Sukkahfest program book 2017

Sukkahfest

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center First days: October 4-8, 2017 Chol Hamoed: October 8-11, 2017 Second days: October 11-15, 2017

Printed on recycled paper

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 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 makes it possible for everyone to take part.

Please contact Gina Schmeling, Director of Development at 646.781.7571 or gina.schmeling@hazon.org to discuss giving opportunities. You can also visit the donation box outside of the bookstore. Thank you!

donate today. thank you!

Table of Contents Welcome.......................................................................................................4 About Hazon...............................................................................................5 Orientation Sheet......................................................................................6 5778 Hazon Retreats................................................................................8

Schedule: Chol Hamoed Sunday, October 8........................................................................... 16 Monday, October 9.......................................................................... 16 Tuesday, October 10....................................................................... 18

Schedule: First Days Wednesday, October 4......................................................................9 Thursday, October 5........................................................................ 10 Friday, October 6.............................................................................. 12 Saturday, October 7........................................................................ 14 Sunday, October 8........................................................................... 15

Schedule: Second Days Wednesday, October 11................................................................ 20 Thursday, October 12..................................................................... 21 Friday, October 13........................................................................... 23 Saturday, October 14...................................................................... 24 Sunday, October 15......................................................................... 25 Leaders and Teachers............................................................................ 26

Welcome!

Shalom friends, Welcome to the 12th annual Sukkahfest Retreat at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, home of Hazon, in beautiful Falls Village, Connecticut. I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for choosing to join us in community, for this extremely special Chag of Sukkahfest. It is the spirited and loving energy that all of you bring to this place that truly makes Sukkahfest what it is.

Sukkot always had a special place in my heart growing up. I love the way that the high holidays takes us on a journey from connection (Rosh Hashanah), to reflection (Yom Kippur) and finally to boundless celebration (Sukkot). It actually wasn't until last year that I learned of the legend of Sukkahfest at Isabella Freedman. I had just finished the Adamah Farming Fellowship at Isabella Freedman and shortly after I returned home, I found myself in the driver’s seat of a friend’s car, on my way back up here, for what turned out to be the most meaningful and memorable celebrations of Sukkot I had ever experienced. It has truly been an honor to plan this year’s Sukkahfest and learn why this is the most special time of year at Isabella Freedman. I’m thrilled for you to all finally arrive and add your energy to the gathering.

Sukkahfest is where the holy term “All Streams, One Source” was born, and has since permeated into the overall ethos of Isabella Freedman. All Stream Judaism seeks to validate all streams of Jewish spiritual expression, recognizing that all of the ways of being Jewish flow from and return to One Source. It is a focus on the unity-in-diversity that is the sign of ecological, social, and spiritual wellness. It is this philosophy that makes Isabella Freedman a Jewish space that is so accessible, where everyone can feel comfortable.

During this year’s Rosh Hashanah retreat at Isabella Freedman, I attended the Renewal services and found myself feeling deeply connected with a particular line during the prayer Hashkevenu. We chanted the phrase “Ufros Aleinu Sukkat Sh'lomecha”, which translates to “spread over us a shelter of peace” over and over again, until it really seeped in. Up until that point, I was seeking for a renewed way of connecting to the holiday of Sukkot for this coming cycle, and then it struck me that this is what it is all about. This is the All Streams, One Source ethos, and it was so poetically expressed in our prayer. On Sukkot, we literally spend hours constructing structures that act as containers for our love and joy for one another. Spaces where we convene as community to share meals, converse over words of Torah, and harmonize with each other in beautiful song. During Sukkahfest we all come together in joyous celebration of one another and create this “Sukkat Shalom”, this “shelter of peace” around the entire community. We celebrate the diversity within our community, building a Sukkah that is expansive, peaceful, and so full of love, in which we strive to elevate all the voices within. This year more than ever we truly need to expand our sukkah and spread this peace both within and beyond our community.

I want to express my love and gratitude to all of the incredible people who I had the privilege to connect with and learn from while getting ready for this wondrous event. I’m so excited that this time of year is finally here, and so grateful that such a retreat exists, within this amazing, evolving community.

Let the celebration commence!

Love, Jacob Weiss JOFEE Fellow, Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

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

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

JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

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

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

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

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, curriculum-development, and advocacy • Capacity-Building: Not just working with people as individuals, but explicitly supporting and networking with great projects and partners in North America and Israel If you’re interested in talking to us about how we might work together in the future – planning a special celebration, organizational retreat, family reunion, life-cycle event or community gathering, please be in touch with Eli Massel, our Director of Outreach, elisheva.massel@hazon.org.

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WELCOME to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center!

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: 9-91-1 from any land line phone, located in the buildings throughout campus. Please familiarize yourself with the location of the nearest phone to your room. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones. After making a 9-1-1 call, please contact a retreat manager at the IF Emergency #: Dial 860-480-3674 from a cell phone.

Emergencies only, please. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones.

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

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

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

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

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.

KOSHER: The Dining Hall and Tent are strictly Kosher. Please do not bring any outside food or personal dishware/water bottles/travel mugs into the Dining Hall/Tent. Please use to-go ware outside the Dining Hall/Tent. Exception: Coffee mugs are allowed throughout the main building only.

Please place used mugs in the bus bin in the coffee bar. Any personal food requested to be brought into the Dining Hall/Tent must be approved by our Kosher supervisor.

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PARKING: Driving and parking is not allowed on grassy areas. Please only park in designated parking areas. Staff will guide you to these areas upon check-in.

CHILDREN: Please make sure that your children are supervised at all times, or are participating in children’s programming associated with your retreat.

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

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!

GUEST FRIDGE: You may store personal food/beverages in the fridge located in the Sunroom. (these items do not have to be Kosher) Please label your name on all items.

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.

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. Air conditioners are adjusted via the dials on the room window AC units.

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. During hunting season, we recommend wearing bright colors when hiking on trails.

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

CHECK OUT PROCEDURE: On check-out day, you MUST move out of your room by 10 am. Please remove your personal belongings from your room by the designated time. Kindly strip your bed and place all sheets and towels into the pillowcases. (Please leave mattress pads, blankets and comforters on the beds)

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

GAMES, BOOKS AND MORE: We offer a variety of sport equipment, books, games and toys for your pleasure. Please see a retreat manager to borrow any of these items. Please

do not use any bikes located on campus as these belong to Isabella Freedman staff.

We hope you enjoy your stay with us!

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

JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

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5778 Retreat Schedule All retreats take place at Isabella Freedman unless otherwise indicated. Visit hazon.org/calendar for more information.

October 31 - November 7, 2017 (in Israel)

June 25 - July 1, 2018

ARAVA INSTITUTE & HAZON ISRAEL RIDE

KOHENET HEBREW PRIESTESS INSTITUTE

Enjoy five glorious days of fully-supported cycling through Israel, with route options for recreational riders and experienced cyclists alike. Plentiful local food and great overnight locations.

Join the 9th cohort of women spiritual leaders and learn to revive and re-embody Judaism in a community of support and learning.

November 10 - 12, 2017

JEWISH MEN'S RETREAT Along with the connections that naturally develop among men who meet at our retreats, many men have used the JMR as an occasion to deepen their relationships with their fathers, sons, or brothers, friends, and congregants.

November 17 - 19, 2017

ADVA REUNION (FOR ALUMNI OF ADAMAH, TEVA, AND URBAN ADAMAH) See old friends and meet new ones, sing songs that make your heart yearn, hug the goats, and be awed by the compost piles.

December 24 - 31, 2017

HAZON MEDITATION RETREAT Join Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Beth Resnick-Folk, Eliezer Sobel, and Rabbi Naomi Hyman for silent meditation with instruction, musical prayer services, and evening teachings that draw on Jewish, secular and Buddhist sources.

February 19 - 22, 2018

HAZON RABBIS’ RETREAT

July 9 - 15 & 16 - 22, 2018

CAMP ISABELLA FREEDMAN All-inclusive vacation of good ol’ fashioned summer camp fun.

July 23 - 29, 2018

DAVENNEN’ LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE (DLTI) Join the 10th cohort of trained prayer leaders and learn how to deepen the quality of communal prayer to activate the body, touch the heart, engage the mind, and nurture spiritual growth.

July 23 - 29, 2018

TORAH YOGA Experience the body as a gateway to Torah wisdom and the Torah as a gateway to the wisdom of the body.

August 1 - 5, 2018

HAZON FOOD CONFERENCE Highlights include outdoor wood-fired roasting and baking workshops, beekeeping up close, harvest-your-own feasts, a kids’ cooking club, and food justice action projects.

Rest, renew, and learn as we create a healthier and more sustainable paradigm for rabbinic leadership.

August 23 - 26, 2018

March 30 - April 8, 2018

Sing and share a wide array of Jewish song traditions, inclusive of the full range of Jewish ancestry and religious practices.

PESACH

LET MY PEOPLE SING

Enjoy gourmet kosher-for-Pesach food, inspiring seders, JOFEE activities, workshops, and the beauty of the Berkshires.

August 31 - September 3, 2018 (Labor Day Weekend)

April 29 - May 7, 2018 (in Israel)

A fully-supported ride, fundraiser, and community experience for people of all cycling levels and ages. Enjoy delicious, kosher, farm-to-table food, engaging educational workshops, fun outdoor activities, and two days of cycling around the beautiful Berkshires. REGISTER BY DECEMBER 31 TO BE ENTERED IN A RAFFLE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A TREK BIKE!

SUSTAINABLE ISRAEL TOUR A one-of-a-kind mission highlighting Israeli developments in sustainable food production, healthy living, and social justice.

May 18 - 22, 2018

NEW YORK RIDE & RETREAT

SHAVUOT Join renowned teachers for all-night learning, lakeside sunrise prayers, First Fruits Kiddush, and a midnight mountain hike.

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First Days Schedule

Wednesday, October 4 2:00-5:00 PM Guest Arrival Great Hall

6:00-6:30 PM Candlelighting Sukkat Shalom

Welcome Snack Great Hall

6:30-7:30 PM Orthodox Mincha/ Maariv Mountainview The Orthodox minyan unites the ecstatic 'light' of praise with the 'vessels' and grounding practices of traditional halacha. The distinct energies of those who identify as men and as women will be honored by means of a mechitzah or 'screen' in the center of the prayer space, and we will follow the full service. Whether or not you are 'new' to prayer-book Hebrew or Jewish customs, you are warmly invited to add your light and presence.

JOFEE Fair Great Hall Come to the Great Hall to experience Hazon Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) programs.

Make human powered smoothies using our bike blender, plant your very own micro greens, and make tasty and nutritious energy balls.

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 and arrival and departure days.

3:00-4:00 PM Decorate Camp Teva Sukkah Kids' Sukkah Mikvah in Lake Miriam Dock Meet at the boat dock. Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or as part of a group, as way to prepare for chag and the experiences ahead. Please respect the times reserved. Bathing suits optional.

4:00-4:20 PM Non Binary/ Genderqueer 4:30-4:50 PM Self-Identified Women 5:00-5:20 PM Self-Identified Men 5:00-5:30 PM Mandatory Parent Orientation and Kids' Dinner Kids' Sukkah 5:30-7:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

Traditional Egalitarian Mincha/ Maariv Library In a synergy of traditional and progressive practice, people of all gender identities and expressions enjoy full participation in a complete service and Torah reading, and a good dose of great melodies.

Renewal Mincha/ Maariv Synagogue The Renewal Minyan uses a "four worlds" model of prayer, engaging body, heart, mind, and spirit. The service focuses deeply on core phrases and themes from the traditional service, rather than using the entire liturgy. A Renewal Torah service provides spiritual intentions for each of the aliyot that are read, inviting anyone who wishes to express that intention to come up for that aliyah. Amplification and musical instruments including guitar & drums may be utilized to support a joyous, creative prayer experience.

7:30-9:00 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:00-10:00 PM All Streams One Source Roundtable Sukkat Chalom We gather as one community around a festive table to share perspectives, insights, and questions related to our Jewish diversity. The subject matter is very important, but the tone of the gathering is joyous, with song and laughter. (continued on next page)

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Wednesday, October 4 10:00 PM Fire Side Song Circle Fire Pit Jesse Beller The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish Ritual. Gather around the fire to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some well-known and some obscure.

10:00-11:00 PM Sholom Aleichem Stories: Some Laughter, Some Tears Kids' Sukkah Reb Ezra Weinberg & Anna Schnur-Fishman We'll be reading a Sholom Aleichem Sukkot story in both English AND Yiddish.

Thursday, October 5 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle Yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM-1:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

9:00 AM-1:00 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library Renewal Shacharit Synagogue 1:00-2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Sukkat Shalom 2:30-5:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

2:30-4:00 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

2:30-4:00 PM 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.

No Water Except for Torah: Images of a Flowing Canon Library Laynie Soloman Can Torah quench your soul as water quenches your thirst?

Metaphors highlighting the Torah as water – and the reverse – are as vast as the ocean in the minds and the writings of the rabbis. We'll dive into these images through text study, and explore how they might inform and speak to our relationship to the sacred Jewish library.

In Sheltering Arms: The Sukkah as Mother in the Sfas Emes Sukkat Chalom Joshua Schwartz We've survived the destruction of the Temple, our soul's home, then picked through the rubble in the process of teshuvah, and have now started to rebuild. What can this shelter mean for us?

What aspects of G?d shine through when we are in tune with such a basic need. Through the writings of the Sfas Emes (R' Yehuda Leib of Ger), we will explore the maternal nature of G?d through the shelter of the Sukkah.

4:15-5:15 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library

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Thursday, October 5 5:30-6:00 PM Kids' Dinner Kids' Sukkah

7:15 PM Candlelighting Sukkat Shalom

6:00-8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

7:30-8:00 PM Orthodox Maariv Mountainview

5:30-7:00 PM Bibliodrama: The Garden of Eden Synagogue Dr. Jonah Schrag Bibliodrama is a form of experiential text study that is simultaneously serious, playful, midrashic and imaginative. In this workshop, we will use Bibliodrama to study the Garden of Eden story, focusing on Adam, Eve and the snake’s unique responses to the Creator’s imposition of boundaries on their freedom. No prior experience with Bibliodrama or Torah text-study is necessary.

Active participation in the Bibliodrama is completely voluntary and no one will be called on or pressured to do or say anything. All are welcome to come, observe, be curious and… see what happens.

Inviting the Ancestors: Ancestors as Guides and Protectors Library Jill Hammer What does Judaism say about the soul, the other world, and our ongoing ritual connection to our ancestors? Come and learn about beliefs as practices as diverse as the family tomb, the underworld, the heavenly yeshiva, grave pilgrimages, and soul candles that honor the ancestors at the season of the new year.

Creative Movement & Flow Red Yurt Batsheva Ganz Apropos of the holiday of Sukkot, these creative movement sessions encourage a movement of change, an attempt to make sense of our selves and our lives, as we step outside of the shelters we continually build around ourselves to gain perspective and deeper understanding. Through a varied practice of yoga movements, meditative techniques, contact improv, dance and play, we will build a sanctuary for embracing the changes in our lives, a place where we can safely surrender that which no longer serves and rediscover the joy and happiness in letting go.

Traditional Egalitarian Maariv Library Renewal Maariv Synagogue 8:00-9:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:30-11:00 PM "Sukkat Shlomecha" Spreading a Shelter of Peace: Emerging Jewish Voices of Liberation in the 21st Century – A Panel Discussion Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, Lily Rakia Chandler, and others Rabbi David Ingber (Moderator) Once upon a time, the overwhelming majority of American Jewry appeared to be made up of heterosexual, Caucasian, European Jews who were largely and almost dogmatically committed to traditional Ashkenazi rabbinic Judaism. Today, we couldn't be more different. Whether we consider those who identify as LGBTQ, Jews of Color, non-practicing, or non believing, it is more difficult to simply ignore the emerging communal voices that have always been here, and have only grown louder.

With our hearts and minds open we will spread our shelter of peace, Sukkat Shlomecha, together as we listen, turning again to ourselves and each other.

Songs of the One Heart Sukkat Chalom Mati Brown We will simply sit and sing together restful, meditative niggunim of deveykut (Oneness), listening and harmonizing with each other, contemplating our gratitude for Life, and sometimes dropping into holy Silence. Come for an hour of immersion in melody, with the help of the Living One, in the Calm of Sukkat Chalom.

5:30-7:00 PM Mighty Streams of Purity and Freshness: Rav Kook's Illumination of Ecclesiastes, Agriculture, and Sin Sukkat Chalom Rabbi Braun Rav Kook's radiant mixture of mysticism, poetry, and philosophy sheds light on aspects of our lives that seem often to be laden with frustration, negativity, and pain, discovering the divinity and bliss within.

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Friday, October 6 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle Yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM-1:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

2:30-4:00 PM Miriam the Healer: Sephardic Traditions of Miriam the Prophetess as Patroness of Healers Library Jill Hammer From the Shulchan Aruch to the incantations of women healers to Ladino bedtime prayers, Miriam the prophetess appears in Sephardic tradition as a healer par excellence and a patroness of healing and protection. Learn some of these diverse texts and traditions and develop a new and healing relationship to Miriam.

Renewal Shacharit Synagogue

“I’m Not White, I’m Jewish”: Did the Jews Negotiate Their Whiteness in America?

Synagogue Lily Rakia Chandler and Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein Following up from our keynote panel-discussion last night, let us explore the history of whiteness, the creation of race as a construct, what happens when you “just don’t fit” into the Jewish landscape laid out for you, and how a post-Civil War America created the opportunity for the American Jewish community to acquire privileges not usually allocated to minority groups.

Finally, let us consider Matt Bar’s famous song title: “I’m not White, I’m Jewish,” and discuss what the implications of each mean in a 2017 America.

1:00-2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Sukkat Shalom

4:00-5:00 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview

2:30-5:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library

9:00 AM-1:00 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library

2:30-4:00 PM Meet the Goats Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Visit our goats, play with newborn kids, and tend to the beautiful new mothers. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any goats need medical attention.

Ultimate Frisbee Meet Outside Sukkat Chalom Ezra Weinberg Come play some post-lunch ultimate frisbee and take part in what has become a Sukkahfest tradition.

Creative Movement & Flow Red Yurt Batsheva Ganz Apropos of the holiday of Sukkot, these creative movement sessions encourage a movement of change, an attempt to make sense of our selves and our lives, as we step outside of the shelters we continually build around ourselves to gain perspective and deeper understanding. Through a varied practice of yoga movements, meditative techniques, contact improv, dance and play, we will build a sanctuary for embracing the changes in our lives, a place where we can safely surrender that which no longer serves and rediscover the joy and happiness in letting go.

Z'man Simchateinu: Cultivating Joy through Meditation Beige Yurt Daniel Kieval On Sukkot we are instructed to be joyful, but how can we feel joy on command? In this session we will practice cultivating joy from the inside out through meditation practice. No prior meditation experience is necessary.

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Friday, October 6 Mikvah in Lake Miriam Dock Meet at the boat dock. Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or as part of a group, as a way to prepare for Shabbat. Please respect the times reserved. Bathing suits optional.

5:00-5:20 PM Non Binary/ Genderqueer 5:30-5:50 PM Self-Identified Women Dock 6:00-6:20 PM Self-Identified Men Dock 5:30-6:00 PM Kid's Dinner Kids' Sukkah 6:30-7:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

7:30-9:00 PM Festive Shabbat Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:00-10:30 PM Awake my Soul in a Field of Dreams: All Streams Tisch Sukkat Chalom Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein When walls can be moved, and ceilings can be lifted, all we need to do is go inside ourselves and envision (SoKheH/SuKkaH) the reality we’d like to see. When self-knowledge isn’t enough and when standing in a field of possibilities is just a bit too much to consider, come inside to be awoken to something new. *This is an open space for sharing and bringing your own knowledge, wisdom and experience into our community, through song or spoken word.

Learning with Rabbi David Ingber Synagogue Rabbi David Ingber Check posted schedule in Main Building for details.

6:10 PM Shabbat Candlelighting Sukkat Shalom 6:30-7:30 PM Orthodox Kabbalat Shabbat / Maariv Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Kabbalat Shabbat / Maariv Library Renewal Kabbalat Shabbat / Maariv Synagogue

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Saturday, October 7 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle Yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM-1:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

9:00 AM-1:00 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library Renewal Shacharit Synagogue 1:00-2:30 PM Festive Shabbat Lunch Sukkat Shalom 2:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

2:45-4:15 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

2:45-4:00 PM Homeless Without Me You Will Be: The Most Mystic Meditation Synagogue Rabbi Braun Denounced by the Orthodox of all Monotheistic religions, Quietism has always been known to most as a dangerous heresy, and to its few devout practitioners as the most profound unification possible with God. Exploring the writings of CS Lewis, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, Chassidus and more, we will test it and decide for ourselves.

2:45-4:00 PM Housing, Security, and the Cries of the Poor: What Makes a Neighborhood?

Sukkat Chalom Aryeh Bernstein In this session, we will study Rabbinic texts on security measures that homeowners may make, and those they are discouraged from making, and interrogate the relationships between zoning, home ownership, poverty, and notions of home security.

Magic Wands in Jewish Tradition, or, How is a Lulav like Moses’ Staff?

Library Jill Hammer Come discover marvelous legends related to Moses’ staff and Aaron’s rod – snakes, blossoming trees, heroic tests. We’ll consider how the lulav, like these famous “magic wands,” encodes the divine name. We’ll also learn ways that the lulav (and the willow, myrtle, and etrog) are used in Jewish folklore to heal and protect.

You’ll never wave your lulav the same way again!

4:00-4:45 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library 4:45-6:00 PM Running from G-d While Sinking in Swamps: The Untold Story of the Nameless Wife and Mother of Yonah Library Bailey Braun What does it mean that a prophet ran from not only his mission, but the Omniscient and Omnipresent Divine? What does this enigmatic story come to teach us about our own responsibility to be present and aware, flexible and open to the tasks we are called upon to preform? Through the lens of depth psychology and our holy texts, we will examine the often overlooked narratives of the women of the Yonah story and explore how Yonah's childhood trauma impacted his sense of self, and his relationship with G-d Honoring the Missing Piece: Contemplative Text Study and Meditation Beige Yurt Daniel Kieval "All the streams flow to the sea, but the sea is never full" (Kohelet chapter 1). Sukkot is ostensibly a time of great abundance and fullness, yet some of its liturgy hints at a deeper emptiness and sense of lacking. In this session we will look at some of the texts for Shabbat of Sukkot and what they can teach us about the relationship between wholeness and lacking. Through meditation, we will explore the possibility of opening to a deeper wholeness by embracing our sense of lack. No prior meditation experience is necessary.

14 • Sukkahfest 5778 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Saturday, October 7 4:45-6:00 PM Creative Movement & Flow Red Yurt Batsehva Ganz Apropos of the holiday of Sukkot, these creative movement sessions encourage a movement of change, an attempt to make sense of our selves and our lives, as we step outside of the shelters we continually build around ourselves to gain perspective and deeper understanding. Through a varied practice of yoga movements, meditative techniques, contact improv, dance and play, we will build a sanctuary for embracing the changes in our lives, a place where we can safely surrender that which no longer serves and rediscover the joy and happiness in letting go.

6:00-7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom

7:30 PM Havdalah Sukkat Chalom 8:00-10:00 PM Bookstore Open 8:15 PM Simchat Beit Hashoeva Ritual Sukkat Chalom Sarah Chandler, Jill Hammer , Shoshana Jedwab All streams will flow together as we pour out last year's waters and call in the blessings of the coming year's rains: “One who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water drawing has never seen rejoicing in their life.” (Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 51a) After this brief ritual, we will dance and sing to live music, sealing our rejoicing with ecstatic joy.

9:30-11:00 PM Rebba Nachman’s Yahrtzeit Celebration Sukkat Chalom Rabbi Mati Brown We will study a selection from Likutei Moharan and escort the Shabbat Queen with a musical Melave Malka in honor of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.

7:00-7:30 PM Orthodox Maariv Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Maariv Library

Sunday, October 8 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle Yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes.

9:00-11:00 AM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom

9:00 AM-12:00 PM Bookstore Open

Trad Egal/ Renewal Collaborative Shacharit Library

10:00 AM Guests departing today must check out of rooms by 10am 11:30 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Thank you for joining us, see you soon!

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 15

Chol Hamoed

Sunday, October 8 12:00-1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom

6:00-7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom

1:30-3:00 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

8:00-8:20 PM Orthodox Maariv Mountainview

Praying with Our Two Feet: Mincha with the Chickens Meet at Arts and Crafts at 1:30pm sharp for this brief walk to the chicken yard Sarah Chandler Enjoy a leisurely stroll to visit Adamah’s flock of beautiful birds.

Learn how animals can teach us wisdom about life’s greatest mysteries like birth, reproduction, and death.

9:15-10:30 PM Fire Side Singing Session Fire Pit Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish Ritual. Gather around the fire to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some well-known and some obscure.

Adamah: History and Context Library Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh This presentation explores the origins of earth-based Judaism at Adamah, the history of the farm and program, and the growing context of the field which we cultivate

Sukkot – The Festival of Second Chances Library Aryeh Bernstein Sukkot comes just five days after Yom Kippur, yet the Torah makes no explicit connection between them…or does it?! In this session, we will explore the finer points of the Jewish calendar, the purpose of living in a sukkah for a week, and what that might have to do with all of the aspirations and best intentions for our lives with which we emerged from Yom Kippur.

5:30-6:00 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview

Traditional Egalitarian Maariv Library

Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library

Monday, October 9 7:00-8:00 AM Avodat Lev Beige Yurt 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle Yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom

9:00 AM-12:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

9:00-11:00 AM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library

16 • Sukkahfest 5778 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Monday, October 9 11:00 AM-12:00 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.

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.

Healing the Shattered (Yet Whole) Heart Sukkat Chalom Bailey Braun There is a healing that is meant to occur on Sukkos that mends the damage of misplaced self-criticism, that quiets our inner critics and that challenges our shame based thoughts of Yom Kippur. Through the beauty of Chassidus, and the writings of Brene Brown and Parker Palmer, this class will engage with techniques and strategies that honor our true vulnerable selves.

12:00-1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00-6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

2:30-4:00 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

4:00-5:30 PM Creative Movement & Flow Red Yurt Batsheva Ganz Apropos of the holiday of Sukkot, these creative movement sessions encourage a movement of change, an attempt to make sense of our selves and our lives, as we step outside of the shelters we continually build around ourselves to gain perspective and deeper understanding. Through a varied practice of yoga movements, meditative techniques, contact improv, dance and play, we will build a sanctuary for embracing the changes in our lives, a place where we can safely surrender that which no longer serves and rediscover the joy and happiness in letting go.

4:30-6:00 PM Blessings: Then and Now Beige Yurt Shamu Sadeh Why bless and how? We will explore blessings in the Torah and the origin of the words in English and Hebrew to deepen our understanding of what it means to bless. With this foundation we will work on crafting blessings in our own words.

5:30-6:00 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library 6:00-7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom 8:00-8:20 PM Orthodox Maariv Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Maariv Library 8:30-10:00 PM Reb Zalman Film Series Part I Sukkat Chalom A never-before-seen trove of Reb Zalman ztz'l videos from the Elat Chayyim archives, dating to the 1980s, has been restored thanks to the generosity and vision of Arthur Kurzweil. Be the first people in decades to experience this chapter of wild and wonderful genius of Reb Zalman ztz'l in our moviehouse sukkah.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 17

Tuesday, October 10 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle Yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

9:00-11:00 AM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library 10:30 AM-12:00 PM Hug Therapy: The Sukkah as a Divine Embrace Sukkat Chalom Bailey Braun The Arizal and the Alter Rebbe teach us that the Sukkah walls are reminiscent of a Divine embrace. What exactly does this mean?

How can we be cognizant of and comfortable within a G-d Hug? Utilizing the writings of Chassidus, psychologists, and zen practitioners, as well as exploring depictions of hugging in both art and poetry, we will embark on an intellectual and spiritual inquiry into the anatomy of a Sukkah hug.

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.

12:00-1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

1:30-3:00 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

1:30-3:00 PM Rabbinic Sources on Diversity and Difference (Text Study) Sukkat Chalom Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein Putting aside the struggles of being raised in a multiracial family in a largely homogeneously-white-ultra-orthodox community, I seldom heard the rabbis of my community raise Jewish questions of what does the Torah expect of us when it comes to fringe, or marginalized populations? I can’t recall them quoting rabbinic texts which highlight the value of collaborative and wholesome dialogue and experience with people different than me. I never knew what the Torah had to say about marginalized populations or the stranger. I never knew...that there was so much to learn on exactly that! We will study Torah, Midrashic/Talmudic, and texts that highlight themes of inclusion and diversity, or the opposite.

Something catch your eye? Share it with the group. No previous Hebrew or Judaic knowledge needed to participate.

4:00-5:30 PM Creative Movement & Flow Batsheva Ganz Red Yurt Apropos of the holiday of Sukkot, these creative movement sessions encourage a movement of change, an attempt to make sense of our selves and our lives, as we step outside of the shelters we continually build around ourselves to gain perspective and deeper understanding. Through a varied practice of yoga movements, meditative techniques, contact improv, dance and play, we will build a sanctuary for embracing the changes in our lives, a place where we can safely surrender that which no longer serves and rediscover the joy and happiness in letting go.

4:30-6:00 PM Where are We? An Introduction to Ecology of Our Home Meet at the Goat Barnyard Shamu Sadeh Take a short walk, look around, ask questions and begin to understand the relationships and history in the forest around us and learn broader patterns of the way life works on the planet: seeds, networks in the air and underground, what this land looked like 100 or 500 years ago?

18 • Sukkahfest 5778 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Tuesday, October 10 5:30-6:00 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview

8:00-8:20 PM Orthodox Maariv Mountainview

Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library

Traditional Egalitarian Maariv Library 8:30-10:00 PM Reb Zalman Film Series Part II Sukkat Chalom A never-before-seen trove of Reb Zalman ztz'l videos from the Elat Chayyim archives, dating to the 1980s, has been restored thanks to the generosity and vision of Arthur Kurzweil. Be the first people in decades to experience this chapter of wild and wonderful genius of Reb Zalman ztz'l in our moviehouse sukkah.

6:00-7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom

Wednesday, October 11 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle Yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes.

9:00 AM-12:00 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview

8:00- 9:00AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom

12:00-1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom

Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library

9:00 AM-12:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 19

Second Days Schedule

Wednesday, October 11 2:00-5:00 PM Guest Arrival Great Hall Welcome Snack Great Hall JOFEE Fair Great Hall Come to the Great Hall to experience Hazon Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) programs.

Make human powered smoothies using our bike blender, plant your very own micro greens, and make tasty and nutritious energy balls.

Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music and Judaica.

Mikvah in Lake Miriam Dock Meet at the boat dock. Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or as part of a group, as way to prepare for chag and the experiences ahead. Please respect the times reserved. Bathing suits optional.

4:00-4:20 PM Non Binary/ Genderqueer 4:30-4:50 PM Self-Identified Women Dock 5:00-5:20 PM Self-Identified Men Dock 5:30-6:00 PM Kids' Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Kids' Sukkah 6:00-7:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

5:45 PM Candlelighting Sukkat Shalom 6:15-7:30 PM Orthodox Mincha/ Maariv Mountainview The Orthodox minyan unites the ecstatic 'light' of praise with the 'vessels' and grounding practices of traditional halacha. The distinct energies of those who identify as men and as women

will be honored by means of a mechitzah or 'screen' in the center of the prayer space, and we will follow the full service. Whether or not you are 'new' to prayer-book Hebrew or Jewish customs, you are warmly invited to add your light and presence.

Traditional Egalitarian Mincha/ Maariv Library In a synergy of traditional and progressive practice, people of all gender identities and expressions enjoy full participation in a complete service and Torah reading, and a good dose of great melodies.

Renewal Mincha/ Maariv Synagogue The Renewal Minyan uses a "four worlds" model of prayer, engaging body, heart, mind, and spirit. The service focuses deeply on core phrases and themes from the traditional service, rather than using the entire liturgy. A Renewal Torah service provides spiritual intentions for each of the aliyot that are read, inviting anyone who wishes to express that intention to come up for that aliyah. Amplification and musical instruments including guitar & drums may be utilized to support a joyous, creative prayer experience.

7:30-9:00 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:00-10:00 PM All Streams One Source Roundtable Sukkat Chalom We gather as one community around a festive table to share perspectives, insights, and questions related to our Jewish diversity. The subject matter is very important, but the tone of the gathering is joyous, with song and laughter.

Why Shemini Atzeret is the Pinnacle of the High Holidays Season Synagogue Sarah Chandler You might not know it, but Shemini Atzeret is the pinnacle of the High Holidays season. Not Rosh Hashanah, when our fates for the year are traditionally written, nor Yom Kippur, when they are sealed. Shemini Atzeret, the oft forgotten coda that comes at the end of the Sukkot festival, trumps them all.

10:00-11:00 PM FIreside Song Circle Fire Pit Ari Lesser The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish Ritual. Gather around the fire to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some well-known and some obscure.

20 • Sukkahfest 5778 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Thursday, October 12 7:30-8:30 AM Creative Movement & Flow Red Yurt Batsheva Ganz Apropos of the holiday of Sukkot, these creative movement sessions encourage a movement of change, an attempt to make sense of ourselves and our lives, as we step outside of the shelters we continually build around ourselves to gain perspective and deeper understanding. Through a varied practice of yoga movements, meditative techniques, contact improv, dance and play, we will build a sanctuary for embracing the changes in our lives, a place where we can safely surrender that which no longer serves and rediscover the joy and happiness in letting go.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM-1:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

9:00 AM-1:00 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library Renewal Shacharit Synagogue 1:00-2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00-5:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

2:30-4:00 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

2:30-4:00 PM The Sailor Cannot See the North: Yaakov and Leah's Perpetual Discovery of Self Sukkat Chalom Bailey Braun Utilizing midrash, chassidus and the writings of Emily Dickinson, we will explore the story of Yaakov's dream, as well as his complicated marriage to Leah, as keyholes into how our tradition understands our ongoing journey through layers of Selfhood.

Mishpokhology 101: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy Library Arthur Kurzweil I have written three books on Jewish Genealogical Research, I have traced my own family to the 1400s, I know the names of hundreds of my relatives who were murdered during the Holocaust, I was recently inside the house where my greatgrandparents lived and my father was born in Ukraine, and I'll be happy to tell you everything I know.

Bibliodrama: The Garden of Eden Synagogue Jonah Schrag Bibliodrama is a form of experiential text study that is simultaneously serious, playful, midrashic and imaginative. In this workshop, we will use Bibliodrama to study the Garden of Eden story, focusing on Adam, Eve and the snake’s unique responses to the Creator’s imposition of boundaries on their freedom.

No prior experience with Bibliodrama or Torah text-study is necessary. Active participation in the Bibliodrama is completely voluntary and no one will be called on or pressured to do or say anything. All are welcome to come, observe, be curious and…. see what happens.

4:15-5:15 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library 5:30-6:00 PM Kids' Dinner Dining Tent 6:00-8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 21

Thursday, October 12 5:30-7:00 PM Animal Rapper Fire Pit Ari Lesser Pick your favorite mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, or insect, and Ari Lesser will attempt to rap from it's perspective.

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.

Evening Yoga Red Yurt Aja Cohen Please join in for a vinyasa flow class that will be vigorous yet mindful. Beginning with an abdominal workout, we will then dive into a cardio-based flow and end with a gentle cool-down.

This is a great class for all levels. No experience needed.

7:00 PM Candlelighting Great Hall 7:15-8:00 PM Orthodox Maariv Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Maariv Library Renewal Maariv Synagogue 8:00-9:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Dining Tent 9:30-11:30 PM Orthodox Hakafot Mountainview Collaborative Hakafot Library

22 • Sukkahfest 5778 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Friday, October 13 7:30-8:30 AM Morning Yoga Red Yurt Aja Cohen Please join in for a vinyasa flow class that will be vigorous yet mindful. Beginning with an abdominal workout, we will then dive into a cardio-based flow and end with a gentle cool-down.

This is a great class for all levels. No experience needed.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Dining Tent 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

9:00 AM-12:00 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library Renewal Shacharit Synagogue 12:00-1:00 PM Festive Holiday Kiddush Great Hall 1:00-3:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

1:00-3:00 PM Orthodox Hakafot Mountainview Collaborative Hakafot Library

4:00-7:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

Mikvah in Lake Miriam Dock Meet at the boat dock. Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or as part of a group, as a way to prepare for Shabbat. Please respect the times reserved. Bathing suits optional.

4:30-4:50 PM Non Binary/ Genderqueer 5:00-5:20 PM Self-Identified Women Dock 5:30-5:50 PM Self-Identified Men Dock 6:00 PM Candlelighting Great Hall 6:15-7:30 PM Orthodox Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Library Renewal Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Synagogue 7:30-9:00 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Dining Tent 9:00-11:00 PM All Streams Tisch Great Hall Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein

3:00-4:00 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 4:00-5:30 PM The Talmud with Training Wheels Synagogue Arthur Kurzweil If you have never studied Talmud, here's your chance. We will not learn ABOUT the Talmud; we will LEARN TALMUD by doing it.

We will have an authentic Jewish learning experience. No prior experience necessary; in fact, it may be an advantage.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 23

Saturday, October 14 7:30-8:30 AM Creative Movement & Flow Red Yurt Batsheva Ganz Apropos of the holiday of Sukkot, these creative movement sessions encourage a movement of change, an attempt to make sense of our selves and our lives, as we step outside of the shelters we continually build around ourselves to gain perspective and deeper understanding. Through a varied practice of yoga movements, meditative techniques, contact improv, dance and play, we will build a sanctuary for embracing the changes in our lives, a place where we can safely surrender that which no longer serves and rediscover the joy and happiness in letting go.

8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast Dining Tent 9:00 AM-12:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see handout for details.

9:00 AM-12:30 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Shacharit Library Renewal Shacharit Synagogue 12:30-2:00 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 2:00-5:45 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts 2:00-3:30 PM Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff.

David and the Psalms Beige Yurt Ari Lesser Learn about the life and Psalms of King David, through Ari Lesser's rhyming translations of Tanach.

2:00-3:30 PM Torah as Empowerment: Serving Up Your Values Library Sarah Chandler What if Torah was the thing that empowered us to be a truer version of ourselves? In this interactive workshop, you will investigate meaningful techniques for aligning your food choices with your values. Through the lens of Jewish food ethics, gain tools for applying ancient Judaism to contemporary communal life.

Yiskah, Our Mother: On the Dangers of Hope and Ecstasy Synagogue Bailey Braun The verse that first introduces Sarah our foremother to us in the Bible, also refers to her as "Yiskah", a name etymologically connected to the holiday of Sukkos. In this class we will examine this seemingly obscure connection and discover the lesson Yiskah has bequeathed to us, a more nuanced understanding of "hope" and "hopelessness", "ecstasy", and the "mundane".

3:30-4:00 PM Orthodox Mincha Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Mincha Library 4:15-5:30 PM Creativity & ‘In the Beginning’ Mati Brown Synagogue Our sages teach that the world was, and is, created "yesh meAyin" – as 'something' emerging from 'Nothingness'. Our deepest creativity and intuitive problem-solving also emerge from a fleeting state of 'no-thing-ness', not-knowing or openness. All of the practices and holidays of Tishrei help us access this openness, so we can recreate ourselves, our relationships and our world, "in the beginning" of the year. With the Recreator’s help, we will study short selections from Chasidut and put them into practice, to strengthen our access – now and throughout the year.

Beyond Honi: Rainmaking for the Rest of Us Library Dena Weiss The end of Sukkot marks the beginning of the rainy season in Israel and the beginning of our prayers for this blessing. Masechet Ta'anit outlines a set of elaborate procedures for fasting in the event of drought. But why is fasting the appropriate response to a lack of rain? What is the mechanism for how fasting or prayer "works?" The core of the shiur will focus on the beautiful and unique approach of the Ma'or VaShemesh, an 18th century Hasidic master, and his view of the natural and cyclical process through which prayer becomes rain.

24 • Sukkahfest 5778 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Saturday, October 14 4:15-5:30 PM Holy Heretics: Baruch Spinoza, Karl Marx, and Simone Weil Beige Yurt Rabbi Braun By examining some of the writings of these Jews that in their lives seemed to be "outside the fold", we will find the most profound ideas of God, similarly explained in the deep theology of Chassidus. Why was it that "davka" they were able to reach this? And how can it affect our lives?

Evening Yoga Red Yurt Aja Cohen Please join in for a vinyasa flow class that will be vigorous yet mindful. Beginning with an abdominal workout, we will then dive into a cardio-based flow and end with a gentle cool-down.

This is a great class for all levels. No experience needed.

5:45-7:15 PM Dinner Dining Tent

7:30 PM Havdalah Great Hall 8:00-9:30 PM Night Walk Meet Outside Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educator No Flashlights, no chitchat. Just seekers in the dark on the way to light.

8:00-10:30 PM Bookstore Open Fireside Singing Session Fire Pit Elana Brody & Noah Weinberg The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish Ritual. Gather around the fire to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some well-known and some obscure.

7:30-8:00 PM Orthodox Maariv Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Maariv Library

Sunday, October 15 7:30-8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Aja Cohen Please join in for a vinyasa flow class that will be vigorous yet mindful. Beginning with an abdominal workout, we will then dive into a cardio-based flow and end with a gentle cool-down.

This is a great class for all levels. No experience needed.

8:00-10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Tent

8:30-11:00 AM Orthodox Minyan Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Minyan Library 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Bookstore Open 10:00 AM Check out of rooms 11:30 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Thank you for joining us, see you soon!

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 25

Leaders and Teachers Arielle Aronoff first came to Hazon as a Teva educator. She found a place in this community and did not want to leave. After spending the fall and winter at Isabella Freedman, she took a seasonal outdoor education position for the spring and quickly returned to be manage Camp Teva prior to her current role as Director of Teva. 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.

Sarah Shamirah Chandler is the CCO (Chief Compassion Officer) and team leader at the Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA) where she works to support Jewish institutions to establish meaningful food policies rooted in Jewish ethics and animal welfare. She recently served as the Director of Earth Based Spiritual Practice for Hazon's Adamah Farm and teaches, writes, and consults on a national level on issues related to Judaism, the environment, mindfulness, food values, and farming.

Aryeh Bernstein lives in Chicago, where he directs the Avodah Justice Fellowship, is Educational Consultant for the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Director of the Hyde Park Teen Beit Midrash, and Coordinator of the Mishkan-Avodah-JCUA Social Justice Beit Midrash. He is a resident animal welfare educator for Farm Forward's Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA) and has taught at Mechon Hadar, Drisha, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, and campuses, communities, and organizations around the U.S. and Israel, including many times at Isabella Freedman. He is a Senior Editor of Jewschool.com.

Aja Cohen has been practicing yoga for the past 15 years. She completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2014. Since then, she has taught group and private classes in Brooklyn and now in Northern New Jersey. Currently, Aja completed her 95-hour kids yoga training and teaches at The Sunshine Garden Learning Center in Teaneck. Through intention, asana, and meditation, her goal for each student is to leave class feeling renewed and reawakened. Aja teaches in a way that provokes thought and meaning, yet is physically and mentally challenging. She believes yoga should be fun and you should leave class with a smile on your face and love in your heart.

Christine Bloom discovered yoga haphazardly, but davka just at the time when she needed it most! She finds that each journey on the yoga matconnecting breath, body, and spirit brings joy to her life and a chance to reboot her system. A regular participant of Isabella Freedman retreats, she loves her wholesome community and always looks forward to nature filled holiday celebrations. She invites everyone to participate, explore how the qualities of the poses seep in and be open to receive. She is a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher (YTT200) and is also a landscape and floral designer in Stamford, CT.

Batsheva Ganz lives in Boca Raton, FL with her three undeniably adorable children. She holds a master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapy, and is a trained Montessori educator, Kindermusik director, JourneyDance facilitator and trauma-informed yoga instructor. She draws on her background and experience in education, music, movement, dance, yoga, and meditation to create programming aimed at reconnecting with ourselves, connecting with others and encouraging transformation and release.

Bailey Braun is a passionate social worker, a Torah teacher and a beloved mentor to those fighting for a voice, seeking Divine connection and pondering life's deepest questions. In melding her therapeutic practice with her commitment to Torah values and love of textual learning, Bailey has brought her unique perspective as a public speaker to synagogues, college campuses and Jewish organizations throughout Canada and the United States. Her classes focus on and facilitate conversation about Women in Jewish History, Psychology, Poetry and Mysticism.

Rabbi Shmuel Braun is a teacher, mentor, and lecturer, especially known for ability to take the loftiest concepts in Jewish mysticism and connect them to everyday life in a way that students from any background and level of knowledge can appreciate. Having grown up Modern Orthodox in Woodmere, L.I., Rabbi Shmuel Braun then spent many years studying at the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, in the Brisk Yeshiva in Jerusalem

by Reb Meir Soloveitchik, and also in institutions affiliated with Yeshiva University, Munkatch, and Chabad. All this together with his devotion and passion for the humanities facilitated his developing a unique, progressive and inclusive style that engages all people with diverse backgrounds and beliefs. Besides sending out daily Torah recordings to an audience of hundreds of people and working on writing books, Rabbi Shmuel Braun travels and lectures on topics of Jewish Philosophy, Law, and Mysticism.

Rabbi-Chazan Mattisyahu Brown received semicha from educator Reb Shalom Brodt, z”l, and posek Rav David Fink. He is an editor of English books on Chasidut, a certified practitioner of somatic therapies, and an avid meditator.

Lily Rakia Chandler is a drummer, singer, and spiritual leader from the Boston area. Her present and grounded style can range from meditative and reflective to inspiration for a wild dance party. She has lead Jewish ritual including her original chants at communities such as Hineini, Ikar, Kohenet, and Temple of SOPHIA. Heavily influenced by hip hop and reggae, Rakia brings a sweet and spicy flavor to prayer.

Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD, is the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion and the co-director of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute. She is the author of several books, including The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons, The Hebrew Priestess: Ancient and New Visions of Jewish Women's Spiritual Leadership, and The Book of Earth and Other Mysteries. She is a ritualist, poet, writer, and scholar of ancient and modern ritual, myth, and midrash.

Rabbi David Ingber is the founder and spiritual director of Romemu in New York City, a mystical progressive, openhearted, and integral Jewish community that promotes human flourishing in body, heart, mind, and spirit. Rabbi Ingber studied more than 20 years in Orthodox seminaries, and studied yoga and Tai Chi before meeting his beloved teacher, Rabbi Zalman Shachter-Shalomi, of blessed memory. Rabbi Ingber is direct disciple and lineage holder in Reb Zalman's lineage. He lives in New York City with his wife, Ariel, and is a proud father to his three greatest teachers, his sons Baer, Tal, and Or. Shoshana Jedwab as a child would drum on parked cars, plates, tables, books and other people's bodies. Hailing from a family of rabbis and community leaders decimated by the Holocaust, Shoshana became a prize-winning Jewish Studies Day School teacher, and the Jewish Life Coordinator at the A.J. Heschel School. Shoshana also holds down the beat as ritual drummer and worship leader for Kohenet, Romemu, LabShul, Kirtan Rabbi, and Isabella Freedman. Shoshana is also a liturgist and singersongwriter. The original songs of Shoshana’s July 2016 album, “I Remember”, and upcoming recording, “Where You Go”, are being sung in churches, synagogues, weddings and marches across the country. Shoshana was included in Jewish Rock Radio’s Jewish Women Who Rock the Worship World.

Daniel Kieval has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 2011.

He recently completed a Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. He is also an environmental educator and has worked on and off with the Teva program since 2011. This is his seventh consecutive year at Sukkahfest.

26 • Sukkahfest 5778 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Arthur Kurzweil is a writer, publisher, teacher, genealogist and magician.

His book 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.

Ari Lesser is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and spoken word artist from Cleveland, Ohio. A graduate of University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s in Political Science, he has studied Torah in Israel, performed all over the world, and written hundreds of songs on everything from modern politics, to ancient mysticism.

R. Aviva Richman is a faculty member at Yeshivat Hadar. A graduate of Oberlin College, Aviva received private ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes in Jerusalem and is currently pursuing a doctorate in rabbinics at NYU. Having grown up in Baltimore in both an Orthodox hassidic community and a liberal havurah, Aviva loves to learn and share Torah and niggunim in many communities that feel like home. She has taught in a variety of Jewish settings - Limmud (NY, Toronto, UK), the Havurah Institute, Pardes.

Aviva lives in Riverdale with her spouse Tzemah and super-fun kiddos, Boaz, Elisha and Benaya.

Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein was born and raised in Monsey, NY, the youngest of three boys. Growing up in a mixed raced 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 the Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (REITS) and a MA from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Isaiah is the spiritual leader at Carmel Academy and organizes at The Beis Community in Washington Heights.

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

Dr. Jonah R. Schrag is a Clinical Psychologist and Divorce Mediator in private practice in Katonah, N.Y. He received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1984 from Yeshiva University, Ferkauf Graduate School and has served on the faculties of Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Schrag has been featured in The New York Times and has made multiple appearances on The CBS News Early Show and The Growing Child. He studied Bibliodrama with Dr. Peter Pitzle and founded and directed The Dor Vador Players, a community Bibliodrama troupe.

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

Joshua Schwartz is (no joke) doing his PhD in Jewish Mysticism at NYU. He's taught in a whole bunch of places for a whole bunch of ages, but he's most excited to be here davvenen and learning with you. Joshua is the coauthor of "The Torah of Song," due out in December, and co-founded PrintO-Craft, where he's shepherded a new bencher ("Seder Oneg Shabbos") and a talmudic graphic novel into publication ("The Illustrated Pirkei Avot").

classic reggae and soul music, mystical poetry, disc golf, and purple things.

He lives in Falls Village with his son Eli, and wife Megan – whom he met at Isabella Freedman in 2007 when she staffed the Adamah Farm & Fellowship.

Laynie Soloman is the Director of Educational Initiatives and a faculty member at SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, and is concurrently pursuing a Dual M.A. in Talmud/Rabbinics & Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. A passionate teacher and student of rabbinic text and thought, Laynie has spent several years learning in various batei midrash including The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and Yeshivat Hadar, where they also currently serve as Shoel u’Meshiv and student teacher.

When not in shul or learning Talmud, you can find Laynie reading about Liberation Theology, collecting comic books, and attempting to use every vegetable in their CSA. Rabbi Ezra Weinberg is a wearer of many hats. He’s a community builder, camp professional, teacher of multi-faith education, and innovator of Jewish ritual. Ezra lives and works in Washington Heights with his wife and two children, and is looking to transform the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood where he works as the Jewish program director. His mutual interests in Israel and conflict resolution led him to act as a facilitator and convener for Resetting the Table. Ordained through the Reconstructionist movement, Ezra is at home in a variety of Jewish settings, from traditional to secular. The highlight of his year is Hazon’s Sukkahfest holiday retreat, nicknamed “All Streams, One Source,” where he serves as a retreat and ritual leader.

Noah Weinberg is filled with gratitude to have the opportunity to return home to Freedman and bring the Sukkahfest community together in prayer and song. On weekdays, you can find Noah working as a Jewish and Student Life Fellow at Gann Academy, engaging students in raising their voices as Jews in this unique moment. Noah’s connection to Isabella Freedman and earth-based Jewish intentional community stems from his time as an Adamahnik, Lotan permaculture student, Eden Village Camp educator, and Jewish Initiative for Animals educator. Noah recently completed his undergraduate degree at Tufts University (occupied Massachusett and Wampanoag land), where he studied Peace and Justice Studies and Education, and founded a Jewish meditation group and minyan called Kavanah (hebrew for “intention”). Noah also serves as a musical prayer focalizer for the Nariya@TBZ and Asiya communities in the Boston area.

Noah aspires for our communal songful prayer to stir us and spur us to live out our most authentic selves, and build a world of peace and justice.

Dena Weiss is the Rosh Beit Midrash at Mechon Hadar, an institution for higher Jewish learning based in NYC. Dena earned her BA in Religious Studies from NYU and a MA in Theology from Harvard Divinity School.

She has also studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Drisha, and Pardes and is looking forward to some great learning and davening over Sukkahfest.

Jacob Weiss is thrilled to be a JOFEE fellow at Isabella Freedman working with the retreats team. He was born and raised in the great city of Cleveland, Ohio, and has spent the better part of the past six years living in New York City. Jacob studied Political Science and Fine Arts at Yeshiva University, and then went on to receive his Chef’s training at the Natural Gourmet Institute.

He has spent his time since then cooking at various restaurants in New York, as well as taking time away from the kitchen, to work on farms around the country. With his free time, Jacob loves to cook for friends and family, get lost in the woods, take long bike rides and climb on things.

Adam Segulah Sher serves as the General Manager of Isabella Freedman.

Adam leads the fantastic Isabella Freedman team who produce and host over 70 events each year including pilgrimage holidays, conferences, spiritual retreats, family celebrations, and synagogue retreats. He enjoys

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 27

(Mountainview)

Dining Tent