Sukkahfest program book 2018

Sukkahfest

September 23 – October 3, 2018 Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Printed on 100% recycled paper

HOW ARE YOU

#LIVINGTHECHANGE THIS YEAR?

Hazon is the leading Jewish partner in Living the Change – a worldwide, faith-driven, evidence-based initiative designed to address the growing environmental challenges for our shared home.

Demonstrate on a global scale how your individual transportation, home energy use, and diet choices can make a difference.

Make your commitment to sustain the earth:

livingthechange.net #livingthechange

Welcome!

Shalom friends, Welcome to the 13th Sukkahfest at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, 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. It is the spirited and loving energy that all of you bring to this place that truly makes Sukkahfest what it is.

Sukkahfest is where the holy term “All Streams, One Source” really evolved from, 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 the ideas behind this Torah, which makes Isabella Freedman a Jewish space that is so accessible, where everyone feels comfortable. It is a focus on the unity in diversity that is the sign of ecological, social, and spiritual wellness.

Last year leading up to Sukkhfest, I found myself connecting with the words "ufros aleinu sukkat sh'lomecha" from the Haskevenu prayer, and how they connect with the energy of Sukkot. It translates to “spread over us a shelter of peace”.

Nearly a whole cycle later, I find myself once again coming back to that same prayer, in new and evolving ways. This is the All Streams, One Source ethos, that is so poetically expressed in our prayer, and 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” around the entire community. We celebrate the diversity within our community, building a Sukkah expansive, peaceful, and so full of love, in which we strive to elevate all the voices within.

I want to express my love and gratitude to all of the incredible people that I had the privilege to connect with and learn from while preparing 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 Retreat Coordinator, Isabella Freedman

Table of Contents Welcome to Isabella Freedman...........................................................................4 About Hazon..............................................................................................................6 Our Food Values at Isabella Freedman......................................................8 Higher Welfare Kosher Meat...................................................................... 10 Schedule Sukkot: First Days........................................................................................... 11 Sunday, September 23.......................................................................... 11 Monday, September 24........................................................................ 12 Tuesday, September 25........................................................................ 13 Chol Hamoed................................................................................................... 14 Wednesday, September 26................................................................. 14 Thursday, September 27...................................................................... 16 Friday, September 28............................................................................. 17

Shabbat Chol Hamoed................................................................................. 18 Friday, September 28............................................................................. 18 Saturday, September 29....................................................................... 18 Sukkot: Second Days..................................................................................... 20 Sunday, September 30.......................................................................... 20 Monday, October 1................................................................................. 22 Tuesday, October 2................................................................................. 24 Wednesday, October 3.......................................................................... 25 Camp Teva Schedule............................................................................................ 26 Jewish Life at Isabella Freedman..................................................................... 31 Leaders and Teachers Bios................................................................................. 32 Upcoming Hazon Retreats & Programs......................................................... 26

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. 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.

CHECK OUT PROCEDURE: On check-out day, you MUST move out of your room by 10 am or a $50 late fee will be applied to your credit card. Kindly strip your bed and place all sheets and towels into the pillowcases. (Please leave mattress pads, blankets and comforters on the beds.)

4 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

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 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.

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: 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.

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.

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

About Hazon

The word "hazon" means "vision."

We're the Jewish lab for sustainability. We work to create a more sustainable Jewish community – and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. We do this through immersive multi-day programs like food conferences, retreats, and bike rides; through thought-leadership (writing, teaching and advocacy); and capacity-building – fostering new experiments in Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education, across the Jewish world.

“The Torah is a commentary on the world and the world is a commentary on the Torah.”

Our theme quote 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.

Our programs are multi-generational and open to people of all religious backgrounds and none. We are based in New York, Detroit, Denver, Boulder, and at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in the Connecticut Berkshires.

Education We offer Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE), providing thought-leadership and immersive experiences for a spectrum of ages and interests. From institutions and individuals using our wide range of curricula and sourcebooks to kids at our Teva programs weighing their leftovers and young adults living in community and farming with Adamah, Hazon supports learning at the intersection of Jewish life and sustainability.

Action Hazon participants take action. We compost and pickle. We improve the energy profiles of our Jewish institutions, use our food dollars to support local farms, and meet thousands of our neighbors at regional Jewish Food Festivals. We raise environmental awareness while riding our bikes. We share sustainable Shabbat meals, create gardens at our Jewish institutions, plant seeds for future generations, build intentional communities in North America, and visit our partners in Israel’s environmental sector.

6 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Advocacy And in settings from synagogues to community board meetings to global climate marches, we advocate on local and regional projects like bike lanes and family-owned farms, as well as on national issues like climate change and sustainable agriculture. Hazon provides rabbis with sermon materials on climate issues, and training and support for meetings with government representatives. Hazon participants speak up to help make the world we all share healthier and more sustainable for everyone.

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center: Organizational Retreats & Simchas With decades of retreat hosting experience, Isabella Freedman is the ideal setting for your organizational retreat or simcha. We offer a unique gathering place for meetings, workshops, and team-building, as well as weddings, b’nai mitzvah, milestone birthdays, and family reunions. Our event coordinators will work with you to design and curate an experience that is perfect for you and your guests. Enjoy a tour of the Adamah farm, Teva nature programs, farm-to-table food education, yoga, meditation, and other on-site amenities and activities.

JOFEE Because Jewish life is short of acronyms, we’ve added a new one to summarize the fast-growing field that we’re catalyzing: JOFEE, which stands for Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education. Our range of programs has grown steadily since 2000. We offer retreats here at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, plus bike rides, food festivals, curricula resources, mini-grants, and capacity-building. Flagship programs include Adamah, Teva, JOFEE Fellowship, and the Hazon Seal of Sustainability.

Seal of Sustainability Many Jewish institutions want to engage in healthier, more humane, and more sustainable behaviors, but don’t know where to start or how to keep up the momentum. Through the Hazon Seal of Sustainability, we are providing a solution – a roadmap to advance sustainability-related education, action, and advocacy in the Jewish community. The Hazon Seal will help you improve sustainability and strengthen your institution in three areas and through three audits: sustainable food and animal welfare, renewable energy and facilities, and ecosystems and health. Tap into our expertise, online resources (including our Food Audit), workshops, and field trips, for your Green Team to create a culture of sustainability through signage, educational programming, gardens, green kiddush, green roofs, composting, solar panels, and recycling.

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

Adamah Our flagship farming fellowship, based here at Isabella Freedman, is a three-month leadership training program for Jewish adults ages 20 – 35 that integrates organic agriculture, farm-to-table living, Jewish learning, community building, and spiritual practice. Adamah – a program of extraordinary impact – 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 grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, goats, flowers, eggs, and more, using organic and sustainable methods.

And we grow people by creating hands-on experiences with ecology, food systems, spiritual practice, a vibrant evolving Judaism, and intentional community. Adamah alumni are fanning out across the American Jewish landscape as educators, rabbis, activists, entrepreneurs – and farmers.

Teva Teva works to fundamentally transform Jewish education through experiential learning that fosters Jewish, ecological, and food sustainability. Teva was founded in 1994 with the philosophy of immersing young people – children ages 2-17 years old and educators of children – in the natural world and providing structured activities to sensitize participants to nature’s rhythms, help them develop a more meaningful relationship with nature, and deepen their own connection to Jewish practices and traditions. Teva works with day schools, congregations, camps, JCCs, BJEs, youth groups, and other Jewish institutions that cover the spectrum of religious affiliation. Our Teva educators have been inspired by their experiences living and teaching in community to start initiatives that are making real impact in Jewish communities around the world. "Camp Teva" is available for children during most of our retreats at Isabella Freedman.

Hakhel The word hakhel means "gather the people," or "to create a community.” (It’s from the same root word as kehillah, community.) Hakhel was founded on the premise that communal life is an irreplaceable component in maintaining Jewish identity, and yet existing community models do not resonate with increasing numbers of people. Through Hakhel, we are cultivating the emergence of a range of new experiments in Jewish community by providing matching mini-grants, free professional consulting, and learning trips to Israel for individual communities and community leaders; by networking communities through conferences, peer-learning, trainings and seminars; and by developing content and educational materials to further develop the field and the discourse of Jewish Intentional Communities.

Bike Rides In 2000, we launched our first Jewish Environmental Bike Ride aimed at raising both environmental awareness and much needed funds to support greening initiatives in the Jewish community. What started as a singular program now includes several supported rides in cities across the United States, as well as a popular series of fun, free community events called Tribe Rides.

Thousands of people have participated in our various bike rides which often serve as entry points to organized Jewish life for those who are excited about biking, sustainability, the environment, and/or the outdoors. Our two largest bike rides – the New York Ride & Retreat (which takes place over Labor Day Weekend here at Isabella Freedman) and the Israel Ride – are powerful immersive experiences, as well as important fundraisers for Hazon and the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies.

Educational Curricula and Sourcebooks We have developed a diverse library of curricula and sourcebooks that can be used in the classroom, at home, or as experiential programs. Our tools are geared towards various age groups and are used in synagogues, day schools, JCCs, and camps around the world. Check the Hazon Bookstore here at Isabella Freedman for titles including Food for Thought: Hazon’s Sourcebook on Jews, Food & Contemporary Life, Tu B’Shvat Haggadah: The Hazon Seder & Sourcebook, Sustainable Shabbat Dinner, and more.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 7

Our Food Values at Isabella Freedman How do we create an American Jewish community that is measurably healthier and more sustainable, demonstrably playing a role in making the world healthier and more sustainable for all? Our food choices impact the earth, animals, indigenous peoples, agricultural workers, local communities, factory workers, and food industry workers.

Hazon is working to build connections and relationships between farmers, entrepreneurs, farm workers, consumers, distributors, rabbis, Jewish leaders, business leaders, and other faith leaders, among others. We are supporting farmers, building CSAs, inspiring farmers’ markets at our synagogues and JCCs, and helping to source local food at Jewish institutions.

At Isabella Freedman, we are incredibly proud of our kosher farm to table kitchen, which we call Adamah Foods. We strive to achieve the highest standards of sustainability through food sourcing that is seasonal, local, organic, fair trade, and supports animal welfare.

Following are some of our guiding principles.

Sustainable Fish As worldwide demand for fish has increased, wild fish populations can't keep up with our appetites and find themselves threatened by overfishing. Certain fish farming practices have very little effect on the environment while others are devastating. We use the Monterrey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list in determining how to serve ocean friendly fish.

How can you make sure you are eating safe and sustainable fish at home? Get the Seafood Watch mobile app at seafoodwatch.org.

Fair Trade When we buy foods grown far away, like chocolate, tea and coffee, we make sure they come from Fair Trade sources. We choose reputable certifiers like the worker cooperative Equal Exchange and the indigenous rights and environmental advocates Deans Beans. Our fair trade chocolate costs four times more than most brands, but it is our priority to nourish our guests with food produced in fair and sustainable ways.

Craving chocolate? You can find ethically-sourced chocolate bars in the Hazon Bookstore!

Want to avoid consuming foods produced by slave labor? Choose fair trade in all of your shopping!

Taste the Forest Experience the liminal moment between winter slumber and spring vibrance in the maple syrup we serve. In late winter, when nights are below freezing but days are warm, trees move sap up to their branches and emerging leaf buds. Our neighbors Jude and Winter Mead siphon off a portion of the excess sap production of their maple trees each season, boil it down, and bottle it for us to serve throughout the year. 40 gallons of sap yield just one gallon of syrup, making this precious regional delicacy a real reminder to slow down and savor the sweetness of the world.

Want to bring some home with you? We produce a small amount of maple syrup from the trees right here at Isabella Freedman by hand – schlepping buckets and boiling the sap down in an outdoor evaporator. Purchase your taste of the Isabella Freedman forest in the Hazon Bookstore!

Pickles of All Kinds The Adamah farmers harvest organic vegetables from our land for seven months of the year, but the bounty of their labor is available every day on our salad bar thanks to oldworld preservation techniques. After harvest, Adamah fellows submerge cucumbers, cabbage, and other fresh veggies in salt water brine. Over the course of a few days or even several months – depending on the vegetable, time of year, and desired result – nutrients inherent to the vegetable are preserved while delicious pickle flavors and additional nutrients are brought out. Eating fermented foods restores beneficial bacteria to your intestinal tract, which aids with digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Can't imagine your post-Isabella Freedman meals without sauerkraut and kimchi? We have jars for sale in the Hazon Bookstore along with our small-batch jams and other Adamah products! You can also find a wide variety of lacto-fermented vegetables in your local market or CSA. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Michael Pollan's adage expresses our intentions for the Adamah Foods experience. We strive to nourish, accommodating all of our guests' different dietary needs. Please begin your meals with small portions, revisiting the buffet for second helpings so that not too much precious food ends up being wasted. In the interest of our community's health and the sustainability of our planet, we serve balanced meals that center on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. During the spring and summer we grow and harvest the majority of our own produce at the Adamah Farm. This includes kale, collards, chard, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, scallions, garlic, salad greens, spinach, Jerusalem artichoke, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi, jalapeños, dill, parsley, cilantro, sorrel, watermelon, cantaloupe, summer squash, zucchini, winter squash (kabocha, jester, acorn, and delicata), radish, eggplant, cabbage, ginger, and watermelon radish.

Interested in reducing your footprint on the environment and feeling healthy? Try eating more vegetables by joining a CSA program, increasing your whole grain and bean intake, and keeping fruit and nuts around for snack time.

8 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Meat All of the meat we serve is provided by Grow & Behold, a company started by alumni of the Adamah program and former Hazon staff. Grow & Behold's mission is to provide premium Glatt Kosher pastured meats raised on small family-run farms.

Pasture-raised meats are better for the environment, for your health, and for the animals you eat. Turn the page to read more about how we are deepening our commitment to serving ethical, higher welfare kosher meat.

Interested in finding kosher, pasture-raised meat in your area? Check out growandbehold.com or kolfoods.com for nationwide delivery and buying club options.

Pri Ha’Gafen (Fruit of the Vine) The Twin Suns wine that we serve is produced with limited chemicals thanks to a farming system called Integrated Pest Management. The grape growers use beneficial insect habitats and predator perches to control insect infestations rather than spraying poisons. They also use a well-designed trellis system that aids production of phenolics and flavonoids – the good stuff in wine!

Want to be eco-conscious when organic products aren't available?

Look for the IPM label at the grocery store. IPM is a good alternative to organic when you are trying to minimize the amount of chemicals in your food.

Grains & Beans All of the rice, beans, and other grains we serve are certified organic. We are particularly proud of the corn meal we get from Wild Hive Community Grain Project, a local mill using traditional stone grinding equipment, as well as our tofu which is handmade by a local company called The Bridge from organic soybeans grown in New York state.

Does it really matter if I buy organic rather than conventional food?

Whenever possible, it is best to know your farmer's growing practices.

When you are faced in the grocery store with the decision between organic and unlabeled food, choosing organic is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment, keep your body free of dangerous toxins, and support safer conditions for workers who would otherwise be harmed by dangerous chemicals.

No EGG-ceptions We buy and serve eggs consciously. Why care about higher welfare eggs? More than 90% of laying hens in the U.S. are packed into tiny cages on factory farms. Barely able to move,

they suffer injuries, disease, and extreme distress. Many others endure similar distress in large, overcrowded barns. To support systems where hens can walk, spread their wings, lay eggs in nesting spaces, dust bathe, and perform other natural behaviors, we must support farms that value higher welfare. There’s more we can do for hens, but buying higher welfare eggs is where we start! The eggs we use are Oliver’s organic, free range, pasturefed eggs. We are also very proud to be a founding member of buyingpoultry.com’s Leadership Circle which recognizes organizations for using higher animal welfare poultry and eggs.

How can we switch to higher welfare eggs?

• Choose products with labels from “Certified Humane,” “Certified

Humane + Pasture Raised,” or “Animal Welfare Approved.” These are some of the only labels on egg cartons that are truly meaningful for animal welfare.

• Use BuyingPoultry.com to search a list of higher-welfare egg brands

and retailers.

• Download the new Hazon Food Guide for more information about

higher-welfare products.

• Contact Jewish Initiative for Animals for support in finding higher-

welfare eggs.

Keeping it Kosher The question of what is fit to eat is at the root of our kosher tradition – and more relevant than ever in today’s word. At Isabella Freedman, keeping it kosher means following the letter and the spirit of the laws – creating a space where everyone can enjoy food that is truly fit to eat together. We also care very much about making sure that every kosher product we buy is aligned with our food values. At every meal you will find one of our mashgichim (kosher supervisors) in the dining area who will be available to answer your questions about kashrut. Thank you in advance for respecting our kashrut guidelines.

Learn More Visit us online at hazon.org/jewish-food-movement or check the Hazon Bookstore for our resources on Jews, Food & Contemporary Issues, including sourcebooks, how-to guides, and curricula materials for adults, kids, and families. Please enjoy the abundance, ask lots of questions, demand answers, and challenge the ever-changing thoughts on what it means to eat responsibly. Thank you for being here; we are honored to feed you.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 9

Deepening Our Commitment to Serving Ethical, Higher Welfare Kosher Meat In our society, all too often the readily available and familiar sources for our food prioritize uniform quality and economies of scale over taste, nutrition, environmental health, animal welfare, hospitality, and support for local communities. Hazon has developed a list of food values that we strive to reach when we are preparing food at all Hazon events, programs, and meetings.

However, we often are asked to prioritize one (or more) of our food values over another.

Hazon strives to take everything into account and prioritizes to bring you the best possible mix of foods and experiences, pushing both producers and consumers to make higher welfare foods available, and working within the realities of supply, budget, and our vision. Our food choices should not be reduced to a “this over that” mentality, but rather a holistic approach that we pursue with our vision clearly before us.

As we work towards a healthier and more sustainable food system where we will be able to meet all of our food values all the time, we are making a new, deeper commitment to foster growth and demand for the highest welfare kosher meat available.

Starting at the Hazon Food Conference in August, Isabella Freedman will increase the heritage chicken (as defined by the American Poultry Association) that Hazon sources each year by at least 5% and we will no longer serve any conventionally bred turkey. Over the next 7-year period, we intend to incrementally move towards improving the welfare of the chickens that produce our meat and eggs, with a vision toward eliminating all conventionally bred chicken from our menu. Working with Grow & Behold Foods and JIFA (Jewish Initiative for Animals) and other allies, we aim to shift the percentage of kosher chicken that is heritage, which is important for both public health, the longterm stability of the food supply, and animal welfare.

The initial heritage chickens will hatch from eggs laid at Frank Reese’s farm, Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch. Frank focuses on animal welfare, breed conservancy, and environmental stewardship. We are also pleased to be able to support the important work that Frank is doing to safeguard genetic diversity and to preserve ways to raise poultry outside the currently dominant factory farm system.

In addition to our commitment to serving heritage chicken, and in an attempt to reduce meat consumption overall, we are developing new and creative plant-centered menus which can be augmented by flavorful preparations of meat. Some people are accustomed to always having meat at Shabbat or holiday meals. How do we take the Jewish sensibility of elevating holiday time with a particular food to enhance our understanding of, and commitment to, sustainability and gratitude? As we think about the food we use to sanctify our holiest of times, let’s make sure the food is a sanctification of life, the world, and all of our blessings. Using Michael Pollan’s approach of ‘The Third Plate’, we will be taking a ‘less meat, better meat’ approach to our meat consumption, including over Shabbat.

We will also continue to purchase our eggs from Oliver’s Organic Pastured Eggs, who maintain NOFA-NY certified organic, freerange hens. We have also connected Oliver’s with Red Barn Produce, a local wholesaler who has started selling their eggs and expanding the market for higher welfare eggs in the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires.

We encourage you to join us and help build the market for heritage poultry, higher welfare eggs, and less meat, better meat approaches to food purchasing.

10 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Schedule

Sunday, September 23 | Erev Sukkot 3:00 – 5:00 PM Check In/ 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 smoothies on our stationary bike. It is the ultimate expression of human power. And be sure to check out the Kids’ Zone for other Sukkot oriented crafts.

Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music, jewelry, Judaica, and Adamah products including pickles and jams! Store hours will be posted.

Help Decorate Camp Teva Sukkah Great Hall 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 5:30 – 6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Kids Sukkah 6:15 PM Candle Lighting (6:31 PM) Great Hall 6:30 – 7:30 PM Meditation: Sukkot, a Holiday of Impermanence Red Yurt Dan Pelberg For 8 days we dwell in temporary structures, showing us the impermanence that we fail to recognize in our daily lives. Yet, instead of this being scary, the Sukkah can come to show us the beauty of this idea that we can work to embody. The class will involve a short talk followed by a meditation practice before ending with a group discussion.

6:30 – 7:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

6:30 – 7:30 PM Mincha and Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library 7:30 – 9:00 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:15 – 10:45 PM Blessed is G!d Who Sanctifies Time?! Exploring Post-Modern Vision of Holiness of Time and Space Synagogue Laynie Soloman Judaism is deeply concerned with time. What is sacred time, and what makes it so special? What is the human role in the sanctification of holidays within the Jewish calendar? We’ll explore the relationship between the ideas of inherent holiness and co-created holiness in the minds of our sages by bringing rabbinic texts into conversation with post-modern ritual theories and our own lived experiences.

All Streams One Source Farbrengen with Dessert (Yiddish: Joyous Gathering) 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.

10:00 – 11:30 PM Zook...ahhh: A Temporary Shelter of Joy Red Yurt Kohenet Shamirah Spark your imagination, say yes to your peers, and jump into the game. Improvisational theatre is a fun way to get silly, meet new people, and speak your truth. No experience necessary.

Especially for ages 13 & up.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 11

Monday, September 24 | Sukkot Day 1 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:30 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Please see page 26 for details.

9:00 – 12:30 PM Shacharit Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library Renewal Synagogue 9:30 – 10:45 AM Morning Ecology Walk Meet at Gazebo Arielle Aronoff We will go on a stroll through the land to meet the many plants that provide us with nourishment. We will learn about the wild relatives to some of our cultivated crops and medicinal properties of the plants we walk over every day. Learn identification techniques and find your place in the great web of life.

1:00 – 2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Sukkat Shalom 2:30 – 5:30 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

2:45 – 4:00 PM Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

2:45 – 4:00 PM “Indeed, We (and Our Ancestors) Have Sinned”: Are We Accountable for the Sins of our Ancestors?

Library Aryeh Bernstein One of the core assertions of the prophets and the book of Devarim is that parents may not be punished for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Yet in many versions of the vidui/confession that we say on Yom Kippur, we say, “Indeed, we and our ancestors have sinned”. Why would we say that? In what ways are we still accountable for the sins of those who came before us and what does this teach us about our role in righting deep, communal wrongs?

The Lulav as Magic Wand: Comparing the Lulav with Moses’ Staff Synagogue Rabbi Jill Hammer The lulav, which we wave in the six directions to ask for rain and growth in the coming year, has some things in common with other Jewish legendary “wands.” Let’s look at stories of the staff of Moses and see what we can learn about the qualities and use of wands and rods in Jewish tradition, and how we might apply those teachings to our understanding and practice of lulav waving.

4:15 – 5:30 PM Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

Five Magic Tricks in Search of Some Meaning: A Sermon Sukkat Chalom (Library if raining) Arthur Kurzweil A Theological, Talmudic and Halakhic exploration of five pretty cool magic tricks.

God Loves You Is a Very Jewish Idea Synagogue Rabbi Lauren Tuchman As American Jews, we tend to think of the idea of divine love or even that G-d loves us as an idea alive in other traditions but not our own. This session will be a period of rich textual exploration illustrating that G-d as infinitely loving and infinitely compassionate and merciful is at the very heart of our tradition.

4:15 – 6:15 PM Longer Hike – All three trails Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

12 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Monday, September 24 | Sukkot Day 1 5:30 – 6:00 PM Kids' Dinner Kids Sukkah

8:00 – 9:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Chalom

6:00 – 8:00 PM Camp Teva Fire Pit

9:45 – 11:00 PM Sukkot: The Insecurity of Faith Synagogue Bailey Braun Using the Gemara in Sukkot as our jumping off point, this class will explore the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, and Robert Cording, to discuss the ways in which the holiday beckons us to sit in and with a faith that is mysterious and uncomfortable.

6:40 – 8:00 PM Mincha/ Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 7:30 PM Candle Lighting (After 7:28 PM from existing flame) Great Hall

Silence Singing: the Effulgence of Hallel Sukkat Chalom Matti Brown One of the interpretations of the word Hallel is ‘to shine’. As we step out of the Silent Standing Prayer each morning of Sukkahfest, a miraculous light from within that silence becomes revealed outwardly through our voices: silence singing! Join us for textstudy, releasing-meditation, and deepening intentionality for the daily Hallel service.

Tuesday, September 25 | Sukkot Day 2 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:30 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Please see page 26 for details.

9:00 – 12:30 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview 9:00 – 10:15 AM Shacharit Renewal Synagogue Traditional Egalitarian Library 10:20am – 1:00 PM Collaborative Egalitarian Hallel, Hoshannot, Torah Service & Musaf Library

1:00 – 2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Sukkat Shalom 2:30 – 6:00 PM Camp Teva 2:45 – 4:00 PM The Blessing of Water Synagogue Rabbi Jill Hammer Explore some water stories in Jewish tradition, from the primordial waters under the foundation stone to the waters of Miriam’s well to the water-creature Leviathan. We’ll think about these stories of water and inquire deeply into how Jewish tradition understands and celebrates the blessing of water. Then we’ll consider the blessing of water in our own lives.

20 Kabbalistic Meditations Taught to me by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz Library Arthur Kurzweil In this session, we will not be emptying our minds.

Barnyard Visit Meet at Goat Barnyard JOFEE Educator Come visit our beautiful and playful goats. 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! • 13

Tuesday, September 25 | Sukkot Day 2 2:45 – 4:00 PM Ultimate Frisbee Meet outside Sukkat Chalom Reb Ezra Weinberg Come play some post-lunch ultimate frisbee and take part in what has become a Sukkahfest tradition.

4:15 – 5:30 PM Deepest Waters Unite: The Erotic Imagery of the Temple and the Water Libation of Sukkot Sukkat Chalom (Library if raining) Rabbi Shmuel Braun The feminine layout of the sanctuary helps us understand the challenges inherent in connecting with God. Our Bodies, Our Sukkah: Abundance and Insecurity in Jewish Prayers About the Body Synagogue Shoshana Jedwab Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

5:45 – 6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library

6:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom 7:30 – 7:45 PM Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 7:45 PM Havdallah Followed by Simchat Beit Hashoeva Ritual Sukkat Chalom 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.

8:30 – 10:00 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music, jewelry, Judaica, and Adamah products including pickles and jams! Store hours will be posted.

Fireside Song Circle Fire Pit 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.

Wednesday, September 26 | Chol Hamoed 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 – 11:00 AM Shacharit Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library

10:00 AM Check Out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10:00 am so housekeeping can turn over the rooms for our next guests. Thank you so much for joining us – see you next time!

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Please see page 26 for details.

Bookstore Open 11:30 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Entrance to Main Building

14 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Wednesday, September 26 | Chol Hamoed 12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00 – 6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

1:30 – 2:45 PM Pickling Workshop Great Hall JOFEE 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.

There’s a Riot Goin’ On: Political Violence in Torah Law and Lore Sukkat Chalom (Library as rain option) Aryeh Bernstein What happens when the justice system does not function – when state power is diminished, undermined, or corrupted?

In this session, we will explore two Biblical stories of political violence and their dark reverberations in halakhic literature and along the way consider violence and non-violence, when each is a scandal and when each is a necessity.

3:00 – 4:15 PM Na’amah: This Soul with Sorrow Laden Clasps the Raven Synagogue Bailey Braun This class plunges us into the life of Na'amah, the wife of Noah, and offers us a deeper understanding of how her life and its connection to Sukkot can help us survive the floods in our own lives.

4:30 – 6:00 PM Farming: Curse, Blessing, or a Third Way Library Shamu Sadeh Is tilling the soil, planting and harvesting our God given role on earth, is it a post Eden curse? We will explore Torah and midrashic perspectives on agriculture as well as modern historians and philosophers to understand how much control humans have in the world.

5:45 – 6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 6:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom 7:00 – 7:15 PM Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 7:30 – 8:45 PM The Long Road to Freedom...in SONG! Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein Sukkot is deeply connected to freedom as they were the huts that the Jewish nation slept in after the Exodus from Egypt.

The Hassidic masters say these huts/sukkot were there to help reconstruct the faith of our nation after enslavement, providing us with a hopeful grit for our future destiny and legacy, and a shelter to dream of a place without ceilings (limitations). Our content will be sprinkled with live musical interludes that share themes of freedom and joy - – bring your own instruments!

8:30 – 10:00 PM Soon By You film screening Sukkat Chalom Leah Gottfried Watch an episode of the hit web series Soon By You about young Orthodox Jews navigating life and love in New York City.

Screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director Leah Gottfried.

Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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! • 15

Thursday, September 27 | Chol Hamoed 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Please see page 26 for details.

9:00 – 11:00 AM Shacharit Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library 12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00 – 6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts 1:30 – 2:45 PM Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

Tkhines: An Inquiry into the History of Women's Prayer (Part 1) Synagogue Bailey Braun Together we will learn about the history of Tkhines (Yiddish liturgical poems from the 17th and 18th centuries written for and by women). Looking at the women who wrote these prayers, and exploring the powerful language of the liturgy, we will discuss how these texts can teach us about our past and redefine our future.

3:00 – 4:15 PM Ink and Feather Library Julie Seltzer Learn how to write Torah letters using ink and a feather! In this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to hold a quill and how

to form letters with liquid ink. By the end of the session, you will have your very own work to hang up in a sukkah! All materials are provided.

4:30 – 6:00 PM Zman Simchateinu: Finding Happiness Synagogue Michal Fox Smart Sukkot is called “zman simchateinu”, the time of our happiness.

Together, we will explore verses in the Torah that mention happiness, looking for Torah insights on what happiness is and how to cultivate it in our lives.

Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

5:45 – 6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 6:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Chalom 7:00 – 7:15 PM Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 8:00 – 10:00PM Evening Concert Great Hall Jamie Saft and the New Zion Trio Come join us for a truly special evening musical performance that will feature Jamie Saft (keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound engineer and producer) and his New Zion Trio.

9:30 – 11:00 PM Rebbe Nachman’s Yahrtzeit Commemoration Sukkat Chalom Matti Brown Celebrate the brilliant soul and teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, the spiritual guide called, “Flowing Brook from the Source of Wisdom”. We will study and discuss a passage from his writings, sing, nosh and dance.

16 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Friday, September 28 | Sukkot Day 5 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Please see page 26 for details.

9:00 – 11:00 AM Shacharit Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00 – 5:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts 1:15 – 2:30 PM Barnyard Visit Goat Barnyard JOFEE Educator Come visit our beautiful and playful goats. 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.

Pilgrimage: An American Promised Land Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein The definition of the word pilgrim is someone who journeys to a place in the name of something that is sacred and dear. During this Session we will: learn texts about the Jewish communal mitzvah of Aliyat Ha’regel, (journeying to Jerusalem during Temple times, aka, the Shalosh Regalim, “Three Pilgrimages,) and how we might relate to this particular mitzvah in modern times.

At the end we will create space for song and reflection with a

guided writing meditation. *No previous knowledge of rabbinic texts necessary. B.Y.O.J. – Bring Your Own Journal!

3:00 – 5:00 PM Guest Arrival/ Welcome Snack Great Hall 2:45 – 4:00 PM Covenantalism: Threading the Needle Between Animal Welfare and Animal Rights Synagogue Rabbi David Seidenberg Abolitionist veganism regards any use of other animals as exploitation and rejects human dominion. Animal welfare advocacy accepts human dominion and exploitation but tries to minimize its negative impacts. But what kind of relationship are we supposed to have with other animals? The fact that domestic animals were required to rest from work on the "eternal covenant" of the Sabbath, the same way that people were, intimates that animals were seen as participants in the covenant and not just objects. The model that best fits our ancestors is this: We only have a right to use other animals when we live in a mutual covenant with them to sustain each other. We will trace this ethic and its alternatives in Tanakh, look at its impact on rabbinic, philosophical, and Kabbalistic thinkers, and explore how it can guide us now.

The Herman Project @ Sukkahfest! (Part 1) Library David Blank and Fatima Aysha Hussain (Note: This is a two-part session, be sure to sign up for both parts on Friday and Sunday. Limited to 18 participants.)

Ever wonder how sourdough bread gets its unique sour taste?

Or what microbes are behind the bubbles that make bread rise?

Join The Herman Project, a citizen science project investigating sourdough evolution, this Sukkahfest to learn the answers to these questions and more! In this two-part session, we will be discussing the significance of fermentation on Sukkot, learning Microbiology 101, and baking our own sourdough challah. Get ready to celebrate Sukkot with Herman!

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

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 17

Friday, September 28 | Sukkot Day 5 4:30 PM Willow Harvest Activity Meet in Great Hall Kohenet Shamirah Come join us in harvesting local willow branches to then be used in the willow ritual which will take place on Hoshana Rabbah.

4:45 – 6:00 PM Stepping Into Your Shabbat With AccepDance Red Yurt Henny Stern Is Shabbat a day of rest or a concept of rest? Discover the answer for yourself as you experience the fastest and most organic way to slow down and be in your unique zen. With AccepDance we will have the opportunity to step into our body’s infinite wisdom and natural rhythm, while breaking through resisDance and discomfort by dancing and moving our way from "Self Conscious to Breath Conscious." No prior dance experience necessary. Be sure to wear clothes that are comfortable and comforting.

5:00 – 5:30 PM Kids' Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Kids Sukkah 6:20 PM Candle Lighting (6:22 PM) Great Hall 6:30 – 8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

6:30 – 8:00 PM Mincha/ Kabbalat Shabbat/ Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library Renewal Synagogue 8:00 – 9:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:45 – 11:00 PM All Streams Tish Sukkat Chalom Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein This is an open space for sharing and bringing your own knowledge, wisdom and experience into our community, through song or spoken word.

The Torah Case for Reparations: Making Political Sense of the Spoils of Egypt Synagogue Aryeh Bernstein The Torah emphasizes that before leaving Egypt, the Israelites took massive amounts of property from their Egyptian neighbors and that God had commanded them to do so. Why is this such an integral component of the story of our liberation? What would freedom from slavery look like without that wealth? Does this story shed any light on contemporary political debates about reparations for enslaved or otherwise exploited people and their descendants?

Saturday, September 29 | Sukkot Day 6 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:30 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

9:00 – 12:30 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview 9:00 – 10:15 AM Shacharit Renewal Synagogue Traditional Egalitarian Library 10:20 AM – 1:00 PM Collaborative Egalitarian Hallel, Hoshannot, Torah Service & Musaf Synagogue

18 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Saturday, September 29 | Sukkot Day 6 9:30 – 10:45 AM Morning Ecology Walk Meet at the Gazebo Arielle Aronoff We will go on a stroll through the land to meet the many plants that provide us with nourishment. We will learn about the wild relatives to some of our cultivated crops and medicinal properties of the plants we walk over every day. Learn identification techniques and find your place in the great web of life.

1:00 – 2:30 PM Festive Shabbat Lunch Sukkat Shalom

4:15 – 5:30 PM Our Temporary Dwellings: Feminist work as Homework Synagogue Laine Zisman-Newman Building on some of the key Sukkot themes of shelter, home, belonging and dwellings, this discussion would use concepts introduced in Sara Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life, to consider what it means to bring feminism home as Jewish peoples.

Thinking about temporary dwellings, belonging and equity, this workshop would apply feminist theory to our holiday celebrations and conceptions of home, kinship, and time.

1:00 – 6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

Yosef and Sukkot Sukkat Chalom/ Library if Raining Jorian Polis-Schutz In this session we will explore connections between our “fourth father” Yosef and the holiday of Sukkot, using sources from Chumash and Chazal.

2:45 – 4:00 PM Be Still My Heart: The Secret of the Waving of the Four Species Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun A journey to the depth of Self with the teachings of Halacha, Kabbalah, Homer, Plato, Buddhism and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

Becoming Citizens of the Earth Sukkat Chalom (Beige Yurt if Raining) Rabbi David Seidenberg Our more-than-human world needs healing, and we need ethics and theology to help us know what we need to do to heal it.

Using deep ecologist Aldo Leopold's “land ethic” – rooted in the idea that human beings are not rulers but “plain citizens” of the land community – as a reference point, we will explore how our strongly human-centered tradition can remake itself. The Kabbalistic principle of "making life stream forth to all beings" and the Torah idea that we are in a covenantal relationship not just with God but with the species around us, will provide the foundation for a truly Jewish land ethic.

5:30 – 6:00 PM Mincha

2:45 – 4:00 PM Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

Traditional Egalitarian Library Orthodox Mountainview 6:00 – 7:00 PM Seudat Shlishit Sukkat Shalom 7:20 – 7:35 PM Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 7:35 PM Havdallah (Shabbat ends 7:21 PM) Sukkat Chalom 8:30 – 9:45 PM Improv!

Synagogue Leah Gottfried Let loose with an improv class! No experience needed.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 19

Saturday, September 29 | Sukkot Day 6 8:30 – 9:45 PM Stargazing Meet in Library Rabbi David Seidenberg The Zohar says that humans can speak because we can look to the sky, but we live in a time when most people don't know what they are seeing and don't have access to the Milky Way or other tremendous sights. Come learn how to identify and delight in what's above us, to find the planets and recognize the constellations and "star-hop" your way around the galaxy. We will also learn about fight against light pollution and the harm it does to us and to wildlife, and the fight for a human right to see the Milky Way. Join us in marvelling at our place in the universe, and learn how to share that wonder with your community.

10:00 PM Tikkun Hoshana Rabbah: Late Night Learning Synagogue 10:00 – 10:15 PM Opening with Kohenet Shamirah and Rabbi Shmuel Braun 10:15 –11:00 PM The Beautiful Eyes of King David Rabbi Shmuel Braun Basking in the power of Hoshana Rabbah through the secret of King David’s kingdom in us… The real meaning of Dovid Melech Yisroel Chai VeKayam.

11:05 – 11:50 PM For Every Branch Becomes a Trunk: Willows From Ancient Times Until Today Kohenet Shamirah How do the willows we wave in our lulav compare to those that grew in ancient times? What do we know about the leaf shapes? How close does a willow need to be to water in order be considered "arvei nahal" (willow of the brook)? We will examine our imported willow branches alongside the willows of Falls Village, Connecticut as we consider these questions.

12:00 – 12:45 AM Tikkun Olam: Fiction or Redemption?

David Seidenberg The idea that Tikkun Olam means social justice is being attacked in the media. What's the truth about Tikkun Olam?

From Facebook to the recent book "To Heal the World?: How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel" to David Wolpe in Los Angeles to the New York Times, people are saying that the tikkun olam-social justice reading of tradition is newfangled or one-sided, politically motivated, and therefore invalid. Can we rely on a liberal reading of tradition? We will take a look at an amazing journey of ideas and evolution in the Jewish tradition, and show how we can fix the social justice interpretation of Tikkun Olam so that it is less ideological but even more powerful as an idea for transforming the world.

Sunday, September 30 | Hoshana Rabbah Shemini Atzeret at Sundown 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:00am Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

10:00 AM Check Out All guests who are leaving today, please check out of your room by 10:00 am. You are welcome to join us for lunch but please make sure all your belongings are out of your rooms so housekeeping can turn over the rooms for our next guests. Thank you so much for joining us – see you next time!

9:00 – 12:00 PM Orthodox Hoshana Rabbah Services Mountainview Rabbi Shmuel Braun, Mattisyahu Brown & friends The Zohar says that while the goodness of the new year was sealed on Yom Kippur, it is not “delivered” until Hoshana Rabbah.

Thus, we will use this opportunity to shift our destiny toward even greater blessing and redemption. After Shacharit, Hallel, and a Torah reading, we will go outdoors for prayers for the health of our biosphere and spiritual ecology, and a simultaneous EnglishHebrew reading of the triumphant poetry of this service. Before Mussaf, we will perform the ancient prophetic ritual of striking the earth with willows, removing and sweetening any potential for negativity in the world.

Collaborative Egalitarian Shacharit and Hoshanot Library 11:00 – 12:00 PM Pickling Workshop Great Hall JOFEE 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.

20 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Sunday, September 30 | Hoshana Rabbah 12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00 – 3:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts 1:15 PM Shuttle to Wassaic Entrance to Main Building 1:30 – 2:45 PM The Herman Project @ Sukkahfest! (Part 2) Library David Blank and Fatima Aysha Hussain (Note: This is a two-part session, be sure to sign up for both parts on Friday and Sunday. Limited to 18 participants) Ever wonder how sourdough bread gets its unique sour taste?

Or what microbes are behind the bubbles that make bread rise?

Join The Herman Project, a citizen science project investigating sourdough evolution, this Sukkahfest to learn the answers to these questions and more! In this two-part session, we will be discussing the significance of fermentation on Sukkot, learning Microbiology 101, and baking our own sourdough challah. Get ready to celebrate Sukkot with Herman!

Sarah Bas Tovim: An Inquiry into the History of Women's Prayer (Part 2) Synagogue Bailey Braun Sarah Bas Tovim is the most well-known of the Tkhines writers who lived in the late 17th century in Ukraine. We will examine some of her Tkhines writings, as well as a short story written about her by Y.L. Peretz.

3:00 – 4:15 PM A Spark of Freedom: Synagogue Laine Zisman-Newman We will look in on a research project Laine is embarking on, in regards to third generation holocaust survivors and artistic practice. In this workshop we will explore intergenerational trauma and artistic practice – what does it mean to inherit trauma and how does creative practice help us connect and to heal?

3:00 – 5:00 PM Check In/ JOFEE Welcome Fair/Welcome Snack 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.

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 4:30 – 5:45 PM Feeling Secure: Today and Always with AccepDance Red Yurt Henny Stern Hoshana Rabbah is the day G-d tells us he wants to be with us "just one more day." Let's hack the system this year and discover a way for us to have access to this security and love – anytime, by tapping into our "felt sense" to learn how our body wants to move and move us. AccepDance invites us all, regardless of skill level or dance experience, to shift our awareness from the buzz and demands of that which is outside of us, to noticing the experience within and trusting that place to move us. Who is ready to move and be moved? No prior dance experience necessary. Be sure to wear clothes that are comfortable and comforting.

5:00 – 5:30 PM Kids' Dinner Kids Sukkah 5:30 – 7:30 PM Camp Teva Fire Pit Please see page 26 for details.

6:15 PM Candle Lighting (6:18 PM) Great Hall 6:30 – 7:15 PM Meditation: Sukkot, a Holiday of Impermanence Red Yurt Dan Pelberg For 8 days we dwell in temporary structures, showing us the impermanence that we fail to recognize in our daily lives. Yet, instead of this being scary, the Sukkah can come to show us the beauty of this idea that we can work to embody. The class will involve a short talk followed by a meditation practice before ending with a group discussion.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 21

Sunday, September 30 | Hoshana Rabbah 6:30 – 7:30 PM Mincha/ Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library 7:30 – 9:00 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:15 – 10:30 PM All Streams Fireside singing Fire Pit Batya Levine 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.

9:15 – 10:30 PM Stillness Dancing: the Festival of Soul-Recognition Sukkat Chalom Matti Brown The path to knowing Divinity is through knowing oneself. Waving the lulav guides us into a recognition of our ever-moving and striving layers of self. Sitting in the Sukkah allows us to release into the unmoving space of our core. By the final holy days we have united spiritual movement and existential stillness in the ultimate embrace: stillness dancing! Join us for text-study, releasing-meditation and the joyful dance of self-knowledge.

10:00 – 11:00 PM Why Shemini Atzeret is the Pinnacle of the High Holidays Season Library Kohenet Shamirah 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.

Monday, October 1 | Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah at Sundown 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:30 AM Breakfast Dining Tent 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

Shacharit 9:00 – 12:30 PM Orthodox Mountainview 9:00 – 10:15 AM Renewal Synagogue

10:20 AM – 1:00 PM Collaborative Egalitarian Hallel, Hoshannot, Torah Service & Musaf Synagogue 9:30 – 10:30 AM Morning Ecology Walk Meet at Gazebo Arielle Aronoff We will go on a stroll through the land to meet the many plants that provide us with nourishment. We will learn about the wild relatives to some of our cultivated crops and medicinal properties of the plants we walk over every day. Learn identification techniques and find your place in the great web of life.

1:00 – 2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 2:30 – 5:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts

Traditional Egalitarian Library

22 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Monday, October 1 | Shemini Atzeret 2:45 – 4:00 PM Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

Saved the Best for Last (or Why Simchat Torah Is Not Found in the Talmud) Synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Braun Find out how God’s plan for Creation is undermined by us… and why we dance because of it.

Hitlabshut: Exploring Gender & Theology Through G!d’s Clothing Library Laynie Soloman What does it mean for us – and for G!d – to be “enclothed” beings?

We will explore several texts about G!d’s being “enclothed” in Torah in conversation with gender performance theory to help us draw out some answers to this question and interrogate the ways in which our own lived experiences as enclothed beings shape our relationship to Torah, each other and the Divine.

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

4:15 – 5:30 PM Overlook Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

What Does Jewish Law Say about Cruelty to Animals and Factory Farming?

Synagogue Aryeh Bernstein Jewish legal texts teach of a concept called tza’ar ba’alei chayim, a prohibition against causing “suffering to animals”. What does it mean, what is its scope, and what does it say about factory farms, where intense animal suffering has been well documented in recent years? How can understanding these Jewish texts inform our work in creating ethical and responsible food choices policies, for ourselves and for our Jewish institutions?

4:15 – 5:30 PM The Font of Revelation Library Julie Seltzer What was the “font” of revelation – that is, what script was the Torah first written in? Together, will investigate early Hebrew writing, the development from pictograph to alphabet, and the direct link between Hebrew and scripts in use today, including the one this description is typed in.

4:15 – 6:15 PM Longer Hike Meet at Gazebo JOFEE 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.

5:00 – 5:30 PM Kids' Dinner Kids Sukkah 5:30 – 8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts 5:30 – 6:30 PM Yizkor: Remembering our Loved Ones Beige Yurt Michal Fox Smart Shemini Atzeret is one of the special days each year on which Yizkor, the memorial prayer for the deceased, is recited in shul.

Let’s gather to reflect on the lives and legacies of the loved ones we are each remembering today, and explore what remembrance can mean. #MeToo in the Office: the Rabbinic Understanding of Safety & Respect in the Workplace Red Yurt Rav Aviva Richman & Kohenet Shamirah What do rabbinic texts teach about what can build or jeopardize relationships centered around dignity? Where does Jewish law fall short of issues such as sexual abuse and consent? How should midrash and other teachings inspire leaders to create and maintain respectful workplaces?

Sarah Chandler, a BeKavod Safe & Respectful Workplaces trainer & Rav Aviva Richman, faculty at Hadar Institute and scholar of feminism and Jewish Law, will guide the discussion.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 23

Monday, October 1 | Simchat Torah 6:30 – 7:30 PM Mincha/ Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library 7:20 PM Candle lighting time for Simchat Torah (after 7:16 PM – from existing flame) Great Hall

8:00 – 9:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Dining Tent 9:30 – 11:30 PM Hakafot Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library All Streams Seventh and Final Hakafah Lawn For the seventh and final hakafah of the night, we will all join together outside on the lawn in celebration as a community.

Tuesday, October 2 | Simchat Torah 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 9:30 AM Breakfast Dining Tent 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts and Crafts Please see page 26 for details.

9:30 – 12:00 pm Shacharit Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library 12:00 – 1:00 PM Festive Holiday Kiddush Great Hall In honor of Max & Zahava Amper’s 70th wedding Anniversary, from their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

1:00 – 3:00 PM Hakafot/ Torah Service/ Musaf Orthodox Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Library 3:00 – 4:00 PM Lunch Dining Tent 4:00 – 6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts 4:15 – 5:30 PM Preferring Sages to Prophets: Interpretation as Revelation Synagogue Laynie Soloman The rabbis declare that “if we are not prophets, we are the children of prophets,” but what does it mean to be a prophet in our (and their!) current moment? Through the lens of several rabbinic texts, we’ll investigate the ways in which our creative acts of interpretation—both of scripture and the world at large—serve as acts of prophecy, and what this means for our relationship with G!d, tradition, and our own insights.

1:00 – 3:00 PM Camp Teva Arts and Crafts

24 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Tuesday, October 2 | Simchat Torah 4:15 – 5:30 PM Creating Accessible Communities: a Practical workshop Library Rabbi Lauren Tuchman This workshop will delve into some of the practical aspects of creating communities that are accessible to folks with disabilities.

Please note: I am able to most authentically speak from my own personal and professional experiences. This workshop will focus mostly on physical access in synagogue and other communal life.

7:30 PM Havdallah (7:14 PM) Great Hall

Overlook Hike Meet at the Gazebo JOFEE 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.

9:00 PM Snack Great Hall

5:45 – 6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox Mountainview

8:00 – 10:30 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music, jewelry, Judaica, and Adamah products including pickles and jams!

Store hours will be posted.

8:30 – 10:30 PM Celebratory Bonfire Fire Pit 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.

Soon By You film screening Sukkat Chalom Leah Gottfried Watch an episode of the hit web series Soon By You about young Orthodox Jews navigating life and love in New York City.

Screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director Leah Gottfried.

Traditional Egalitarian Library 6:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner Dining Tent 7:15 – 7:30 PM Maariv Orthodox Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian Library

Wednesday, October 3 7:30 – 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 – 10:00 AM Breakfast Dining Tent

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Bookstore Open 11:30 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Entrance to Main Building

10:00 AM Check Out Please check out of your room by 10:00 am. Thank you so much for joining us – see you next time!

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 25

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 Camp Teva program planned for children ages 5–12. Everything from shaking the lulav and morning shacharit to exploring the forest and the farm. All activities meet in Arts and Crafts, unless otherwise noted. From there we will move to other locations on campus.

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. If you have any questions please direct them to Arielle Aronoff, Director of Teva. *Italicized programs are not facilitated by Camp Teva. Please be sure that your child is supervised by an adult during these times.

Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Schedule SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 3:00 – 4:00 PM JOFEE Fair Camp Teva Sukkah Decorating Party Have fun getting creative and add your unique artwork to our very own Camp Teva Sukkah!

5:30 – 6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Kids’ Sukkah Join us for an early kids’ dinner and learn about the Camp Teva program. There are important policies to learn about and fun games to engage in!

6:30 – 7:30 PM Night Walk Explore the woods with all of your senses under starlight!

6:30 – 7:30 PM Ultimate Night Hike (Ages 9+) Get to know the woods in a new way! Explore the forest at night, using your senses in ways you don’t get to use them every day!

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop off their toddlers for movement, toys, and fun.

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Ancient Burping Yeasts Learn how yeast burps rise bread dough. Mix your own batch of pita bread to be baked later in our cob oven!

9:00 – 11:00 AM 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.

1:00 – 2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch

Animal Tracking and Forest Games (Ages 9+) Help us look for animal tracks in the woods- all while getting a closer look at different sorts of interesting plant and animal life!

Come play fun and goofy games in nature’s playground!

2:30 – 3:30 PM Field Games Bear, Salmon, Mosquito. Mother May I. Steal the Moon. We have so many games to share and I bet you do too!

26 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Schedule 2:30 – 3:30 PM Challenge and Discovery (Ages 9+) We will present challenges that as a team you will need to figure out how to solve. These games will be challenging and fun so bring your critical thinking hats and get ready.

3:30 – 5:30 PM DIY Pita and Butter Making The best combination since apples and honey: homemade pita and butter! Come make this tasty treat with us. Now that our pitas have been fermenting a few hours, it is time to roll them out, bake, and enjoy. Join us as we bake the pita in our woodfired Cob Oven, and make your own butter to put on them, too!

5:30 – 6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner Kids’ Sukkah 6:00 – 7:00 PM Simchat Beit HaShueva with Shoshana Jedwab Join us around the campfire for this wild reenactment of an ancient Jewish practice.

7:00 – 8:00 PM Songs around the Fire Let’s sing and enjoy tasty treats around the campfire.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt 9:00 – 10:30 AM Fire Building and Hot Cocoa Learn to build a fire, and help us make our own hot cocoa over the flames!

1:00 – 2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch 2:30 – 4:00 PM GaGa (Ages 9+) GaGa, also known as the best camp game ever created. Come play with us.

Apple Cider and Fire Building (Ages 9+) Come make your own fresh apple cider using a real cider press, and help build a fire to heat it!

Bubbles, Hula Hoops, and Circus Games!

Get ready to show off your best cartwheel, expert pogo sticking, clown walking, and more! Practice (or learn!) hula hooping, and enjoy the magic of billions of bubbles!

10:30 – 1:00 PM Forest games Play games in the world’s most natural (and exciting!) playground – the forest!

4:00 – 6:00 PM Open Micro-Cone Around the campfire, bring your talents, your songs and stories to share with the group.

Cave Exploration (Ages 9+) Discover some of the hidden wonders of the woods as we explore caves and keep our eyes open for countless marvels along the way!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop off their toddlers for movement, toys, and fun.

9:00 – 10:00 AM Nature Mobiles The world is filled with so many wonderful, natural art supplies!

Come make magical nature art!

10:00 – 12:00 PM Wild Tea Party Join us as we find and pick our own tea from plants we find growing right here, and then help us make a fire to brew it!

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch 1:00 – 2:30 PM DIY Paper Learn how to make your own paper! When the paper dries, we’ll use it to write poems on.

2:30 – 6:00 PM Survival 101 (Ages 9+) Learn how to build a shelter, clean water, and make a fire.

Shelter Building and Fairy Houses Make a shelter for yourself or for the forest fairies.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 27

Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Schedule THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop off their toddlers for movement, toys, and fun.

9:00 – 10:30 AM Ushpizin Cut Outs On Sukkot we welcome our ancestors into the sukkah to share in our delight and abundance. Think about who you would like to bring into the sukkah today. We will create paper doll cut outs and decorate the sukkah with our guests.

10:30 – 12:00 PM Eco-Spa (Ages 9+) Come relax with Eco-Spa! Aromatherapy, exfoliating scrubs, salves, and more! Learn about earth-friendly spa products you can make yourself.

DIY Candles and B’Samim Dip your own candles and make your own b’samim packets for Shabbat and havdallah. We will light them together tomorrow night.

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 PM Water Cycle Boogie Come down to Lake Miriam and check out all of the cool macroinvertebrates that live in the pond. Scuds, mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae are a few of the residents we have with us.

Trail Maintenance (Ages 9+) Ever wonder who maintains the trails that we hike on? Do you know what it takes to keep them clear from fallen trees? Come find out! Our Teva educators will guide you in the proper safety of using hand tools to clear away a fallen tree.

2:30 – 4:30 PM Forest Exploration Let’s take a hike and see what’s growing and decaying in the forest.

Whittling (Ages 9+) Use the wood from that fallen tree to create a yad, a wand, or a spatula.

4:30 – 6:00 PM Games Galore Its time to run and jump and play all the games that the Teva educators know best. We bet you know some good ones too!

Yoga (Ages 9+) This will be a relaxing afternoon yoga class.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop off their toddlers for movement, toys, and fun.

2:00 – 3:30 PM Farm Flower Harvest Pick flowers and veggies from the Adamah Farm to decorate our Shabbat table.

9:00 – 10:30 AM Make Challah Dough A special Shabbat is coming, so come get ready! Help prepare challah dough we will use to make our own challot!

3:30 – 5:00 PM Pressed Flowers and Shabbat and Chag Cards Be inventive! Join us to make nature art, and use natural materials to decorate Shabbat and Chag greeting cards for your friends and family. Learn to use natural materials in ways you may never have imagined!

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Goat Morning The goats need to take a walk around camp. Help them stretch their legs.

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch 1:00 – 2:00 PM Challah Braiding Get creative braiding and baking your own challah. It will be hot and ready for you to share with family and friends for Shabbat dinner tonight!

5:00 – 5:30 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation 6:30 – 8:00 PM Welcoming Shabbat Join in song and dance to welcome the Shabbat Queen!

Shabbat Night Walk (Ages 9+) Get to know the woods in a new way! Explore the forest at night, using your senses in ways you don’t get to use them every day!

28 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop off their toddlers for movement, toys, and fun.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Cave Exploration and Prayer Walk (Ages 9+) Discover some of the hidden wonders of the woods as we explore caves and keep our eyes open for countless marvels along the way. We will even have the chance to participate in a mindful prayer walk along the way!

9:00 – 10:00 AM Good Morning Shabbat Join in song and dance to celebrate Shabbat!

10:00 – 11:00 AM Topsy Turvy Bus Tour Is that bus topsy or is it turvy? Come find out from folks who have lived on the bus!

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Goats and Forest Exploration

1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch 2:30 – 3:30 PM Games Galore!

Its time to run and jump and play all the games that the Teva educators know best. We bet you know some good ones too!

2:30 – 4:30 PM GaGa and GaGames! (Ages 9+) Are you gaga for GaGa? Or maybe you’ve never heard of it? Either way, come join us for fun and exciting games- GaGa and more!

3:30 – 4:30 PM Yoga Cobra? Frog? Tree? Downward Dog? Sounds like an adventure!

You’ll feel wonderful stretching every which way, and you’ll have the chance to learn all sorts of fun yoga poses!

4:30 – 6:00 PM Shabbat Theatrics Show us your best acting, your silliest walks, and most animated voice!

12:00 – 1:00 PM Shabbos Kodesh Relax on the hammocks after that long hike, and before lunch.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt 9:00 – 12:00 AM Nature Crafts Time to let the artist in you shine! Get inspired and have fun coming up with your own unique creations! We can continue any projects you’ve already started or make something new!

5:00 – 5:30 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Join us for an early kids’ dinner and learn about the Camp Teva program. There are important policies to learn about and fun games to engage in!

5:30 – 7:30 PM Songs and Stories Around the Campfire With s’mores of course!

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch 1:00 – 3:00 PM Grow Your Own Greens We’ll walk down to the farm to collect compost and bring it back to plant our own seeds. They’ll even start to grow before you go home! ***Thanks for a great day. Camp Teva resumes with Kids’ Dinner at 5:00 PM***

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 29

Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Schedule MONDAY, OCTOBER 1 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop off their toddlers for movement, toys, and fun.

2:30 – 4:00 PM Goats’n’Games Come meet and greet the glorious goats who call this land their home! Have a great time as we play games of all sorts.

9:00 – 9:30 AM Wake up and Stretch!

Stretch out those sleepy muscles and wake up your cells.

2:30 – 5:00 PM Forest Exploration and Games (Ages 9+) Get an up-close look at the wonders of the woods, and enjoy playing exciting forest games! Discover fascinating plants and critters, and find out what you love most about the forest!

9:30 – 11:00 AM Apple Crisp Apple season is here. Let's make a warm apple crisp to snack on this afternoon.

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Bubbles Bubbles everywhere!

We have mini bubbles, giant bubbles, and medium bubbles.

Come play with all of the bubbles!

Challenge and Discovery (Ages 9+) We will present challenges that as a team you will need to figure out how to solve. These games will be challenging and fun so bring your critical thinking hats and get ready.

4:00 – 5:00 PM Story Time Come relax before dinner and read stories in the hammock or in Arts and Crafts.

5:00 – 5:30 PM Kids’ Dinner 5:30 – 8:00 PM Open Micro-Cone Around the campfire, bring your talents, your songs and stories to share with the group.

1:00 – 2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2 - 4) Beige Yurt 9:00 – 9:30 AM Wake up and Stretch!

Stretch out those sleepy muscles and wake up your cells.

9:30 – 11:00 AM Busy Bees Farm Exploration Did you know that Bees dance to communicate? Lets dance our way over to the farm and see what we can see and learn from the bees and the end of the farming season!

9:30 – 11:00 AM Farm Scavenger Hunt (Ages 9+) There is so much to see on the farm! Ripening tomatoes, greens, and flowers! How many things can you find? What do they look like? How do they smell?

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Bike Blender Smoothies We have farm fresh fruits and veggies ready to blend. Use your human power potential and enjoy a smoothie.

12:00 – 1:00 PM Kiddush 1:00 – 3:00 DIY Playdough and Story Time Learn how to make your own DIY Playdough, then let your imagination run wild! What can you dream into sculpture?

3:00 – 4:00 PM Lunch 4:00 – 5:00 PM Edible Torahs Make mini torahs from delicious and edible materials in celebration of Simchat Torah!

5:00 – 6:00 PM See you Soon Celebration This is our last session of Camp Teva. Join us to play your favorite games, or read your favorite stories.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 **Please note, there will be no Camp Teva programming on Wednesday Thank you for participating in Camp Teva – see you next time!

30 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Jewish Life at Isabella Freedman SERVICE OPTIONS Orthodox Sing and pray in an uplifting, traditional Hebrew morning service. There will be separate seating for men and women.

Traditional Egalitarian 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 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. The 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 and drums may be utilized to support a joyous, creative prayer experience.

Shabbat Customs & Practices Hazon strives to create an inclusive community throughout all of our events. As such, Shabbat can be a complicated time, since our participants come from all backgrounds and have a variety of personal customs. For some, this may be their first time experiencing Shabbat; others may follow the letter of the law regarding Shabbat each week. In crafting our Shabbat schedule, we have tried to create programming that will be of interest to all, and have multiple minyanim (prayer services) to choose from.

A Day of Rest From Friday night at sundown until one hour after sundown on Saturday the Jewish tradition incorporates a day of rest called Shabbat. One of the original ten commandments, Shabbat is a day where, aside from physical work, people traditionally abstain from many different things including using the telephone, turning on and off lights, cooking, using the computer, listening to or playing music, swimming, and writing. We would like to ask that you not use electronics in public spaces on Shabbat. This unplugging not only respects those who are traditionally observant, but will also allow you to fully immerse yourself in your surroundings.

Candle Lighting All Jewish holidays begin at sunset and we mark the transition from the work week to Shabbat or Holiday with the lighting of candles. This is a way to welcome in Shabbat and the Holiday, reflect on the last week and prepare for a day of rest before the week begins again.

Havdallah Havdallah, (lit. separation), marks the end of Shabbat and the start of the new week. Havdallah will take place as soon as three stars are visible in the sky. The Havdallah ceremony includes a blessing over wine, spices, and a flame, and concludes with a blessing separating Shabbat and the Holiday from the week.

Havdallah is intended to require a person to use all five senses: tasting wine, smelling spices, seeing fire, feeling its heat, and hearing blessings.

QUICK SUKKOT GLOSSARY Arbah Minim Literally “four species,” a quartet of plants used in Sukkot rituals: lulav, etrog , hadas, and aravah.

Ushpizin Literally “guests,” the biblical guests that the Zohar teaches are to be invited into the sukkah (along with the poor) during each night of Sukkot.

Hoshanah Rabbah “the Great Call for Help,” the seventh day of Sukkot during which hakafot are made and Hoshanot are recited. According to one tradition, it is the very last day for God to seal a judgment.

Hoshanot Prayers of salvation that are chanted on Hoshanah Rabbah while holding the four species. At the end of the hakafot, each person takes a bundle of willow twigs and strikes it on the ground for symbolic purposes. Each prayer begins with the word hoshanah, which means, “Save, I pray.”

Shemini Atzeret Literally “the Eighth Day of Gathering,” the eighth day of Sukkot, which holds special significance as its own holiday.

Jews thank God for the harvest and ask for winter rain to prepare the ground for spring planting.

Simchat Torah Literally “rejoicing in the Torah,” the holiday that celebrates both the end and renewal of the annual cycle of reading the Torah. Typically, the congregation takes the Torah scrolls from the ark and parades with them in circles (hakafot) around the perimeter of the sanctuary.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 31

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.

Fatima Aysha Hussain is the head of outreach and education for the Herman Project, a citizen science project investigating the ecology and evolution of sourdough. She is currently a PhD candidate at MIT studying marine microbial ecology and is excited to apply her work to food microbiology in the future. This is her first time celebrating Sukkot and she is very excited to share Herman with everyone at Sukkahfest!

Aryeh Bernstein lives in Chicago and is a veteran Torah educator, especially in social justice frameworks. He is the Chicago Director of the Avodah Justice Fellowship, Staff Educator for Farm Forward’s Jewish Initiative for Animals, Educational Consultant to the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Coordinator of Mishkan Chicago's Social Justice Beit Midrash, Founding Director of the Hyde Park Teen Beit Midrash, and a Senior Editor of Jewschool.com. He has taught at Hadar, Drisha, and communities and campuses around the country and Israel and has studied at Columbia University, JTS, YU, YCT, and, for seven years, at Yeshivat Maale Gilboa. He has been teaching at Sukkahfest for many years.

David Blank is a teacher, amateur food scientist, and former Teva educator. He is looking forward to partnering with The Herman Project this Sukkahfest to connect food microbiology with Torah and history.

Christine Bloom discovered yoga haphazardly, but davka just at the time when she needed it most! She finds that each journey on the yoga mat – connecting 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.

Bailey Braun is the Dean of Students at Ma'ayanot Yeshivah High School for Girls. In melding her background in social work with her commitment to Torah values and deep love of textual learning, Bailey has brought her unique perspective as a public speaker and educator 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., he 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.

Rabbi 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.

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.

Michal Fox Smart is Director of Ayeka North America, an organization devoted to Soulful Jewish Education, and a former Associate Principal of Bi-Cultural Day School. Michal is a widely loved teacher and recognized leader in education innovation. She is Editor of Kaddish: Women’s Voices, winner of the 2013 National Jewish Book Award.

Earlier, Michal pioneered Jewish outdoor and environmental education in this country. She is a founder of the TEVA Learning Center, former Executive Director of Isabella Freedman, and co-author of Spirit in Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail.

Leah Gottfried is an award winning director, writer, producer and actor, and founder of the production company Dignity Entertainment.

She is the creator of the hit comedic web series Soon By You, which centers on young Orthodox Jews dating in NYC and currently has over 800K views on YouTube. Her short film The Setup won Best Short Film at the Washington Jewish Film Festival and has screened in numerous film festivals all around the world.

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.

Shoshana Jedwab is a prize-winning Jewish educator and the Jewish Studies Coordinator at the A.J. Heschel Middle School in New York City.

She is the founding facilitator of the Makom Drum Circle at the JCC in Manhattan and is a percussionist and performance artist who has trained in bibliodrama and psychodrama. Shoshana has provided empowering drum circles to singles, students, training and bereavement groups.

Shoshana has performed with Storahtelling, Chana Rothman, Debbie Freedman, Akiva Wharton, A Song of Solomon, Hebrew Mystical Chant with Kirtn Rabbi Andrew Hahn, and seasonal events. She is Kohenet's ritual drummer and also serves on the Kohenet faculty.

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.

Dan Pelberg is a freelance blockchain and cryptocurrency writer with a background in technology and finance. Additionally, he is a mediation practitioner and teacher, having spent significant time on retreat and learning from teachers in Israel, India, and the US.

32 • Sukkahfest 5779 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Rabbi Isaiah J. Rothstein is pulled towards building platforms for Jews of all backgrounds to celebrate their identities and affinities – together – with the rest of community. Isaiah received rabbinic ordination and master of social work from Yeshiva University’s RIETS and Wurzweiler School of Social Work. During his spare time, Isaiah enjoys bringing movement to strings, things and people – wherever the air flows (he told us, to tell you, to ask him, what he means by that). Currently, Isaiah serves as the Rabbi-in-residence for Hazon and lives in Brooklyn, NY. 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 boundary-pushing 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.

Rabbi David Seidenberg is the creator of neohasid.org, and author of the acclaimed book Kabbalah and Ecology: God's Image in the MoreThan-Human World (Cambridge 2015). He has ordination from both Jewish Theological Seminary and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and teaches throughout North America and the world. David has a special interest in Hasidic nigunim and dance, and is also a noted liturgist and translator. He lives in Northampton, MA. Julie Seltzer is a Torah scribe and Jewish educator. Before learning the scribal arts, she worked as a teacher, a baker at Isabella Freedman, and for one glorious day, a shepherd on Kibbutz. Julie is currently writing her fourth Torah, as well as a memoir chronicling her spiritual journey.

She lives in Beacon, NY with her Israeli mutt Shusha. Julie's hand is featured on the homepage of Sefaria.org.

Sarah Chandler a.k.a. Kohenet Shamirah is a Brooklyn-based Jewish educator, ritualist, artist, activist, and poet. Currently, she is a garden educator with Grow Torah and the Director of Curriculum Design & Cultivation with Fig Tree, a startup Hebrew School in Brooklyn. A trainer with BeKavod, she supports Jewish non-profits in harassment prevention, through designing and maintaining respectful workplaces.

She teaches, writes, and consults on issues related to Jewish earthbased spiritual practice, farming, and mindfulness. Ordained as a Kohenet (Hebrew Priestess) in 2015, she is studying as a shamanic healer apprentice at The Wisdom School of S.O.P.H.I.A and Kabbalistic imaginal dream work at The School of Images.

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.

Henny Stern, LCSW is a holistic and trauma informed psychotherapist who integrated her work as a therapist, somatic mind-body practitioner, and embodied dancer to create AccepDance! Dance has always been Henny's passion and happy place since the beginning of time. However, through her journey of self-discovery and self-love, she experienced a different kind of movement, transitioning away from the need for external validation, to feeling truly seen when shifting her focus inward and trusting her body to lead her…gently and with AccepDance. Building upon her personal journey, Henny created AccepDance to share this gift – offering sustainable tools and skills in accessing the body's infinite wisdom through art, science and play.

Henny's private practice as well as ongoing AccepDance workshops is based in Brooklyn, NY. She also travels to offer workshops to other communities, as well as provides somatic sessions remotely. When she's not dancing, leading dance workshops or meeting with clients, Henny can be found in nature, hustling around Brooklyn where she lives or simply enjoying chai tea – in a great coffee shop, somewhere in NYC. www.AccepDanceNY.com Rabbi Lauren Tuchman received rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2018 and is, as far as she is aware, the first blind woman in the world to enter the rabbinate. A sought after speaker, spiritual leader, and educator, Rabbi Tuchman has taught at numerous synagogues and other Jewish venues throughout North America and was named to the Jewish Week’s 36 under 36 for her innovative leadership concerning inclusion of Jews with disabilities in all aspects of Jewish life.

Eliezer Weinbach is the Retreat Coordinator at Isabella Freedman.

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.

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.

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, she 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.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 33

Upcoming Hazon Retreats & Programs All retreats take place at Isabella Freedman unless otherwise indicated. Visit hazon.org/calendar for more information.

October 11 - 14 (Tamarack Camps, MI)

Sunday, November 11 (Philadelphia, PA)

JOFEE NETWORK GATHERING

HUNGRY FOR CHANGE: AMERICAN AND ISRAELI STRATEGIES ON FOOD SECURITY, RECOVERY, AND JUSTICE

For anyone interested in bringing Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming, and Environmental Education (JOFEE) elements to your work and home communities.

October 19 - 21

JEWISH MEN’S RETREAT Deepen your relationship with your father, sons, brothers, friends, and congregants by inviting them to join for the weekend.

October 23 - 30 (in Israel)

ARAVA INSTITUTE & HAZON ISRAEL RIDE – SOLD OUT

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia invites all of our community members for one day of our international food conference, serving as an opportunity to learn about innovative food security initiatives currently in progress in Philadelphia and Israel.

December 23 - 30

HAZON MEDITATION RETREAT Silent meditation with instruction, musical prayer services, and evening teachings that draw on Jewish, secular, and Buddhist sources.

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.

Registration for the 2019 Israel Ride opens on October 23.

Sign up early to secure your spot on this epic adventure!

34 • Sukkahfest 5779 • 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!

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 35

Sukkat Shalom

Mountainview

Sukkat Chalom Dining DiningTent Tent

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

Isabella Freedman Emergency #: 860 – 453-3963