2019 Sukkahfest Program Book

Sukkahfest

October 13– 23, 2019 Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Small Acts Add Up to Great Good!

We are in a global environmental crisis. Jewish tradition compels us to respond.

Isabella Freedman, the home of Hazon, is dedicated to healthier, sustainable communities. Twelve years ago we shifted from disposable to compostable cups and dishes for use outside the Dining Hall.

While much better than plastic and single-use, disposable items, today we need to do better.

To leave the trees standing and to keep carbon in the ground we will be phasing out our single-use compostable dishes and we ask you to use the provided mugs inside the Main Building and to carry your own reusable water bottle around the Isabella Freedman campus.

To make the transition easier, we are introducing:

Klean Kanteen triple insulated hot or cold bottles We will be selling them at check-in at a sliding scale of $18–$36, as we are committed to keeping prices affordable.

Table of Contents Welcome Letter.........................................................................................................3 Guest Information....................................................................................................4 About Hazon..............................................................................................................6 Our Food Values at Isabella Freedman.............................................................8 Schedule Sukkot: First Days........................................................................................... 10 Sunday, October 13................................................................................ 10 Monday, October 14.............................................................................. 11 Tuesday, October 15.............................................................................. 13 Chol Hamoed................................................................................................... 15 Wednesday, October 16....................................................................... 15 Thursday, October 17............................................................................ 16 Friday, October 18.................................................................................. 18

Shabbat Chol Hamoed................................................................................. 18 Friday, October 18.................................................................................. 18 Saturday, October 19............................................................................. 20 Sukkot: Second Days..................................................................................... 22 Sunday, October 20................................................................................ 22 Monday, October 21.............................................................................. 24 Tuesday, October 22.............................................................................. 25 Wednesday, October 23....................................................................... 26 Jewish Life at Isabella Freedman..................................................................... 27 Leaders and Teachers Bios................................................................................. 28

Welcome!

Shalom friends,

Welcome to the 14th 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 our 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, and has since permeated into the overall ethos of Isabella Freedman. All Streams Judaism seeks to validate all types 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 make Isabella Freedman a Jewish space that is so accessible and comforting to all. It is a focus on unity and diversity that is the sign of ecological, social, and spiritual wellness.

5780 is the year of Environmental Teshuva. While the High Holidays have come and gone for this Jewish calendar year, Sukkot has a special place in the Teshuva Cycle. On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we feel the gravity of our sins and pray to God for forgiveness. But on Sukkot, we come before God in joy – in affirmation that this world can be a place of love and holiness. Sins of carbon emission can be joyfully corrected when we experience what it’s like to eat organic and farm-fresh. Sins of food waste can be mitigated when we join a more wholesome food cycle by composting. We choose to be at Isabella Freedman where we can take classes on how the Jewish tradition informs our everyday interactions with the earth. We don’t just feel bad about the climate crisis – at Hazon, we delight in fixing it.

Sukkot is also the holiday of building – of creating the structures that will protect us throughout the year. Over the past two years I have come to call Isabella Freedman my home. It is a place of shelter and beauty that has been crafted and cultivated by the most incredible people. I’m forever grateful to all the people who have worked on building this Sukkahfest, and continuously make Isabella Freedman a place we love returning to.

Thank you for building with us!

Eli Weinbach Retreat Coordinator, Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

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Guest Information 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 dial 9-9-1-1 from any landline phone in the buildings throughout campus. Please familiarize yourself with the location of the phone nearest to your room. On all landlines you must dial 9 before making any call. After making a 9-1-1 call, please contact a retreat manager by calling the IF Emergency #: (860) 453-3963. Emergencies only, please. Remember that from landlines, you must dial 9 before making any call.

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. The two elements of our security plan which you must understand are: 1. Please wear your name tags at all times. Our staff need to be aware of who should be on our site.

2. In the event of a campus-wide emergency, 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 to campus. Remain there until emergency services arrive. Do not take time to look for others besides children and do not use your cellphone.

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

FIRE SAFETY: Please only light candles at group candle lighting in the main building. Campfires must be approved in advance by the event coordinator and are allowed only at the fire pit by the lake. Campfires must be put out at the end of the activity.

Please see a Retreat Manager with any questions.

SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in all buildings and throughout campus. The only exception is that you may smoke at the fire pit by the lake. Please dispose of cigarette butts in the designated cigarette bin.

PARKING: Driving and parking on grassy areas is not allowed.

Please only park in 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 food or beverages or personal drinking and eating vessels into the Dining Hall or Dining Tent without prior approval from one of our kosher supervisors. Mugs from our coffee bar can

be used only in the main building. For to-go coffee and tea (including in the Synagogue) please use one of our compostable cups or your own mug. Please do not take our dishes outside of 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 eat in a dining space must be presented, in original sealed packaging to our kosher supervisor for approval.

CLEAR YOUR 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 10am or a $50 late fee will be charged to your credit card. Kindly strip your bed and place all sheets and towels into a pillowcase. Do not remove mattress pads, blankets, or comforters from the beds.

COMPOST & RECYCLING: Around campus you will see containers for compost (green), recycling (blue), and trash (black). Items that are compostable: 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. All of this turns into compost which we use 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 all items with your name.

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

HOT WATER/COFFEE: Due to our kosher policies, on Shabbat we offer coffee and hot water only until it runs out. Once Shabbat ends, our staff make fresh batches. We aim to prepare enough coffee and hot water through the holiday and appreciate your understanding if we have not.

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

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

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GAMES, BOOKS AND MORE: We offer a variety of sports equipment, books, games, and toys for your pleasure. Please do not use any bikes found on campus as these belong to Isabella Freedman staff.

LAKE AND SWIMMING / BOATING: The pool is open seasonally and only when a lifeguard is on duty. Use of the lake is at your own risk—life vests are located in the shed by the dock. After use, please return vests and oars to the shed and boats to the rack.

HIKING: Please stay on Isabella Freedman trails when hiking. We recommend telling a friend when you go out on a trail and when you return, carrying a cell phone and water bottle, and only hiking during daylight hours. Trail maps are located at Guest Services.

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

VISITING THE GOATS: During the spring, we welcome the babies of our hardworking mother does. You are encouraged to visit the Adamah barnyard during scheduled goat activities.

Please enter fenced-in areas only with an Isabella Freedman staff member present, and please respect all signage and directions given by staff members. Please do not feed the goats or visit when a goat is sick, giving birth, or about to give birth.

We want to be sure that everyone is safe and healthy!

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.

Honoring Native Land At Isabella Freedman, we cultivate the soil to grow food, we climb mountains to gain new perspectives, we mikvah in the lake to mark transitions, and we pray, learn, and engage with our tradition and with the forests and living waters. Long before we started applying our own stories and traditions to this land, it was the sacred home of the Mohican people. For more than five hundred years, Indigenous communities across the Americas have demonstrated resilience and resistance in the face of violent efforts to separate them from their land, culture, and community. Too often their history is erased. As Jews we have experienced exile and persecution, and as part of the larger process of decolonization and reconciliation, we honor the Indigenous People who have stewarded this land for thousands of years.

Want to learn more about the history of Indigenous People where you live? Visit native-land.ca

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About Hazon The word Hazon means “vision”.

Our vision is of a vibrant, healthy Jewish community, in which to be Jewish is necessarily to help create a more sustainable world for all.

We’re in a global environmental crisis. Jewish tradition compels us to respond…

As the Jewish lab for sustainability, Hazon is building a national movement that strengthens Jewish life and contributes to a more environmentally sustainable world for all.

People who participate in our programs deepen their Jewish identities; experience the connection between inherited Jewish wisdom, food, climate, and the natural world; and become linked with others who care about creating a more sustainable Jewish community and world.

Hazon develops, networks, and provides resources for those growing into leadership – people changing existing institutions or building new organizations and communities that live the values we cherish and the world needs. These individuals become part of a powerful movement of like-minded people within and outside the Jewish community who take responsibility for fixing what has gone awry in our relationship to the world and for designing a more sustainable future for all.

Everything we do is rooted in seven core principles: 1. Vibrant experiential education that renews Jewish life

5. A focus on leadership, because leadership

amplifies impact Educating, networking, nurturing and empowering leaders across the JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education) field...

Using songs, growing, cooking, meditation, retreats, Shabbat celebrations and the arts...

2. Connections between Jewish tradition and the

outdoors, food, farming, and ecology Engaging with texts, ritual, prayer, thought-leadership, and the physical world that sustains us...

6. Healthy and sustainable actions Operating at the highest possible standards in relation to health and environmental sustainability; farming organically; demonstrating meatless meals; serving high-welfare eggs; reducing plastic and sugar...

3. Intellectual excellence and rigor Relating to Jewish tradition with integrity; committing to best practice; learning from expert teachers; and using ongoing evaluation to improve all that we do...

7. Investing in our own people

4. Justice, diversity, and inclusion Including in relation to religious expression, gender, identity, race...

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Supporting staff and board development as critical to our own long-term success…

Building Leadership JOFEE Fellowship The JOFEE Fellowship invigorates the Jewish educational landscape by seeding Jewish communities with outstanding Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming, and Environmental Educators.

The program has graduated over 60 fellows, who have run programs for 75,000+ individuals across the country.

Teva Since 1994, Teva has engaged over 100,000 Jewish students, day school teachers, and young adults in Jewish environmental education. The program works to fundamentally transform Jewish education through experiential learning that fosters Jewish, ecological, and food sustainability. Each year, Teva engages roughly 1,000 day schoolers and 13 young adults, who receive professional development and serve as trail educators.

Commit to Change

Immersive Experiences

Hazon Seal of Sustainability The Hazon Seal of Sustainability guides Jewish organizations and their members to become healthier and more sustainable.

Organizations take sustainability audits, design greening initiatives, and receive the Hazon Seal as a testament to their leadership. Over 75 Jewish organizations from coast to coast, and all walks of Jewish life, are currently in the Hazon Seal – including synagogues, day schools, camps, social service agencies, and Hillels.

Isabella Freedman Each year, Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Hazon’s home in the Berkshires, engages over 6,000 individuals in immersive, pluralistic Jewish retreat experiences that celebrate Jewish life, learning, and leadership. Visit hazon.org/calendar for our full retreat schedule.

“I am incredibly proud of being part of an organization that puts so much emphasis on sustainability. I love having the Hazon Seals up as a talisman of what we stand for and something to visibly point out to staff, campers, and guests.” – Ramah in the Rockies Community Lab in Detroit Detroit is in the midst of a cultural, Jewish, and economic renaissance which provides fertile ground for exploring new ideas and programs to create long-term change.

The Hazon office in Detroit serves as a “lab” that models for other communities how Jewish life can be reinvigorated through a commitment to healthy eating, sustainability, and food justice.

Adamah Jewish Farming Fellowship Adamah is a three-month fellowship that provides space for young adults to explore the intersection of sustainable agriculture with Jewish identity, community building, spirituality, and personal development. An exceptional leadership training experience, the program’s 400+ alumni have gone on to found a wide range of organizations and projects dedicated to agriculture, justice, and Jewish life.

“At Adamah, I lived in a warm and intentional Jewish community for the first time, I engaged in regular prayer for the first time, I discussed social and communal and even political issues through a Jewish lens. Through Adamah, I became more solid in and proud of my Jewish identity; it became meaningful and real to me in a new way. I could not have my current Jewish life and home and commitment without that experience.”

– Jack Zietman

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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.

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.

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 Hazon Food Guide for more information about higher-welfare products.

• Contact Jewish Initiative for Animals for support in finding higherwelfare eggs.

Meat All of the meat we serve is provided by Grow & Behold Foods, 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.

At the Hazon Food Conference in August 2018, we pledged to increase the heritage chicken breeds that we source each year by at least 5%. We intend to incrementally move towards improving the welfare of the chickens that produce our meat and eggs, with a vision toward diversified chicken genetics including a variety of heritage breeds. Working with Grow & Behold Foods, Jewish Initiative for Animals, and other allies, we aim to shift the percentage of kosher chicken that is both pasture raised and from a diversified breeding stock, which is important for public health, the long-term stability of the food supply, and animal welfare.

We encourage you to join us and help build the market for pasture raised chicken from diverse breeds, higher welfare eggs, a diet that includes less meat, and more thoughtful approaches to food purchasing overall.

Learn more at hazon.org/higherwelfaremeat Interested in finding kosher, pasture-raised meat in your area? Check out growandbehold.com for nationwide delivery and buying club options.

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 old-world 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.

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“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.

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.

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.

Learn More Visit us online at hazon.org/jewish-food-movement 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.

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

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Schedule

Sunday, October 13 | Erev Sukkot 3:00 - 5:00 PM Guest Arrival and Welcome Snack Great Hall JOFEE Welcome Fair Great Hall JOFEE Educators Make bike blender smoothies on our stationary bike skip the electricity and use your own muscles! Bake fresh challah in honor of the holiday! And be sure to check out the Kids Zone for other Sukkot oriented crafts.

Help Decorate Camp Teva Sukkah Kids Sukkah Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 4:00 - 5:30 pm Mikveh Dock Beyond the halachically (Jewish law) mandated mikveh uses (for conversion and for women getting married and observing niddah), the powerful symbolism of the mikveh waters has inspired various mikveh practices. In some Jewish communities, it is also customary to immerse before Yom Kippur, and for grooms to immerse before their weddings. After you have blessed and immersed, if you like, you can spend some time in the mikveh for personal reflection or prayer.

4:00 - 4:20 PM | Mikveh - Trans/Non-binary/GNC 4:30 - 4:50 PM | Mikveh - Self Identified Women 5:00 - 5:20 PM | Mikveh - Self Identified Men 5:15 - 5:45 PM Kids Dinner and Mandatory Parent/Guardian Orientation Kids Sukkah Join the Camp Teva Educators for a mandatory orientation to the program. Learn about the fun activities we have planned as well as important policies.

5:45 - 7:15 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information

6:00 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall (Official Lighting Time 5:57 PM) 6:00 - 7:00 PM Meditative Farm Walk Outside Great Hall Liana Rothman Mincha and Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian - Library 7:15 - 8:45 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:00 - 10:30 PM A Pleasing Odor to G!d?! Investigating the Art of Sacrificial Offerings Synagogue Laynie Soloman Our tradition is replete with discussions, references, and re-enactments of all things sacrificial, especially in this awe-some season. Are they just to appease G!d's nostrils, or is there something deeper (or both!)? Through exploring rabbinic texts in conversation with post-modern ritual theory, we'll explore varied visions of korbanot, and unpack the ways in which we might connect to our tradition's sacrificial offerings philosophically, emotionally, and spiritually. (All folks are welcome: we'll dig into a number of rabbinic texts, and all texts will be translated into English, though we'll make reference the original Hebrew/Aramaic.)

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.

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Monday, October 14 | 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 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Sukkat Shalom Sukkat Shalom Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Sukkah, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:00 AM - 12:45 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 AM - 12:45 PM Shacharit Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library Renewal - Synagogue 9:30 - 10:45 AM Morning Ecology Walk Outside Great Hall Arielle Aronoff Come join me 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 & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information

2:45 - 4:00 PM Farm Tour Outside Great Hall 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.

Sacrifice, Cravings, and Bloodshed: Does Torah Allow City-Dwellers to Eat Animals?

Library Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein What's at stake when we eat animals? How does the Torah envision humans and Jews doing so, and how did the Rabbis translate that vision as their economy shifted from an agricultural one to a commercial one? We will survey key Biblical passages and look closely at Rabbinic passages on the proper attitude and context required by Jewish law for meat consumption, asking along the way what this means today for people who don't interact with farm animals and live in the reality of a factory farm-dominated meat market.

It’s All Temporary Synagogue Aviva Perlo In this class, we’ll explore how Sukkot is the ultimate teacher of life and temporary realities. We’ll see how Sukkot invites us to acknowledge fragility and loss AND simultaneously bask in joy. Pump up the joy with text, song, poetry, and puppets to examine the literal and metaphorical applications of the sukkah. This class is interactive.

4:15 - 5:30 PM Sukkot as an Expression of “Natural Teshuva.”

Synagogue Avi Mandel A concept that is key during this time of the year is teshuvah.

As we closely read biblical and midrashic narratives, as well as classical and contemporary commentaries, we will explore the question – What is the nature of teshuvah? While its relevance appears to end with Yom Kippur, I would argue that, in fact, it does not. Thus, where does teshuvah manifest in the culmination of this period, Sukkot?

Exploring Creation Hike Outside Great Hall Michal Fox Smart A 1.5 hour hike up to the overlook, sprinkled with Jewish learning, field ecology, awakening our senses, and community building. Please wear sturdy shoes and bring water.

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Monday, October 14 | Sukkot Day 1 I Don't Know Hebrew, I don't read Aramaic, I Never Went to a Yeshiva, But I Want to Study Talmud Library Arthur Kurzweil With the availability of the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud, we look at some of the more provocative passages to be found within the cornerstone of all of Jewish texts, the Babylonian Talmud. No experience necessary.

5:30 - 6:00 PM Kids Dinner Kids Sukkah 6:00 - 7:30 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 6:00 - 6:15 PM Mincha Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 6:00 - 7:00 PM The Sukkah of Impermanence Red Yurt Dan Pelberg During the holiday of Sukkot we spend 8-days living in the temporary structure of our Sukkah, reminding us of the impermanence of everything we experience. We will examine the Sukkah and what it comes to teach us about the impermanent nature of our own homes and everything in our lives. This journey will take us not only to Jewish sources, but also stories from other traditions and what we can learn from the natural disasters ravaging our world today.

6:15 - 7:00 PM Singing and Torah Mountainview The liminal moments of the day are filled with a unique energy. We will transition from day to night surrounded by songs and holy words.

7:00 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall (After 6:55 PM from Existing Flame) 7:05 - 7:25 PM Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 7:30 - 9:00 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 9:00 - 10:15 PM I Heard Your Voice: Fear, Shame and Hiding and Sukkot Heals Library Rabbi David Ingber Over two millennia before Brene' Brown's famous Ted Talk on shame, Genesis Chapters 2 & 3 offered us the original look at, and understanding of SHAME. We will learn from the original Genesis text to consider shame, fear, and understanding of our basic human condition. Come with an open heart and ready to sing as well.

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Tuesday, October 15 | Sukkot Day 2 7:30 - 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

Morning Hike Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike the Blue trail, and contemplate your place in the world with a meditation at Selah Rock. Sturdy closed-toe shoes requires.

8:00 - 9:30 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Sukkat Shalom Sukkat Shalom Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Sukkah, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:00 AM- 12:45 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 AM - 12:45 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview 9:00 - 10:15 AM Shacharit Traditional Egalitarian - Library Renewal - Synagogue 10:20 AM - 12:45 PM Collaborative Egalitarian Hallel, Hoshannot, Torah Service & Musaf Synagogue 1:00 - 2:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Sukkat Shalom 2:30 - 5:45 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information

2:45 - 4:00 PM The Power behind the Throne: Biblical Queen Mothers Synagogue Rabbi Jill Hammer Buried in the pages of the books of Kings are the stories of the queen mothers: Bathsheba for whom Solomon placed a throne in the throne room, Maacah who was a donor to the Temple and maybe a heretic, Athaliah who engineered a bloody palace coup, Nechushta who went into exile and was called a “lioness among the lions.” The stories of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah may in part reflect the stories of the queen mothers of Judea, who were listed alongside their sons in biblical kingship narratives and whose powers are celebrated by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Proverbs. In this session, we’ll explore stories of the gevirah or queen mother and think about what we can learn from these powerful women today.

A Spiritual Tune-up for the New Year Library Arthur Kurzweil We will explore 20 Jewish theological notions from Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's classic book of Kabbalah, The Thirteen Petalled Rose.

Food for Thought: Jewish Ethics and Eating Mountainview Michal Fox Smart A study session utilizing Hazon’s wonderful sourcebook that explores diverse aspects of our relationship with food, including mindful eating, physical health, eating as a social and/or spiritual experience, the recitation of blessings, and how food choices may be informed by justice and ecological considerations.

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

4:15 - 5:15 PM Sukkot, Hazon & "Environmental Teshuva" - now what....?

Synagogue Nigel Savage We learn that "the Torah is a commentary on the world, and the world is a commentary on the Torah." This is intended to be a time in which to step back and to think more deeply about the themes of Sukkot, the evolution of Hazon, and the question of teshuva for all of us. What does it mean to strive to live Jewishly, authentically and sustainability in the 21st century? Please note - these are real questions, not rhetorical questions...!

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Tuesday, October 15 | Sukkot Day 2 Meeting our Ushpizin/Ancestors Library Shoshana Jedwab According to kabbalistic tradition, there are seven national ancestor “guests” who visit the sukkah during the seven days of Sukkot. (cf. Zohar, 5:103b) In the spirit of inviting the holy Ushpizin into the Sukkah, we will meet our familial and cultural ancestors through storytelling, theater games, spirit journeys, psychodramatic empty chair work and sharing from the heart. Due to the sensitive nature of this offering, we ask that all participants arrive promptly. This workshop will close its doors after ten minutes in order to create a trustworthy circle of support for playful and vulnerable participants.

Barnyard Visit Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Take a tour of our barnyard. Meet, pet, play with, and learn about our goat friends.

5:30 - 5:45 PM Mincha Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 5:45 - 6:45 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom

6:55 - 7:15 PM Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview (Small Havdallah in Sukkah) Traditional Egalitarian - Library 7:30 PM Havdallah Followed by Simchat Beit Hashoeva Ritual Great Hall 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.

8:00 PM Fireside Song Circle Fire Pit Teva 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.

8:30 PM Snack Great Hall

14 • Sukkahfest 5780 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Wednesday, October 16 | 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 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Sukkat Shalom Sukkat Shalom Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Sukkah, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

8:45 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Outside Great Hall 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 - 11:00 AM Shacharit Orthodox - Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian - Library 9:00 - 11:00 AM Adamah Market Great Hall A chance for you to buy delicious pickles, jams, and other items - all made right here at Isabella Freedman by our Adamah Farm Fellows!

10:00 AM Check out All guests who are leaving today must be checked out of their rooms by 10:00 am.

12:00 - 1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00 - 6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information

1:30 - 2:45 PM Pickling Workshop Great Hall JOFEE Educator Preserved foods for a preserved people! 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.

From Brother to Enemy: The Transformation of Esav Synagogue Rabbi Elchanan Weinbach History has made him the archenemy, but the story doesn’t read that way. We will examine the story of a salve through rabbinic eyes to understand how their interpretations color our understanding of the story and of Jewish history.

3:00 - 4:15 PM Drawing on Water, Suminagashi (Japanese Water Marbling) Workshop Library Sarah Zell Young We will do a brief text study about Simchat Beit HaShoeivah (Translated as Rejoicing at the Place of Water-Drawing).

Drawing on our own tradition and as a manifestation of our learning, we will create actual water drawings using the Japanese technique of suminagashi. We will visually explore the infinite potential of this life-sustaining liquid and how it spiritually connects us.

4:30 - 5:45 PM Adam/Adamah Synagogue Shamu Sadeh Origin stories are powerful reminders of purpose and essence. We will explore the creation of 'adam' from the dust and what it means for us today. Biblical, rabbinic and modern environmental sources will be used.

Overlook Hike Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook! Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required.

5:45 - 6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 6:00 - 7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom

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Wednesday, October 16 | Chol Hamoed 7:00 - 7:15 PM Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 7:30 - 8:45 PM Searching for God in a Magic Shop - Magic Show Synagogue Arthur Kurzweil Arthur will discuss some profound ideas of Jewish theology while performing a number of rather cool magic tricks.

9:00 - 10:30 PM Our Planet Library Watch the award-winning Netflix series Our Planet and get an up close look at the incredible world we live in.

Rebbe Nachman's Yahrtzeit Commemoration Mountainview Rabbi Matti Brown & Rabbi Yehuda Witt 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.

Thursday, October 17 | Chol Hamoed 7:30 - 8:30 AM Jewish Meditation Red Yurt Rabbi Matti Brown The Early Chasidim would "wait" an hour before prayer, emptying their minds so they could direct all their streams of attention to the One Source. We will briefly clarify this method based on more recent texts, and then sit in extended silence.

8:00 - 9:00 AM Breakfast Sukkat Shalom 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Sukkat Shalom Sukkat Shalom Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Sukkah, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 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 & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 1:30 - 2:45 PM Torah “From” Heaven, Bread “From” the Earth? The Heavenly Act of Human Production Synagogue Laynie Soloman What do we mean when we suggest that the Torah is from heaven? Focusing on the “from” in this declaration about Torah’s Divine nature, we’ll interrogate our assumptions about the role of people as receivers of revelation, and investigate the human responsibility to create and shape Torah in its many forms. (All folks are welcome: we'll dig into a number of rabbinic texts, and all texts will be translated into English, though we'll make reference the original Hebrew/Aramaic.)

The Art of Impermanence, DIY Zen Board workshop Library Sarah Zell Young In this Meditative art workshop, we will share a brief text study on impermanence in relation to Sukkot. A Zen board is made from a material that allows you to paint on it with water. Moments later, as the water evaporates, you are left with a blank canvas on which you may begin again. We will create this tool for your personal meditation practice that you can take home with you to explore and become comfortable with the ephemeral and what that means in our everyday life.

16 • Sukkahfest 5780 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Thursday, October 17 | Chol Hamoed 3:00 - 4:15 PM Mishpochology 101--How to Trace our Jewish Roots Synagogue Arthur Kurzweil The author of the groundbreaking book, From Generation to Generation; HOW TO TRACE YOUR JEWISH GENEALOGY, Arthur Kurzweil will teach you all of the important steps necessary to trace your family tree successfully.

4:30 - 5:30 PM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

4:30 - 6:00 PM Overlook Hike Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook! Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required.

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

6:00 - 7:00 PM Dinner Sukkat Shalom 7:00 - 7:15 PM Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 7:30 - 8:00 PM Body-Based Meditation and Stress Reduction for Sukkot Red Yurt Sarah Zell Young The Mitzvah of Sukkah is done with our whole body. We sit in the sukkah with our entire body. Only our entire body is capable of doing this Mitzvah. In honor of our bodies part in this mitzvah we will tune into our lived experience through the art of the body scan and breath awareness.

We also use other modalities such as exploring our sense of smell using relevant therapeutic grade essential oils to tune into the wonder of the chag.

8:00 - 10:00PM Our Planet Library Watch the award-winning Netflix series Our Planet and get an up close look at the incredible world we live in.

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Friday, October 18 | 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 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Sukkat Shalom Sukkat Shalom Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Sukkah, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 - 11:00 AM Shacharit Orthodox - Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian - Library 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Overlook Hike Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook! Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required.

12:00 - 1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00 - 5:15 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information

1:15 - 2:30 PM Barnyard Visit Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Take a tour of our barnyard. Meet, pet, play with, and learn about our goat friends.

Sukkot and Simplicity: A Course in (Everyday) Miracles Synagogue Rabbi David Ingber Living simply isn't...simple. The Jewish value known as 'pashtut' is complicated and worth studying. We will explore texts and tools for living with more 'pashtut', simply. Simply put, more with less.

2:45 - 4:00 PM Our Covenant with Animals in Torah and Midrash Synagogue Rabbi David Seidenberg Our ancestors saw domestication as a covenant between species, with mutual responsibilities between humanity and the other animals we use. They called God their "shepherd" because they aspired to have that kind of covenantal relationship with their animals. Once we understand this, a lot of the ancient practices of our ancestors make perfect sense -- and can teach us so much about how we should act in the world toward the other animals. Having a covenant with another species makes sense of how we can use -- and be used by -- that other species, in a way that still recognizes that animals have rights.

The Secrets of the Arba'a Minim, How they Unite Us. Library Rabbi Yehuda Witt This class will explore the four species themselves, their symbolism, and how they manifest in our own body, psyche, and tradition in apparent and not so apparent ways. We will discover the unity they create both internally and externally.

3:00 - 5:00 PM Guest Arrival and Welcome Snack Great Hall 3:30 - 4:00 PM Willow Harvest Activity Outside 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 morning.

18 • Sukkahfest 5780 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Friday, October 18 | Sukkot Day 5 4:00 - 5:20 PM Mikveh Dock Beyond the halachically (Jewish law) mandated mikveh uses (for conversion and for women getting married and observing niddah), the powerful symbolism of the mikveh waters has inspired various mikveh practices. In some Jewish communities, it is also customary to immerse before Yom Kippur, and for grooms to immerse before their weddings. After you have blessed and immersed, if you like, you can spend some time in the mikveh for personal reflection or prayer.

4:00 - 4:20 PM | Trans/Non-binary/GNC 4:30 - 4:50 PM | Self Identified Women 5:00 - 5:20 PM | Self Identified Men 5:15 - 5:45 PM Kids Dinner and Mandatory Parent/Guardian Orientation Kids Sukkah Join the Camp Teva Educators for a mandatory orientation to the program. Learn about the fun activities we have planned as well as important policies.

5:20 - 5:40 PM Body-Based Meditation and Stress Reduction for Sukkot Red Yurt Sarah Zell Young The Mitzvah of Sukkah is done with our whole body. We sit in the sukkah with our entire body. Only our entire body is capable of doing this Mitzvah. In honor of our bodies part in this mitzvah we will tune into our lived experience through the art of the body scan and breath awareness. We also use other modalities such as exploring our sense of smell using relevant therapeutic grade essential oils to tune into the wonder of the chag.

5:45 - 7:15 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 5:50 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall (Official Lighting Time 5:49 PM) 6:00 - 6:45 PM Mincha and Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library Renewal Services - Synagogue 7:00 - 8:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 8:45 - 10:30 PM All Streams Tisch Sukkat Chalom All Streams This tisch (Yiddish for table) is a lively open space for sharing and bringing your own knowledge, wisdom, and experience into our community, through song or spoken word.

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Saturday, October 19 | 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 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Sukkat Shalom Sukkat Shalom Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Sukkah, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:00 - 12:45 Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 - 12:45 PM Orthodox Services - Mountainview 9:00 - 10:15 AM Shacharit Traditional Egalitarian - Library Renewal - Synagogue 10:20 - 12:45 PM Collaborative Egalitarian Hallel, Hoshannot, Torah Service & Musaf Synagogue 9:30 - 10:45 AM Morning Ecology Walk Outside Great Hall Arielle Aronoff Come join me 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 2:30 - 5:45 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information

2:45 - 4:00 PM A Body of Prayer Synagogue Rabbi Aviva Richman What if we walked through the world assuming our bodies were constantly in a posture of prayer? How would that change us? We will study midrash traditions related to Sukkot to probe what this holiday teaches about prayer, God, and the joyful, fragile dance of life.

The Surprisingly Long History of Tikkun Olam Library Rabbi David Seidenberg Social justice tikkun olam was a mainstay of Reform Judaism since the 1950's, leading many people of all political stripes to believe that it was a relatively recent creation of liberal Jews. But the origins of tikkun olam as social justice are actually older than the Kabbalistic idea of tikkun olam, which only goes back to the late 1700's. This radical revision of Jewish intellectual history is essential to understanding that social justice is in the DNA of Judaism and not just a liberal add-on. We will learn about the evolution of tikkun olam from the sources, going all the way back to the Mishnah, and imagine where we go from here.

Farm Tour Outside Great Hall 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.

4:15 - 5:30 PM Pursuing Sukkat Shalom from the Inside-Out Synagogue Jay Rothman In this Shabbat conversation about Sukkat-Shalom we’ll explore how this season can energize us individually and collectively to “seek peace and pursue it” in our lives and relationships. In havruta we’ll study Martin Buber’s notion that the root of conflict between people is not saying what we mean nor doing what we say. We will emerge from the Sukkah with some new ideas and tools for engaging differences authentically – constructively saying what we mean and setting our intentions for doing what we say - in our current fraught social and political culture.

20 • Sukkahfest 5780 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Saturday, October 19 | Sukkot Day 6 Theology in a Time of Fear and Ecological Destruction: Torah's Guidance for Our Moment Library Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein The Amazon is burning, species are going extinct at stunning rates, and forecasts for planetary sustenance are ever more dire. The instinct to freeze in fear or numbness or to curl into a ball in avoidance can be overwhelming.

But we know that that's not what is demanded of us at this critical moment. In this session, we will study passages of key Biblical and Rabbinic scenes of unusual divine inspiration and courage, to take cues for how Torah might be pushing us to be our best, most courageous selves at an hour we are most called to be so.

Overlook Hike Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook! Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required.

5:40 - 6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 5:45 - 6:45 PM Seudat Shlishit Sukkat Shalom 6:50 - 7:10 PM Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Libray 7:15 PM Havdallah Sukkat Chalom (Shabbat Ends 6:48 PM) 8:00 - 9:15 PM Knowing the Paths of the Sky - Planets and the Constellations Outside Great Hall Rabbi David Seidenberg Teaching some basic astronomical knowledge - what the Talmud calls "the paths of the sky, sh'vilei shamaya" - is a wonderful way to appreciate the beauty of Creation, and a path to wonder itself. With Saturn shining in the sky after sunset, it's also a great time to use a telescope to see Saturn's rings. We will learn about finding constellations, the Hebrew names for planets, how to find star clusters and other wonders, blessings to say, and more.

Tikkun Hoshana Rabbah: Late Night Learning Synagogue 8:45 - 9:00 PM Tikkun Opening There is an ancient tradition to stay up late and learn Torah on the night of Hoshana Rabbah. Join us for any or all of our classes given by teachers from All Streams.

9:15 - 10:00 PM Hoshana Rabbah: From Judgment to Joy: The Jewish Calendar and the Great Transformation from Sukkot to Simchat Torah Synagogue Rabbi Yehuda Witt This class will explore Sukkot in the context of the Jewish calendar. We will focus on the transition from Sukkot to Simchat Torah and its parallels with receiving the second set of tablets and our relationship with Hashem after experiencing this journey.

10:10 - 11:00 PM Psalm Reading as a Spiritual Practice: The Tikkun haKlali (General Remedy) of Rebbe Nachman Synagogue Kohenet Shamirah & Laynie Solomon The evening leading up to Hoshanah Rabbah a supremely holy time, when the gates of teshuva are held open for just a few more hours! We will dig into the practice of reading Tehillim/Psalms through the lens of Rebbe Nachman’s Tikkun HaKlali, an ordering of various Psalms that, when read together, are intended to be a transformative mechanism for teshuva.

11:10 PM - 12:00 AM The Earth Is Not Given To Us - Maimonides's Polemic Against Anthropocentrism Synagogue Rabbi David Seidenberg Learn the sources for the greatest environmental thinker in Judaism's history -- Maimonides. Western civilization is built on an idea that Maimonides rejects: that human beings are the moral end and focus of all being, and the rest of the world is here for our use - anthropocentrism for short. Many Jewish thinkers also interpreted "dominion" in Genesis 1 to mean that people have the right to use the earth and its species as they see fit. But Maimonides in the Guide for the Perplexed explains why humanity cannot be the center or goal of Creation, morally, theologically, or practically. The living Creation as a whole is the ultimate value -- which is resonant with "Gaia theory." Throughout the Guide, whenever Maimonides talks about animals, he even says, "the other animals," making clear that humanity is one species among many.

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Sunday, October 20 | Hoshana Rabbah 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 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Sukkat Shalom Sukkat Shalom Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Sukkah, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:15 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Outside Great Hall 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Hoshana Rabba Services The Zohar says that while the goodness 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 English-Hebrew 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.

Orthodox - Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian - Library 9:00 - 11:00 AM Adamah Market Great Hall A chance for you to buy delicious pickles, jams, and other items - all made right here at Isabella Freedman by our Adamah Farm Fellows!

10:00 AM Check out All guests who are leaving today must be checked out of their rooms by 10:00 am.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pickling Workshop Great Hall JOFEE Educator Preserved foods for a preserved people! 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.

12:00 - 1:00 PM Lunch Sukkat Shalom 1:00 - 3:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 1:30 - 2:45 PM Diagnosis: Is the Torah Scroll in Need of Repair?

Library Julie Seltzer A letter is smudged. There is a hole in the parchment.

Someone spilled coffee on Leviticus. Two sheets are held together with masking tape where a seam came apart.

Come to this workshop to learn what makes a Torah pasul (unfit for ritual use), and gain insight into how these issues are corrected. We will address basic principles of sofrut (sacred writing), with opportunity for hands-on surgical practice.

Hike Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook! Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required.

3:00 - 4:15 PM New Foods New Blessings Synagogue Rabbi Tzemah Yoreh How to appreciate food through the prism of Jewish experience.

3:00 - 5:00 PM Guest Arrival and Welcome Snack Great Hall JOFEE Welcome Fair Great Hall Make bike blender smoothies on our stationary bike skip the electricity and use your own muscles! Bake fresh challah in honor of the holiday! And be sure to check out the Kids Zone for other Sukkot oriented crafts.

22 • Sukkahfest 5780 • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Sunday, October 20 | Hoshana Rabbah 4:00 - 5:20 PM Mikveh Dock Beyond the halachically (Jewish law) mandated mikveh uses (for conversion and for women getting married and observing niddah), the powerful symbolism of the mikveh waters has inspired various mikveh practices. In some Jewish communities, it is also customary to immerse before Yom Kippur, and for grooms to immerse before their weddings. After you have blessed and immersed, if you like, you can spend some time in the mikveh for personal reflection or prayer.

4:00 - 4:20 PM | Trans/Non-binary/GNC 4:30 - 4:50 PM | Mikveh - Self Identified Women 5:00 - 5:20 PM | Mikveh - Self Identified Men 4:00 - 5:15 PM AccepDance Red Yurt Henny Stern On the heels of Hoshana Rabbah- The final day of judgment for the rain and our planet, we enter into Shemini Atzeret- the eighth day, after the seven days of Sukkot. What is Shemini Atzeret about and what are we celebrating? Atzeret means to stop. On Shemini Atzeret, we are being asked “to stop”- to be and to embody the hard work, the love, and the connections that we’ve been working towards the past seven days. Shemini Atzeret reminds us that sustainability happens with trust. With AccepDance, we will practice slowing down, stopping to listen to the messages our body communicates to us, and trusting the body to lead us in movement and in joy.

AccepDance is a non-judgmental co-created space. No dance experience is necessary. Please wear comfortable clothes that you can move around in and please bring water to stay hydrated.

5:00 - 5:30 PM Kids Dinner and Mandatory Parent/Guardian Orientation Kids Sukkah Join the Camp Teva Educators for a mandatory orientation to the program. Learn about the fun activities we have planned as well as important policies.

5:30 - 6:45 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information

5:45 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall (Official Lighting Time 5:46 PM) 5:50 - 6:40 PM The Sukkah of Impermanence Red Yurt Dan Pelberg For 8 days we dwell in temporary structures, showing us the impermanence which 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 which we can work to embody. The class will involve a short talk followed by a meditation practice before ending with a group discussion.

Minyan Mincha and Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian - Library 6:45 - 8:15 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Sukkat Shalom 8:45 - 10:00 PM All Streams Fireside Singing Fire Pit Anat Hochberg 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.

Simchat Torah Pre-Game/Post-Game: A Deep Dive into the Creation Story, Noah and the Flood Sukkat Chalom Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein Tishrei is a month packed with tools (rituals and symbols) to help capture the imagination of the human psyche, and bring us to a higher sense of purpose for the year. Through Torah study and rabbinic perspectives of Creation, Noah and the Flood, we will explore these narratives and consider what lessons can be applied to a generation of many obstacles including climate change and unfettered human power.

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Monday, October 21 | Shemini Atzeret 7:30 - 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

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.

8:00 - 9:30 AM Breakfast Dining Tent

Shiru LaHashem Shir Chadash Synagogue Rabbi Matti Brown The Sukkah is a conduit for receiving the light of ruach hakodesh on whatever level. Now that we have been imbued with this light for a full week, we will attempt to collectively 'receive' and memorize a new spiritual melody that can be used in our Simchat Torah services.

8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Ohel Freedman Dining Tent Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Tent, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 AM - 12:45 PM Orthodox Shacharit Mountainview 9:00 - 10:15 AM Shacharit Traditional Egalitarian - Library Renewal - Synagogue 10:20 AM - 12:45 PM Collaborative Egalitarian Hallel, Hoshannot, Torah Service & Musaf Synagogue 9:30 - 10:30 AM Morning Ecology Walk Outside Great Hall Arielle Aronoff Come join me 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 & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 2:45 - 4:00 PM Farm Tour Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Heirloom vegetables, permaculture orchard, compost, chickens - The Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from

Theology of Outsiders, Theology of Justice: Who is 'The Great, Mighty, and Awesome God Library Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein Many people find obstacles to connecting with liturgy in that God seems inaccessible or hard to relate to. Some struggle with feelings of inauthenticity: "Am I Jewish enough to have a place in these prayers?" Some avoid God language entirely out of discomfort with the whole enterprise. But when we avoid God language, the space for processing the drama of life gets filled by outside sources, often ones not serving our needs, leaving us inarticulate about experiences of being driven or called, fearful, inspired, or brave. In this session, we will engage in close literary reading of main scenes in the Torah of God's selfrevelation to understand who God is as a character and protagonist, and to see how the siddur alludes to these passages in ways that may surprise us.

Ultimate Frisbee Outside Sukkat Chalom 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 Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook! Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required.

Forgetting Torah, but Remembering Ourselves Synagogue Dena Weiss We've all had the experience of learning something important, coming back to it later, and realizing that we've forgotten what we learnt. This is one of the most frustrating experiences available to those of us who want to learn and connect to Torah. This class explores three different images that get to the redemptive—perhaps even positive— aspects of learning and forgetting, and shows us why we should learn even if we know we will forget.

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Monday, October 21 | Shemini Atzeret What's the Point? Crowns, Dots, and Other Scribal Intrigues Library Julie Seltzer If you look inside a Torah scroll, you may notice certain oddities: a word with a series of dots above, as if droplets of ink have spilled; a giant or miniature letter in the middle of an otherwise unremarkable word; upside-down letters. We will look inside a Torah scroll and learn about these scribal traditions, adding another layer to our understanding of the text.

6:00 - 6:45 PM Singing and Torah Mountainview The liminal moments of the day are filled with a unique energy. We will transition from day to night surrounded by song and holy words.

5:00 - 5:30 PM Kids Dinner Kids Sukkah

6:50 - 7:10 PM Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library

5:30 - 7:15 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 5:30 - 6:30 PM A Taste of Yemenite Song Red Yurt Anat Hochberg Come for an introductory exploration of Jewish Yemenite song culture. We'll learn some history of Yemenite Jews, culture, and Yemenite migration to Israel, and learn songs together, including a piyut for Simchat Torah.

5:40 - 6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library

6:45 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall (After 6:44 PM from existing flame)

7:15 - 8:45 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Dining Tent 8:45 - 10:45 PM Orthodox Hakafot Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian Hakafot Library 10:45 PM All Streams Seventh and Final Hakafah Mountainview All Streams For the seventh and final hakafah of the night, we will all join together in celebration as a community.

Tuesday, October 22 | 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 8:30 - 9:00 AM Yeshivat Ohel Freedman Dining Tent Rabbi Matti Brown Bring your breakfast to our 'micro-yeshivah' in the Tent, and nourish your soul before davenning. Study pearls of Chasidut with Rabbi Matti or bring your own text and chevruta to the table.

9:00 - 11:30 AM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 9:00 - 11:30 PM Shacharit & Hakafot Orthodox - Mountainview Collaborative Egalitarian - Library 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Festive Holiday Kiddush Great Hall 12:30 - 2:30 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 12:00 - 2:15 PM Collaborative Egalitarian Torah Service and Musaf - Library

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Tuesday, October 22 | Simchat Torah 12:30 - 2:15 PM Orthodox Torah Service and Musaf - Mountainview 2:30 - 4:00 PM Lunch Dining Tent 4:00 - 5:45 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts See Camp Teva Schedule for Information 4:15 - 5:30 PM Food, Farming, and Global Climate Change Synagogue Jana Siller Eating in the Sukkah allows us to look up at the stars and down at our plates in the same breath, to feel the temperature and strength of the wind while we experience the filling of our bellies and the flavors of our food. At the same moment that we celebrate the harvest, our tradition invites us to bring ourselves closer to the forces that allowed it's fruition by dwelling in the sukkah. In this session, we will bring in the words of climate scientists, contemporary thinkers, farmers, and eaters to help us connect to the weather beyond our sukkah walls. How do different farming models contribute to or mitigate global climate change? What are the impacts of different climate forecasts on agriculture? How should we eat as individuals? What should our collective goals be around food, farming and climate and how can we most effectively bring about action from world leaders?

"What Goes Down, Must Come Up:" The Meor Einayim on Spiritual Progress Library Dena Weiss Spiritual growth is hard and sometimes we feel that we are moving farther from our goals rather than achieving them. The 18th century Hassidic master, R' Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl invites us to invert the paradigms of achievement and success to see if we can find ourselves close to God even when we feel most distant.

Overlook Hike Outside Great Hall JOFEE Educator Hike up the Red Trail to the famous Overlook! Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required.

5:30 - 5:45 PM Mincha Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 6:00 - 6:50 PM Singing and Torah Mountainview The liminal moments of the day are filled with a unique energy. We will transition from day to night surrounded by songs and holy words.

6:50 - 7:15 PM Maariv Orthodox - Mountainview Traditional Egalitarian - Library 7:20 PM Havdallah Great Hall (Chag ends 6:43) 7:45 - 8:45 PM Dinner Dining Tent 8:45 - 10:45 PM Soon By You: Screening and Q&A Synagogue 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.

Wednesday, October 23 7:30 - 8:30 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Connect breath and movement in an all-level yoga practice.

8:00 - 10:30 AM Brunch Dining Hall 8:30 - 9:30 AM Orthodox Shacharit Synagogue

8:45 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Outside Great Hall 9:00 - 11:00 AM Adamah Market Great Hall A chance for you to buy delicious pickles, jams, and other items - all made right here at Isabella Freedman by our Adamah Farm Fellows!

10:00 AM Check-out All guests who are leaving today must be checked out of their rooms by 10:00 am.

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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.

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Leaders and Teachers Arielle Aronoff manages the children’s programming during retreats at Isabella Freedman. She supports and trains seasonal Teva educators and leads immersive, experiential education programs for youth and adults alike in the forests and fields of Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. Before coming to Hazon, Arielle worked as a baker, outdoor educator, farmer, healthy school food advocate, and youth job training mentor. Arielle is a current participant in the Kohenet Priestess Training Institute, and an alumna of Kibbutz Lotan: Center for Creative Ecology.

Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, a Sukkahfest veteran and long-time Torah educator, is the Chicago Director of the Avodah Justice Fellowship, Educational Consultant for the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Curricular Director for Anshe SholomB'nai Israel's youth Mishmar program; and Staff Educator for the Jewish Initiative for Animals. Aryeh has previously taught and directed programs at Hadar Institute, Drisha, and campuses, communities, and organizations around Israel and the U.S. Aryeh was an Editor-Translator for the Koren English edition of the Steinsaltz Talmud, is a Senior Editor of Jewschool.com, and has led High Holiday services at Kehilat Hadar for 18 years. Aryeh studied for seven years at Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa and also at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Yeshiva University, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and has rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes's Yashrut Institute.

Christine Bloom discovered yoga haphazardly, but davka just at a time when she needed it most! She finds that each journey on the mat - connecting breath and movement, helps clear the mind and connect to the inner self. It gives her a chance to reboot her system and brings joy to her life. She leads a gentle and slow paced practice, suited for beginners as well as more advanced yogis. A regular participant of Isabella Freedman retreats, she loves her wholesome community and always looks forward to nature-filled Holiday celebrations.

Christine Bloom is a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher (YTT200). She teaches in Stamford, CT where she received an additional training from BeShri (YTT300).

She is also a formally educated designer and is the owner of Hedge, a floral design wedding studio that works with local flower farmers.

Rabbi Matti Brown lives with his family in Jerusalem where he is an independent editor of books on Jewish spirituality, teaches meditation at Beit Midrash Shaarei Shalom, and leads festive davenning. With his wife Rachel Ravitz, he has produced a CD of original Jewish music, "My Love, My Friend". He is grateful to the "One Source" to be attending his 12th SukkahFest.

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 earth-based 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.

Michal Fox Smart is Director of Ayeka North America, and a recognized leader in soulful education. Earlier, Michal pioneered Jewish outdoor and environmental education in this country. She is a founder of the TEVA Learning Center and co-author of Spirit in Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail (Behrman House, 2000). She is also Editor of Kaddish: Women’s Voices (Urim, 2013), winner of the 2013 National Jewish Book Award. A Fulbright scholar in Jewish Thought, Michal received her A.B. from Princeton University in Religion and an M.S. from Cornell as a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Michal lives in Stamford, CT and is the proud Ema of five special people.

Leah Gottfried is an award-winning director, writer, producer and actor, and founder of the production company Dignity Entertainment - a fullservice production company dedicated to creating meaningful visual content. 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 a million 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 over the world.

Rabbi Jill Hammer, Ph.D., is the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion, and the co-founder of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute. She is the author of a number of books, including The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for all Seasons, The Omer Calendar of Biblical Women, The Hebrew Priestess: Ancient and New Visions of Jewish Women’s Spiritual Leadership (with Taya Shere), Siddur haKohanot: A Hebrew Priestess Prayerbook (with Taya Shere), and The Book of Earth and Other Mysteries. Her forthcoming book is titled Return to the Place: The Magic, Meditation., and Mystery of Sefer Yetzirah. A lover of earth and of words, she is a published poet, scholar, ritualist, and essayist.

Anat Halevy Hochberg is a Brooklyn-based musician, teacher, and ritual leader. Anat grounds her practice as a ba'al tefila (prayer leader) in her study of traditional Jewish text, earth-based experiential Jewish ritual and education, connection with the Earth and the Divine, professional training as a musician, and family and community traditions (from Israel, Poland, Hungary, Yemen, Boston, and beyond). Anat has a passion for leading song and backing others in using their voice. Anat performs as a solo artist and with collaborators, and has recently recorded with artists including Joey Weisenberg, Miriam Marges, and George Mordecai. She recently completed two years of study at Yeshivat Hadar and was a Fellow in the Rising Song Institute. Learn more about her work at anathalevyhochberg.com Rabbi David A. Ingber is the Founder and Senior Rabbi at Romemu, NYC, a community he founded in 2008 that today has over 600 households. Rabbi Ingber is a disciple of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, famed founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, and was ordained by Reb Zalman in 2004. Rabbi Ingber serves on the faculty for the Wexner Heritage Program, The Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Israel, The 92nd Street Y’s program for Rabbinic Entrepreneurship, and other institutions. He was an AJWS Global Justice Fellow, and a Rabbinic Fellow in the Sharlom Hartman Institute’s Rabbinic Leadership Initiative. Rabbi Ingber has lectured extensively on the topics of spirituality, theology, Jewish mysticism, prayer, and meditation. He lives in Manhattan with his amazing wife Ariel and their three children, Baer, Tal, and Or. Shoshana Jedwab is a prize-winning Jewish educator, singer-songwriter, prayer leader, and hand drummer, who has 30 years of experience bringing sacred Jewish texts to life for a wide variety of audiences. She is the A.J. Heschel Middle School Jewish Life Coordinator and a founding faculty member of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute. Shoshana drums for Romemu and Kirtan Rabbi and leads the JCC Drum Circle. Shoshana Jedwab was one of Jewish Rock Radio's Jewish Women Who Rock the Worship World. Her single, Where You Go, and her seven-song sacred music album, I Remember, are here: www. shoshanajedwab.com Michal Kohane, was born and raised in Israel and is a last year student at Yeshivat Mahart, educator and leader who has worked extensively in the U.S., India and Israel. Among her titles and roles, she’s been the Rosh Kehila of the Prospect Heights Shul in Brooklyn; an acting rabbi to a Northern California synagogue; a day-school educator; federation executive director and more. Michal is passionate about Jewish text learning and building community. She holds a BA in Studies of Israel and Education, an M.S. in Jewish Studies, an MA in Clinical Psychology, and is pursuing a PsyD in organizational psychology. She is an avid writer: her first novel, Hachug ("Extracurricular") was published in Israel by Steimatzky in 2016, and her weekly blog can be found at www.miko284.com.

Arthur Kurzweil is the author of Kabbalah for Dummies, The Torah for Dummies, On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz, and From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy. He has been a member of the Society of American Magicians (founded by Harry Houdini) for 25 years.

Avi Mandel Grew up in Ginot Shomron, Israel, studied at Yeshivat Beit Orot and Yeshivat Otniel, and served in the IDF. He earned a B.Ed. in English and Jewish Thought at Herzog Academic College, and received a Master of Jewish Education (MJEd) degree in Jewish Day School Education from Hebrew College, Schoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Jewish Studies at the Day School Educators Program of Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.

He currently teaches Tanakh, Jewish Philosophy, and Contemporary Israel at Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in Teaneck, New Jersey.

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Dan Pelberg is a meditation practitioner and teacher with several years of experience learning with teachers in Israel, India, and the US. He has taught meditation in a variety of Jewish settings, from Hebrew schools to retreat centers and more.

Aviva Perlo is a Teaching artist, Social worker, and writer. She has published 40 articles on life, death, and Jewish healing. Aviva has coordinated programs on violence prevention, aging, and behavioral health for nonprofits, schools, shuls, & more. Aviva is an original Sukkahfest-er and a Radical Ruach Cheerleader.

Aviva Richman is on the faculty at Hadar Institute. She feels deep gratitude to two formative prayer communities from growing up in Baltimore - a hassidic shtibl and a spirited progressive havurah. In love with piano from a young age, Aviva now channels most musical energy into cultivating experiences of prayer and niggunim that can be at once meditative and joyous. She was ordained privately with Rabbi Danny Landes in Jerusalem and is finishing doctoral work in Talmud at New York University. Aviva likes to weave Talmud and midrash into the web of life experiences through learning and teaching Torah. Aviva has led holiday davenning from coast to coast, and in three countries, and is excited to again be back in the nourishing and spirited community of Sukkahfest.

Jay Rothman, Ph.D. is a scholar-practitioner of creative conflict engagement.

He focuses on issues of intergroup Identity-Based Conflict and Cooperation and Action Evaluation. He conducts the ARIA Group, Inc.(ariagroup.com). He spent the last 7 years teaching conflict resolution to graduate students, and guiding action research projects in Arab-Jewish relations within Israel and between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem. He is currently (2019-2020) a Visiting Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution at the School of Global Policy and Strategy as a Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative and Israel Institute Fellow at UCSD. Rothman writes about creative conflict engagement, including most recently, Re-Envisioning Conflict Resolution: Vision, Action and Evaluation in Creative Conflict Engagement. London: Routledge (2018).

Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein serves as the Rabbi-in-Residence for Hazon.

Growing up in a multi-racial Chabad family in Monsey, NY, Isaiah sees himself as a human bridge, connecting disparate parts of the Jewish community.

Isaiah went to Yeshiva University for rabbinical school and to receive his Master of Social Work. During his spare time, Isaiah is a Jewish Engagement and Diversity Consultant with his organization, the Union Street Sanctuary, and plays music with his band Zayah. Isaiah currently lives in Harlem, NY. Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh is the Managing Director of Education at Isabella Freedman. He is the co-founder and former director of Adamah, and prior to that he worked as the Director of Teva, and now he leads our efforts to educate all Isabella Freedman guests. 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 help harvest and pickle, and DJ staff dance parties.

Rabbi David Seidenberg is the creator of neohasid.org and teaches text and music, Jewish thought and spirituality, in their own right and in relation to ecology and the environment. Areas of specialty include Kabbalah and Chasidut, Talmud, davening, evolution and cosmology, sustainability, Maimonides, Buber, dance, and more. David has smikhah (ordination) from the Jewish Theological Seminary and from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and he holds a doctorate on Kabbalah and ecotheology from JTS. Julie Seltzer is a soferet STa”M and the second woman known to write a Torah scroll. She first started learning the scribal arts in 2008 at Isabella Freedman, when her hands were steeped in challah dough. Julie is currently writing her fourth scroll, as well as a memoir that chronicles her journey. Her writing is featured on the homepage of sefaria.org.

Janna Siller is the Farm Director at Isabella Freedman. She leads the crew of Adamah fellows in growing organic vegetables for CSA distribution, valueadded production, on-site food service, and donations while maintaining the fields as resonant learning space for visitors. She teaches classes on practical farming and gardening skills as well as classes that explore the big picture systems, policies and issues that shape what we eat and how it is grown. Janna is also a freelance writer focusing on topics of land and food.

She lives in Falls Village with her daughter, Tzuf, and their cat, Pomo.

Laynie Soloman is a passionate teacher of Jewish text and thought who believes deeply in the power of Talmud study as a healing and liberatory communal spiritual practice. They serve as a faculty member and Director of National Learning Director of Educational Initiatives at SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, and as an adjunct faculty member at Hadar— an egalitarian yeshiva in New York City. Laynie is completing a Dual M.A. in Talmud/Rabbinic Literature & Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Goucher College. They love facilitating experiences of Jewish learning that uplift the piously irreverent, queer, and subversive spirit of rabbinic text and theology, and they have taught and lectured on these topics in various community spaces, campuses, and in academic settings. When not in shul or learning Talmud, you can find Laynie reading about liberation theology, collecting comic books, and singing niggunim.

Rabbi Elchanan Weinbach is the rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Israel in Montebello. He has been a pulpit rabbi for 14 years, a school head for 15 years, and a consultant, presenter, or scholar in residence in New York, Kansas City, and Florida, and at LimmudLA. Dena Weiss is the Rosh Beit Midrash (Director of Full-time Immersive Programs) at the Hadar Institute in NYC where she teaches Talmud, Midrash, and Hassidut. She earned her BA in Religious Studies from NYU, her Masters in Theology from Harvard Divinity School, and is an alum of the Pardes Kollel.

She just completed two years of Hadar's weekly divrei torah and podcast on the Parashah. You can listen and read at www.hadar.org/denaweiss.

Rabbi Yehuda Rachamim Witt is a rabbi/ educator with an open-minded welcoming approach. Yehuda served as the Orthodox Rabbi at Boston University Hillel and was Co-director of the JLIC program at BU. Living in Israel, he was on the faculty of the Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo smicha program and a mentee of Rav Sholom Brodt Z’L and now teachers at Netivot, The Montessori Yeshiva. He studied for his semicha under Rav Riskin as well as participating in the Straus-Amiel Practical Rabbinics Program and the George Weinstein Institute for Semicha and Pedagogy. Yehuda has taught extensively throughout Israel and the US, been an educator for The Maccabiah and is a sought after private Gemara instructor. He was born in Jerusalem and is the 6th of 14 children in a Jewish outreach household and studied at some of the top torah learning institutions in Israel in the Amshinov Chassidic tradition. He has experience outside the Torah world, working as a chef at some of Jerusalem’s favorite restaurants. Yehuda is passionate about sharing Judaism, both the traditional canon as well the richness of its cultural traditions such as Jewish food, storytelling and music/ niggunim. Yehuda sings and plays guitar and is a skilled baal koreh and baal tefilla.

Rabbi Tzemah Yoreh is the rabbi of City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism in New York City. He has two PhDs one in Bible from Hebrew University and and the second in Wisdom Literature from University of Toronto. He has written many books on Bible and liturgy. As a teacher in academic and community settings alike, Tzemah enjoys making biblical stories and liturgy come to life. He currently lives in New York with his spouse, Aviva, and their four children, Boaz, Benaya, Elisha, and Itamar.

Sarah Zell Young is a dynamic and creative Jewish and Arts educator.

Sarah has exhibited her work and given talks about her work internationally including the United States, Mexico, Hungary and Israel.

She has created experiential artist projects for the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA), Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI), Jewish Theological Seminary, Boston University and others. She has been an artist in residence at numerous Jewish institutions including Brandeis University, American Jewish University (BCI) and the Havurah Institute.

Her artwork appears in many publications including The Forward, 613, Hadassah Magazine and the Shofar Journal of Jewish Studies. She earned her MFA in visual art from Hunter College and is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She was the inaugural arts fellow at Pardes, an art fellow at Drisha, an Encounter and Dorot fellow. Sarah has a certificate in Jewish education from Midreshet Lindembaum and was part of M2 Senior Jewish Educators cohort. Sarah is also a certified 500hr yoga teacher in the Urban Zen tradition and enjoys teaching therapeutic yoga and meditation in Hospitals and Nursing Homes. She works as the Director of Finance (and special projects art teacher) at Netivot, The Montessori Yeshiva.

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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.

The word Hazon means “vision.” Our vision is of a vibrant, healthy Jewish community, in which to be Jewish is necessarily to help create a 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.

Visit hazon.org/tamarfund to make a gift. You can also go to the donation box outside of the bookstore. Thank you!

donate today. thank you!

5780 is the year of Environmental Teshuva.

What are you committing to change?

Environmental teshuva is the outward manifestation of our commitment to doing better for the planet. As you examine your individual impact on the planet, consider: • How do you relate to the planet or the climate crisis?

• Which of your behaviors do you know are less than ideal?

• What are one or two areas in the coming year in which you will commit to try to do better?

Visit hazon.org/environmentalteshuva for events, resources, and ways to take action.

We Are the Weather We are reaching a tipping point of sorts – not only in terms of extreme weather events – but also in relation to people’s consciousness of them. A growing number of people in the Jewish community – and Hazon as an organization – feel strongly that we ought to be “doing something” about this.

Hazon is here to catalyze and support Jewish institutions and Jewish leaders, as Jewish tradition compels us to respond to this crisis.

We enthusiastically encourage you to read We Are the Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer. It is a superb, readable, and very Jewish explication of how and why and in what ways our food choices matter. Hazon has created a discussion guide for Jewish communities to accompany the book that can be found on hazon.org.

If you’re interested in hosting a book group or other program related to We Are the Weather, contact Becky O’Brien, Hazon’s Director of Food & Climate, becky@hazon.org.

Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 31

Main Office

P H I L

L A K E

Entrance

Red Yurt

Parking

Basketball Court

Chestnut

n Road

Johnso

Kaplan Family Farm (incl. Orchards & Chickens)

Staff Housing

Beebe Hill Road Red Trailhead

Dining Tent

Library

Lakeside Trailhead

M I R I A M

Follow gravel road to Blue & Yellow Trailheads

L A K E

Fire Circle

Guest Services

MAIN BUILDING

Scheuer

Weinberg

Maple

Synagogue

Greenhouse

CHECK-IN

Arts & Crafts

Mountainview Great Hall

May

Patio

Gazebo

Playground

Program Offices

Pool

Cob Oven

Johnson Road

Kfar

Blue Heron Cedar

Beige Yurt

Mikveh, Swimming & Boat Dock

Pine

Tent Camping Area

John

Parking

© DON MANNES 2011

= Eruv

Lakeside and Yellow Trailheads

Elm

Kaufmann

oad

R son

Goats & Barnyard

Staff Housing

Driveway to Cultural Center

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

Isabella Freedman Emergency #: 860-453-3963