Weinbach teaches Limudei Kodesh and serves as the 9th Grade Dean at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School. She is also the Community Educator at The Jewish Center in Manhattan. She earned her degree in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University as a member of the first graduating cohort of the Legacy Heritage Fellowship Program and has been honored to teach Jewish learners of every age. She completed a certification in sexuality education and teaches human sexuality both to teens and parents; she also consults with Jewish Day Schools on sexuality education curriculum development and execution. In the summers, Ora co-directs the Tikvah Summer High School Institute hosted by Yale University. She is a yoga enthusiast and loves reading epic fantasy novels. Elizabeth Yaari is an artist and co-founder of ExploraTorah. For the last 11 years, she has used Bibliodrama and art to engage workshop participants in authentic storytelling, self-expression, co-creativity, and deep mutual understanding of themselves, the Bible, and nature. She is a graduate of The Institute of Circlework.
42 • 5778 Pesach Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
you 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 experiences 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 Morgan Dorsch, Development Manager, at morgan.dorsch@hazon.org to make a gift. You can also visit the donation box outside of the bookstore. Thank you!
donate today. thank you!
