High Holidays 5778 at Isabella Freedman Rosh Hashanah Retreat September 20–24 Yom Kippur Retreat September 29–October 1
you make it possible. THE TAMAR FUND Retreats have the power to change lives. At Isabella Freedman, we have a commitment to making Jewish retreats financially accessible. Hazon works to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community, and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. Retreats are at the heart of what we do best. Each year we offer thousands of people the opportunity to immerse themselves in a vibrant and inclusive Jewish community. Through food, the outdoors, and the environment, we reframe and renew Jewish life; we inspire those who are already Jewishly involved and bring new people through the door; and we strengthen institutions and communities. It costs about $150 per person per day for most of our retreats at Isabella Freedman. For some members of our community, especially young adults, that fee can be a barrier to participating in a program that could change their lives. A $180 scholarship from the Tamar Fund is often enough to make a $450 retreat affordable. Even a small gift goes a long way. We are committed to making our programs accessible to all interested people to the greatest extent possible, regardless of their ability to pay. Towards that vision, Hazon awards over $110,000 in financial aid each year, much of it unfunded. The Tamar Fund provides need-based financial aid to ensure that people from across the spectrum of the Jewish community have access to retreat experiences at Isabella Freedman.
"Throughout my young 20s, as I was exploring the world, Judaism and the expanses of my own identity, Isabella Freedman retreats were my steady anchors. Here, I could let go of the outside world and be present in beautiful land with beautiful people, a place where I could simply be and connect. Isabella Freedman's generous scholarships made these experiences possible. I thank Isabella Freedman with my full heart."
Natalie
The Tamar Fund is in loving memory of Tamar Bittelman, z”l who attended the Food Conference in 2011. Torah, Jewish community, ecology, and DIY food were values that Tamar held dear in her own life, and she very much appreciated the intersection of these values at the Hazon Food Conference. Sharing a meal with Tamar, particularly a Shabbat or Chag meal, was an experience filled with kedushah, where one was effortlessly and joyfully escorted to “a different place.” Your gift to the Tamar Fund makes it possible for everyone to take part. Please contact Gina Schmeling, Director of Development at 646.781.7571 or gina.schmeling@hazon.org to discuss giving opportunities. You can also visit the donation box outside of the bookstore. Thank you!
donate today. thank you!
Table of Contents Welcome..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 About Hazon............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Orientation Sheet.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 5778 Retreat Schedule.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Shabbat Customs & Practices............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Rosh Hashanah Jewish Life................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10 Schedule Wednesday........................................................................................................................................................................................................................11 Thursday............................................................................................................................................................................................................................13 Friday...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................15 Saturday.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................17 Sunday................................................................................................................................................................................................................................19 Leaders and Teachers...........................................................................................................................................................................................................20 Yom Kippur Jewish Life................................................................................................................................................................................................................................21 Schedule Friday...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22 Saturday Camp Teva Hours......................................................................................................................................................................................................23 Orthodox Services...................................................................................................................................................................................................24 Renewal Services......................................................................................................................................................................................................25 All Streams/Communal Sessions........................................................................................................................................................................25 Sunday................................................................................................................................................................................................................................26 Leaders and Teachers...........................................................................................................................................................................................................26
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Welcome! Shalom friends, Welcome to the 10th annual High Holidays retreat at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, home of Hazon in beautiful Falls Village, Connecticut. I want to express my gratitude to you for choosing to mark this moment in your life by creating community at Isabella Freedman through joyful song and prayer, storytelling, and personal connections. Some of my fondest childhood memories are around the High Holidays. The new school year was beginning and it was still warm in Northern California. In fact, September was often the hottest month of the year, and everyone would be fanning themselves throughout the service with makeshift fans. The visceral sound of the shofar still resonates in my heart and mind all these years later. The energy was palpable as the final tekiah gedolah (long shofar blast) was blown on the shofar. Immediately after Yom Kippur my mother would bring the well-worn box of sukkah decorations down from the attic. The plastic hanging fruit, paper lanterns, and family pictures would embellish our temporary home outside. The High Holidays are about painting images in our head that help us mark the turning seasons. We invite you this Yom Tov, literally meaning ‘Good Day’, to take some time for yourself, to explore your Jewish connection in any form, whether that is in services, outside in the woods, or in a restorative yoga class. As Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of a New Year, we invite you to take some time to think of your intended areas for growth in the upcoming year. We have all been given the great opportunity to start a new year fresh, with new eyes and an open heart. As we enter into this reflective time of the year, we encourage you to think about what will make this new year different. Over the past several weeks we have heard about the devastation that has occurred by hurricanes and earthquakes, and I am reminded of the Unetanah Tokef (We shall ascribe holiness to this day), a religious poem recited on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. ‘On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.’ It is our responsibility to take the teachings learned over this holiday season out into the world to make one small change that will ripple out to caste a greater change within the world. At Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center we are committed to creating a healthier and more sustainable world. We hope that over the next few days you contemplate about what you would like to take home with you to make this year different from last and how you are going to help make a healthier and more sustainable world. L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu ve Techatemu – May you be inscribed and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year! With thanks and gratitude, Ayala Azari Event Coordination Manager, Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
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About Hazon THE WORD “HAZON” MEANS “VISION.” Our tagline is “Jewish inspiration. Sustainable communities.” That encapsulates all that we strive to do: We work to renew Jewish life by creating a healthier and more sustainable world for all.
JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.
OUR THEME QUOTE IS: “The Torah is a commentary on the world and the world is a commentary on the Torah.” This reflects our belief that turning Jewish life outwards to address some of the greatest challenges of our time is good not only for the world, but also for the renewal of Jewish life itself. OVERVIEW: Hazon was founded in 2000. Today’s Hazon includes not only our own legacy programs, but also those of Isabella Freedman and Teva, with whom we merged in 2013. WE EFFECT CHANGE IN THREE WAYS: • Transformative Experiences: Immersive multi-day programs that directly touch people’s lives in powerful ways • Thought-Leadership: Changing the world through the power of ideas—including writing, teaching, curriculum-development, and advocacy • Capacity-Building: Not just working with people as individuals, but explicitly supporting and networking with great projects and partners in North America and Israel If you’re interested in talking to us about how we might work together in the future – planning a special celebration, organizational retreat, family reunion, life-cycle event or community gathering, please be in touch with Eli Massel, our Director of Outreach, elisheva.massel@hazon.org.
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WELCOME to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center! Welcome to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. This beautiful campus has been touching people’s lives since the 1950s, and since 2014 has been the home of Hazon. The word “Hazon” is Hebrew for “vision.” We’re working to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. We hope that your stay here will indeed inspire you to reflect, to learn, to celebrate, to recharge, and thus to return to your home and your community with a renewed sense of hope for our world and a renewed commitment to health and sustainability in your own life.
Please read upon arrival If you need anything during your stay, please contact the Retreat Manager on duty.
EMERGENCY CALLS: In the event of a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1 from your cell phone, OR: 9-91-1 from any land line phone, located in the buildings throughout campus. Please familiarize yourself with the location of the nearest phone to your room. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones. After making a 9-1-1 call, please contact a retreat manager at the IF Emergency #: Dial 860-480-3674 from a cell phone. Emergencies only, please. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones.
SECURITY: Isabella Freedman is an oasis in a troubled world. And, we are committed to vigilance and preparedness for the unfortunate realities of our society today. Two general guidelines provide the basis for our security program: 1. Please wear your name tags at all times. Our staff need to be aware of who should be on our site. 2. In the event of a campus-wide emergency including a bomb threat, you will hear three one-second blasts of a very loud air horn, repeated multiple times. If you hear this, immediately evacuate to the decorative gate at Adamah farm located across the street from the main entrance and remain there until emergency services arrive. Do not use your cellphone or take time to look for others besides children.
FIRE SAFETY: Please only light candles at group candle lighting in the main building. Camp fires are only allowed at the fire pit by the lake during scheduled programming and must be put out at the end of the activity. Please see a retreat manager for any questions.
FIRST AID: First aid materials are located at Guest Services, in the Library, Yurts, Arts and Crafts building and Pool House. A defibrillator is located in the Library. SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in all buildings, and throughout campus. You may smoke only at the fire pit by the lake. Please dispose of cigarette butts in the designated cigarette bin.
KOSHER: The Dining Hall and Tent are strictly Kosher. Please do not bring any outside food or personal dishware/water bottles/travel mugs into the Dining Hall/Tent. Please use to-go ware outside the Dining Hall/Tent. Exception: Coffee mugs are allowed throughout the main building only.
Please place used mugs in the bus bin in the coffee bar. Any personal food requested to be brought into the Dining Hall/Tent must be approved by our Kosher supervisor.
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PARKING: Driving and parking is not allowed on grassy areas. Please only park in designated parking areas. Staff will guide you to these areas upon check-in. CHILDREN: Please make sure that your children are supervised at all times, or are participating in children’s programming associated with your retreat.
BUSING TABLES: Please clear your table after finishing your meal. Bins for compost and dishware are located at the corner of the Dining Hall/Tent. COMPOST & RECYCLING: Around campus you will see containers for compost (green), recycling (blue) and trash (black). Items that are compost: All food including bones, paper napkins, paper towels, to-go ware (hot/cold cups, lids, utensils, containers) tea bags, paper wrappers, corks, and wooden coffee stirrers. We use our compost to fertilize our Adamah Farm!
GUEST FRIDGE: You may store personal food/beverages in the fridge located in the Sunroom. (these items do not have to be Kosher) Please label your name on all items. HOT WATER/COFFEE: Due to our Kosher policies, on Shabbat we offer coffee and hot water until it runs out. Once Shabbat ends, our staff make fresh batches. We appreciate your understanding, and we strive to provide enough coffee and hot water through the holiday.
THERMOSTATS: The thermostats in your buildings/ rooms are programmed to keep you comfortable. You may adjust the temperature by increasing or decreasing the thermostat one or two degrees. Air conditioners are adjusted via the dials on the room window AC units. LAKE AND SWIMMING / BOATING: The pool is closed for the season. Use of the lake is at your own risk – life vests are located in the shed by the dock. Please return the vests and oars to the shed and the boats to the rack after use. HIKING: Please stay on Isabella Freedman trails when hiking. We advise telling a friend when you go out on a trail and when you return, carrying a cell phone and water bottle, and only hiking during daylight hours. Trail maps are located at Guest Services. During hunting season, we recommend wearing bright colors when hiking on trails.
TICKS AND LYME DISEASE: We recommend doing a tick check after spending time outdoors. We have tick removal information available at Guest Services. CHECK OUT PROCEDURE: On check-out day, you MUST move out of your room by 10 am. Please remove your personal belongings from your room by the designated time. Kindly strip your bed and place all sheets and towels into the pillowcases. (Please leave mattress pads, blankets and comforters on the beds)
POTABLE TAP WATER: ALL tap water on campus comes directly from a local well source and is potable and delicious! GAMES, BOOKS AND MORE: We offer a variety of sport equipment, books, games and toys for your pleasure. Please see a retreat manager to borrow any of these items. Please
do not use any bikes located on campus as these belong to Isabella Freedman staff.
We hope you enjoy your stay with us! It’s important to us to know both what you enjoyed and ways we could improve our work here. Please do fill out an evaluation form. If you do not receive one, please email evaluations@hazon.org.
JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.
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5778 Retreat Schedule All retreats take place at Isabella Freedman unless otherwise indicated. Visit hazon.org/calendar for more information. October 4 - 15, 2017
May 18 - 22, 2018
SUKKAHFEST
SHAVUOT
Perhaps the most joyous, and almost certainly the most diverse celebration of the holiday of Sukkot on planet Earth. Come for all or part of the 10-day festivities.
Join renowned teachers for all-night learning, lakeside sunrise prayers, First Fruits Kiddush, and a midnight mountain hike.
October 31 - November 7, 2017 (in Israel)
ARAVA INSTITUTE & HAZON ISRAEL RIDE Enjoy five glorious days of fully-supported cycling through Israel, with route options for recreational riders and experienced cyclists alike. Plentiful local food and great overnight locations.
November 10 - 12, 2017
JEWISH MEN'S RETREAT Along with the connections that naturally develop among men who meet at our retreats, many men have used the JMR as an occasion to deepen their relationships with their fathers, sons, or brothers, friends, and congregants.
November 17 - 19, 2017
ADVA REUNION (FOR ALUMNI OF ADAMAH, TEVA, AND URBAN ADAMAH) See old friends and meet new ones, sing songs that make your heart yearn, hug the goats, and be awed by the compost piles. December 24 - 31, 2017
HAZON MEDITATION RETREAT Join Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Beth Resnick-Folk, Eliezer Sobel, and Rabbi Naomi Hyman for silent meditation with instruction, musical prayer services, and evening teachings that draw on Jewish, secular and Buddhist sources.
June 25 - July 1, 2018
KOHENET HEBREW PRIESTESS INSTITUTE Join the 9th cohort of women spiritual leaders and learn to revive and re-embody Judaism in a community of support and learning.
July 9 - 15 & 16 - 22, 2018
CAMP ISABELLA FREEDMAN All-inclusive vacation of good ol’ fashioned summer camp fun.
July 23 - 29, 2018
DAVENNEN’ LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE (DLTI) Join the 10th cohort of trained prayer leaders and learn how to deepen the quality of communal prayer to activate the body, touch the heart, engage the mind, and nurture spiritual growth.
July 23 - 29, 2018
TORAH YOGA Experience the body as a gateway to Torah wisdom and the Torah as a gateway to the wisdom of the body.
August 1 - 5, 2018
HAZON FOOD CONFERENCE
February 19 - 22, 2018
Highlights include outdoor wood-fired roasting and baking workshops, beekeeping up close, harvest-your-own feasts, a kids’ cooking club, and food justice action projects.
HAZON RABBIS’ RETREAT
August 23 - 26, 2018
Rest, renew, and learn as we create a healthier and more sustainable paradigm for rabbinic leadership.
LET MY PEOPLE SING
March 30 - April 8, 2018
Sing and share a wide array of Jewish song traditions, inclusive of the full range of Jewish ancestry and religious practices.
PESACH
August 31 - September 3, 2018 (Labor Day Weekend)
Enjoy gourmet kosher-for-Pesach food, inspiring seders, JOFEE activities, workshops, and the beauty of the Berkshires.
April 29 - May 7, 2018 (in Israel)
SUSTAINABLE ISRAEL TOUR A one-of-a-kind mission highlighting Israeli developments in sustainable food production, healthy living, and social justice.
NEW YORK RIDE & RETREAT A fully-supported ride, fundraiser, and community experience for people of all cycling levels and ages. Enjoy delicious, kosher, farm-to-table food, engaging educational workshops, fun outdoor activities, and two days of cycling around the beautiful Berkshires.
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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.
ERUV
On Shabbat there is a prohibition against carrying including keys, prayer books, canes or walkers, and even children who cannot walk on their own. Recognizing the difficulties this rule imposes, the sages of the Talmud devised a way to allow for carrying in public without breaking the rule. Through this means, called an eruv, communities are able to turn a large area into one that is considered, for Jewish law purposes, a large private domain, in which items may be carried. The eruv is visible around campus either as a white or orange wire. Please note, nothing should be placed on this wire.
A DAY OF REST
Shabbat is called a day of rest. The fourth of the Ten Commandments states, “For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath... you shall not do any work.” Aside from doing physical work, people traditionally abstain from many different things including using the telephone, turning on and off lights, cooking, using a computer, listening to or playing music, writing, and driving.
FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER
We begin dinner as a community by singing Shalom Aleichem, a song that imagines welcoming angels to our table to bring peace and joy. Next, we recite Kiddush, the blessing over wine that sanctifies the holiness of the day. Kiddush is followed by Hamotzi, the blessing over bread. Before making Hamotzi, many people will ritually wash their hands. It is customary not to talk between handwashing and the blessing over bread. Shabbat meals include songs, and we hope you will join us in singing or follow along in the benchers (songbooks) at your tables. The meal ends with a musical blessing, Birkat haMazon, the Grace after Meals.
SHABBAT DAY
To sanctify and make Shabbat special, we’ll make kiddush and enjoy some tasty snacks in the late morning. We will start Saturday lunch with the blessing over bread, done individually or by table. Because cooking is considered work on Shabbat, lunch includes cold food and cholent (a stew that is left on the stove to simmer throughout Shabbat.)
HAVDALAH
Havdalah (literally “separation”) marks the end of High Holiday’s and Shabbat and the start of the new week. Havdalah is done as soon as three stars are visible in the sky. The rituals of Havdalah include blessings over drinking wine, smelling spices, seeing a flame of a candle, and a blessing on separation. Havdalah is intended to require a person to use all five senses: tasting wine, smelling spices, seeing fire and feeling its heat, and hearing blessings.
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Jewish Life – Rosh Hashanah We welcome people from across the spectrum of Jewish practice and knowledge as well as people from other religious backgrounds. Our goal is to provide a nurturing and dynamic space for all to engage with Jewish culture and experiences.
SERVICE OPTIONS Orthodox Sing and pray in an uplifting traditional Hebrew service. There will be separate seating for men and women. Renewal This service focuses deeply on core phrases and themes from the traditional service, rather than using the entire liturgy. Percussion instruments and occasionally guitar may be utilized to support a joyous, creative prayer experience.
ROSH HASHANAH GREETING
SIMANIM SEDER
For the traditional festive meal on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, there is a special ceremony for the blessing and eating of symbolic foods. These are called simanim meelta (significant omens) and are based on a Talmudic teaching. We say a short prayer about the symbolism of each of the following foods before we eat them. The simanim seder will be explained before dinner on the first night of Rosh Hashanah. The special foods and what they symbolize are: • Apple dipped in honey (that we should have a good and sweet year – honey in general) • Fenugreek or carrots (that we should increase our merits)
L’shana tovah u’metukah — Pronounced l’shah-NAH toe-VAH ooh-mehtoo-KAH (oo as in food). A Hebrew greeting for the High Holiday season that means, “For a good and sweet year.”
• Leeks or cabbage (that our enemies be decimated)
CANDLE LIGHTING
• Gourd (that the decree of our sentence should be torn asunder, and our merits be proclaimed to G-d)
Like all Jewish holidays, Shabbat and Holidays begin in the liminal “place in-between” as day moves into night. We light candles to mark the transition from the mundane work-week to the holiness of Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. This ritual provides an opportunity to both reflect on the past week and enter the day of rest.
KAPPAROT
It is customary to perform the kaparot (symbolic "atonement") rite in preparation for Yom Kippur. The rite consists of taking a chicken and gently passing it over one's head three times while reciting the appropriate text. The fowl is then slaughtered in accordance with halachic procedure and its monetary worth given to the poor, or, as is more popular today, the chicken itself is donated to a charitable cause. In contrast to the process explained above, Kohenet Shamirah Chandler will be leading an alternative kapparot ceremony, by transferring our sins to a live chicken and self reflection. No animals will be harmed in the process.
SHOFAR
A shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown like a trumpet during Rosh Hashanah services, every day except Shabbat during the preceding month of Elul, and at the end of Yom Kippur. The four sounds of the shofar — tekiah, shevarim, teruah, and tekiah gedolah — remind many people of a crying voice. Hearing the shofar’s call is a reminder for us to look inward and repent for the sins of the past year.
• Beets (that our adversaries be removed) • Dates (that our enemies be consumed)
• Pomegranate (that our merits increase, as the seeds of the pomegranate) • Fish (that we should be fruitful and multiply) • Head of a fish or a sheep’s head (that we should be as a head and not a tail)
TASHLICH
Tashlich comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to cast," referring to the intent to cast away our sins via this meaningful and ancient Jewish custom common to both Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities. Tashlich is usually performed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Special verses are recited next to a body of water, such as a sea, river, stream, lake or pond, preferably one that has fish. The goal of Tashlich is to cast both our sins and the Heavenly prosecutor into the Heavenly sea. And when we shake our clothes after the Tashlich prayer, this is a tangible act to achieve the spiritual goal of shaking sins from our soul.
THE TEN DAYS OF PENITENCE
The period of time from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is known as the Ten Days of Penitence. The Ten Days of Penitence are seen as an opportunity for change. This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur.
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Rosh Hashanah Schedule
Wednesday, September 20 2:00 PM Guest Arrival Great Hall 2:00-5:00 PM Arrival Snack and Activities Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educators Round Challah Braiding On Rosh Hashanah we add a little extra honey or sugar to the dough for a ‘sweet new year’. Traditionally we bake round challahs to symbolize the cyclical seasons of the year. Apple and honey tasting The Jewish New Year is celebrated by greeting one another with the words shana tovah u’metukah, Hebrew for “a good and sweet new year!" Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies On the second day of Rosh Hashanah we say a blessing over a new fruit we have not yet tasted this season. We invite you to pedal the bike blender to make a fresh fruit and vegetable smoothie in honor of the new harvest. Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music, Judaica, and Adamah products including pickles and jams! Store hours will be posted.
4:00-5:20 PM Mikveh Boat Dock Prepare for Rosh Hashanah via ritual immersion in Lake Miriam with guided meditation and prayer. Please note sessions are broken down by gender identity to provide privacy to each group. Bathing suits are optional. 4:00-4:20 PM Non-Binary/Genderqueer 4:30-4:50 PM Self-Identified Women 5:00-5:20 PM Self-Identified Men 5:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva – Kids' Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Dining Tent Arielle Aronoff 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. 6:00-8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff 6:00 PM Welcome Reception Great Hall Ayala Azari & Adam ‘Segulah’ Sher Give yourself the gift of starting the Jewish New Year in community. We invite you to learn about ways to make the most of your time at Isabella Freedman and have the best experience possible, while also meeting new participants and people of the community.
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Wednesday, September 20 6:30 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall Rebbetzin Rachel Trugman Rosh Hashanah begins at 6:34 PM. 6:45 PM Rosh Hashanah Mincha & Ma'ariv – Orthodox Synagogue Aryeh Canter & Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman 7:00 PM Rosh Hashanah Evening Ma'ariv – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler
9:30 PM Night Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Let the stars and moon be your guide as we traverse through the woods around Lake Miriam. 9:30 PM Tisch Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arich Trugman Bring in the New Year with joyful singing, storytelling, and words of inspiration.
8:00-8:15 PM Rosh Hashanah Simanim Seder and Festive Holiday Dinner Dining Tent Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Various symbolic foods are eaten and a short prayer (Yehi Ratzon – May it be Your will) that alludes to the symbolism is recited. The Simanim (symbolic) foods vary from minhag to minhag (custom to custom). Some of those items include: apples and honey, carrots, leeks, beets, dates, pumpkin, pomegranate, fish, and head of a fish. The seder will be followed by a festive holiday dinner.
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Thursday, September 21 7:30-8:30 AM Vinyasa Flow Red Yurt Josh Rothstein We are all temporary beings here on earth. It's important we find our movements and breath in time and space to utilize our full potential. Vinyasa flow yoga recognizes the moments that we are holding a posture and then moving from one posture to another as we constantly do throughout our day. Come join Josh on the mat to renew your body and spirit, deepen your practice, and breathe throughout your day. All ages and experience levels are welcome. 7:30-9:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast Dining Hall 8:00-10:30 AM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info. 8:00-10:30 AM Morning Prayers and Torah Service – Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein & Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman 9:00-10:30 AM Morning Prayers – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler 10:30-11:00 AM Kiddush Great Hall 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info. 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Shofar Service & Musaf – Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Shofar blowing – Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Aaron Twersky
12:45-2:00 PM Autumnal Equinox Ritual – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler As the shadows lengthen and the leaves fall, we have entered the first day of 5778. We awaken to the leaves turning as we turn ourselves inward, asking: how will this year renew us and the planet? Note: For this ceremony, we will meet in the Library and process outdoors, rain or shine. 2:00-3:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 3:30-5:15 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info. 3:30-5:00 PM JOFEE Guided Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will traverse the Red Trail to the Yellow trail and end at the Goat Barnyard. Proper shoes and water bottles are essential. Hike is guided by experienced staff. A Teshuvah Tune-up Checklist Synagogue Arthur Kurzweil We will discuss 15 things Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz has taught about repentance. Rabbi Steinsaltz is best known for his translation of and commentary on the Babylonian Talmud as well as his classic work of Kabbalah, The Thirteen Petalled Rose. 3:30-5:00 PM Dust and Our Origin Story Beige Yurt Shamu Sadeh We will explore our creation from dust, Rashi's commentary, and modern writings on sense of place. What does it mean that we are made of dust? Thinking of our origin story, where are we at home and what should we know about our home places?
11:00 AM-12:45 PM Torah & Shofar Service – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler
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Thursday, September 21 3:30-5:00 PM Restorative Yoga Red Yurt Josh Rothstein Let's slow it down this afternoon. Allow yourself to reconnect with your body and release tensions from the body and mind. Props will be provided to gently stretch and strengthen the body. Come join Josh on the mat to rejuvenate your body and spirit, deepen your practice, and breathe into a wonderful year ahead. All ages and experience levels are welcome. 5:15 PM Community Tashlich – All Streams Patio Tashlich comes from the Hebrew word meaning "to cast," referring to the intent to cast away our sins. We invite everyone to cast off their personal and communal sins as we enter the days of atonement. We encourage everyone to participate in this "all streams" community tashlich. 6:15 PM Mincha & Ma'ariv – Orthodox Synagogue Aryeh Canter & Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein 5:30-6:30 PM Kids' Dinner Dining Tent 6:30-8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info.
7:00 PM Ma'ariv – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler 8:00 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall 8:15-9:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Dining Tent 9:30-10:30 PM The First Muslim-Jewish Encounter & What It Means For Jews Today Synagogue J.R. Rothstein The first portion of this session will engage in very brief overview of Jewish Arabia before the life of Muhammad (571-632), the founder of Islam, a brief exploration of the Byzantine-Iranian World War and the Jewish state of Jerusalem from 610-620 A.D., and how these events impacted the Jews of Arabia and the rise of Islam. The second half will focus on Muhammad's personal encounters with the Jews of Medina, his battle against the Jewish City State of Khaybar, and Islam's eventual expulsion of the Jews of Arabia. We will briefly discuss how the first MuslimJewish encounter impacts Jews today, and what approach the Jewish community should develop in our attempt to reconcile with Islam in the coming generations. 10:00 PM Bonfire & Kumzitz Campfire Jesse Beller The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish ritual, and the celebration of the New Year is a prime example. Come to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some wellknown and some obscure.
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Friday, September 22 7:30-8:30 AM Vinyasa Flow Red Yurt Josh Rothstein We are all temporary beings here on earth. It's important we find our movements and breath in time and space to utilize our full potential. Vinyasa flow yoga recognizes the moments that we are holding a posture and then moving from one posture to another as we constantly do throughout our day. Come join Josh on the mat to renew your body and spirit, deepen your practice, and breathe throughout your day. All ages and experience levels are welcome. 7:30-9:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast Dining Hall 8:00-10:30 AM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info. 8:00-10:30 AM Morning Prayers and Torah Service – Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein 9:00-10:15 AM Morning Prayers & Meditation – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler 10:30-11:00 AM Kiddush Great Hall 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info. 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Shofar Service & Musaf – Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Shofar blowing – Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman & Aaron Twersky 11:00-12:00 PM Torah Service – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler
12:15-1:45 PM Teshuvah Tunnel – Returning Rocks Meet at the Red Yurt Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler As we count down to Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, we will take a contemplative stroll up the mountain that will culminate in a personal reflection activity among the boulders. Includes the sounding of the shofar. Note: This ritual includes an intermediate level hike. Please wear long pants, long socks, and sturdy shoes. 12:15-1:45 PM Shofar & Labyrinth We will meet in the library and proceed to the labyrinth together for this ritual of personal reflection. Sarah Salem Listen with each step. Awaken through your feet. Spiral in, spiral out: allowing your body to move at its own pace. Discover how to return to yourself. 2:00-3:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 3:30-5:30 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva Schedule for info. 3:30-4:45 PM JOFEE Guided Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up to an incredible vista which rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water is essential. Hike is guided by experienced staff. This trail is outside of the eruv. What is the Difference between "Moaning" and "Whimpering"? Synagogue Arthur Kurzweil We will look at a passage from Tractate Rosh Hashanah in order to discover the way the Talmud works and how the sages think about things. No experience is necessary for this introduction to Talmud study. The Angels of Shabbat – Creation and Human Responsibility Beige Yurt Rabbi Levi Lauer To what angels do we sing at the Shabbat table and what do they have to say about our existence? An exploration of a rabbinic account of the divine committee that debated our creation and its implications for our responsibility.
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Friday, September 22 5:00-6:15 PM Restorative Yoga Red Yurt Josh Rothstein Let's slow it down this afternoon, Allow yourself to reconnect with your body and release tensions from the body and mind. Props will be provided to gently stretch and strengthen the body. Come join Josh on the mat to rejuvenate your body and spirit, deepen your practice, and breathe into a wonderful year ahead. All ages and experience levels are welcome. 5:00-6:15 PM Jewish Liberation Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler, Lily Rakia Chandler & Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein The U.S. Jewish community is multi-racial and multi-ethnic, and from all parts of the world. Jews of color are directly impacted by racism and police violence in the U.S. Though many Jews are in this struggle as white allies, white Jews can “other” and make invisible Jews of color if they speak about Jewish involvement in this struggle as only being in solidarity. We hope to use this session as an opportunity to open up the conversation about white supremacy in the Jewish community, and to challenge it. 5:00-6:15 PM Expanding Levels of Teshuva Synagogue Eden Perlstein Focus and deepen your experience of Rosh HaShanah and Tishrei. Through group text study, private conversation, and individual contemplation, we will explore one of Rav Kook's most classic texts, "Lights of Teshuvah". We will consider questions such as: "What is Teshuvah?", "Why do Teshuvah?" "How does Teshuvah work?", "What Teshuvah do I need to be doing right now?", "What Teshuvah does the world need me to be doing right now?", and more.
6:30 PM Candle Lighting (6:31 PM) Great Hall 6:45-8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info 6:45-8:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat & Ma'ariv – Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman 6:45-7:45 PM Kabbalat Shabbat & Ma'ariv – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler 8:00-9:30 PM Festive Holiday Dinner Dining Tent 9:00 PM Friday Night Tisch: Awake My Soul – All Streams Great Hall Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein Rosh Hashanah has passed, and this is where I should say "now the real work starts," but ultimately, the human condition doesn't work that way. We take time. It is gradual and all we truly have is the moment. Lets gather, let's sing and let's awaken the slumbering soul of our old selves, so we can give new selves a real shot!
5:30-6:30 PM Kids' Dinner Dining Tent
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Saturday, September 23 7:30-8:30 AM Vinyasa Yoga Beige Yurt Josh Rothstein We are all temporary beings here on earth. It's important we find our movements and breath in time and space to utilize our full potential. Vinyasa flow yoga recognizes the moments that we are holding a posture and then moving from one posture to another as we constantly do throughout our day. Come join Josh on the mat to renew your body and spirit, deepen your practice, and breathe throughout your day. All ages and experience levels are welcome. 7:30-9:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast Dining Hall 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info. 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Morning Prayers & Torah Service – Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman & Aryeh Canter 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Morning Prayers & Torah Service – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler 12:00-1:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 1:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts Arielle Aronoff See Camp Teva schedule for info.
1:30-2:45 PM JOFEE Guided Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up to an incredible vista which rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water is essential. Hike is guided by experienced staff. This trail is outside of the eruv. 1:30-2:45 PM Does Hasidut transcend Shulhan Aruch "Jewish Law"? Synagogue Nahum Twersky Why are there two days of Rosh Hashanah in Israel versus one day like all other holidays? What about two days of yom tov for diaspora Jews in Israel or not? 1:30-2:45 PM Shabbat Shuva: The Song of Return (Teshuvah) Beige Yurt Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein For me, Teshuvah (Repentance) always felt heavy. Growing up in Monsey, Teshuvah was a threat. "If you don't repent, you may die, and go to Hell!" As I grow and as I learn, I now know that Teshuvah is not a dirge, and rather the Love Song of Return. Sources will include: Talmud, Rav Kook and Rabbi Moshe Weinberger. *no prior Judaic knowledge required* 1:30-2:45 PM An Introduction to Humane Kapparot Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler In the day or two before Yom Kippur, it is time for the longstanding Jewish folk tradition that attracts explosive debate over its use of live chickens: Kapparot, or Kapporos, a ritual practiced by some Jews in which birds are swung overhead (and then killed) to atone for one’s sins. In this session, we will learn about the history of this custom, then prepare for a modernized creative version (that will not harm chickens) that we will perform here on Sunday. 3:00-4:15 PM Restorative Yoga Red Yurt Josh Rothstein Let's slow it down this afternoon, allow yourself to reconnect with your body and release tensions from the body and mind. Props will be provided to gently stretch and strengthen the body. Come join Josh on the mat to rejuvenate your body and spirit, deepen your practice, and breathe into a wonderful year ahead. All ages and experience levels are welcome.
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Saturday, September 23 3:00-4:15 PM The Lyrical Soul of Judaism Synagogue Eden Perlstein What is lyrical poetry? How does it differ from other genres of poetry? Where do we find eruptions of lyrical expression within Jewish text and tradition? And what does lyrical poetry or the poetic impulse have to do with Rosh Hashanah and the month of Tishrei? Through lively discussion and creatively close readings of the ecstatic and angsty poetry of Rav Kook and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, we will attempt to answer these questions and uncover the Lyrical Soul of Judaism. 3:00-4:15 PM Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Hosting our Adamah heirloom vegetables, a permaculture orchard, chickens, and compost, the Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from the Isabella Freedman campus. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields, and compost yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we “till and tend” the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come. 4:30-5:30 PM Exploring the Ten Days of Teshuva Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Exploring deep and profound gems of wisdom in the weekly portion of Haazinu which touch on the most existential questions of a human being, especially during the Ten Days of Teshuva. The Creation of Man? God, Gender, and Humanity in Process Library Rabbi Andy Shugerman Rosh Hashanah is called "the birthday of the cosmos," and our liturgy declares each morning that God is "the One who renews through goodness every day the work of Creation." With that rabbinic concept of process – of constant birth and rebirth – we will explore how the biblical narratives of Genesis 1-3 can support views of divinity, humanity, and gender that are more fluid than fixed. This can in turn carry us deeper into Aseret Y'mei Teshuvah – the Ten Days of Inward-Turning and Introspection that conclude with Yom Kippur. 5:30-6:00 PM Mincha – Orthodox Synagogue Aryeh Canter
6:00-7:30 PM Dinner and Zemirot Dining Tent Zemirot or Zemirot are Jewish hymns, usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages, but sometimes also in Yiddish or Ladino. As the three day Yom Tov (Holiday) comes to a close, we come together to sing and celebrate the transition into havdalah. 7:30-8:00 PM Ma'ariv – Orthodox Synagogue Aryeh Canter 7:30-8:00 PM Sunset Releasing – Renewal Library Kohenet Shamirah Chandler & Lily Rakia Chandler Observing shadows and light in the valley as the evening air brings coolness, darkness, and stars, we bid farewell to Shabbat. Includes light drumming and chanting. 8:00 PM Community Havdalah – All Streams Patio Shabbat ends at 7:37 pm 9:00-11:00 PM DIY Festival Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educator Come to the Great Hall to sample many of the Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) programs Hazon has to offer. Make bike blender smoothies on our stationary bike. It is the ultimate expression of human power! Learn the benefits of lacto-fermented pickles and make some of your own. Try your hand at wood burning, salve making, and micro-green seed planting. 9:00-10:30 PM More than Honey – Documentary Synagogue This documentary takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. The film examines our current agricultural landscape and celebrates the ancient and sacred connection between man and the honeybee. The story highlights the positive changes that have resulted due to the tragic phenomenon known as "Colony Collapse Disorder." To empower the audience, the documentary provides viewers with tangible solutions they can apply to their everyday lives. 9:00-11:00 PM Bookstore Open
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Sunday, September 24 No Camp Teva Please note, there will be no Camp Teva today. Thank you for joining us. See you next time! 7:00-7:30 AM Goat Milking Observation Meet at Goat Barn Ze’v Chana Watch our Adamah farmers milk the goats and ask barnyard manager Z’ev all your questions about goats and how to milk them. You might get a chance to milk a goat, if you want to! You are also welcome to bring a cup of coffee or tea for an Adamah “capreccino” (warm frothy goat milk in your beverage, straight from the goat's’ teat)
9:00-10:00 AM Humane Kapparot with Adamah Hens Meet at Gazebo Kohenet Shamirah Chandler Honoring and renewing the tradition of kapparot/kapparos, transferring our sins to a live chicken, we will reflect on our sins with the chickens are our witness. This is an all ages family friendly activity. No birds will be harmed as part of this ritual. Note: This session takes place at the chicken coop; we will meet at the Gazebo at 9:00 AM sharp and walk there together.
7:30-8:30 AM Vinyasa Yoga Beige Yurt Josh Rothstein We are all temporary beings here on earth. It's important we find our movements and breath in time and space to utilize our full potential. Vinyasa flow yoga recognizes the moments that we are holding a posture and then moving from one posture to another as we constantly do throughout our day. Come join Josh on the mat to renew your body and spirit, deepen your practice, and breathe throughout your day. All ages and experience levels are welcome.
10:00 AM Check-out You are welcome to leave after lunch, however, we ask that all guests remove their belonging from their rooms. Luggage may be stored in the Great Hall on the stage or in your vehicle. Please do not leave valuables unattended. 12:00 PM See you next year!
8:00-10:00 AM Brunch Dining Hall 8:00 AM-12:00 PM Bookstore open 8:30-9:00 AM Morning Prayers & Torah Service – Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein
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Leaders and Teachers – Rosh Hashanah Kohenet Shamirah Bechirah, also known as Sarah Chandler, is a Jewish experiential educator, community activist, and earth-based spiritual leader. Her ritual craft and prayer leadership is well-known from the Isabella Freedman Shavuot Goat Parade and Sukkot Water Drawing celebration. In recent years, she lead high holiday services at Bnai Or in St. Croix USVI, as well as West End Synagogue and Altshul Minyan in New York City. Currently, she is the CCO (Chief Compassion Officer) and team leader at JIFA (Jewish Initiative for Animals) where she works to support Jewish institutions to establish meaningful food policies rooted in Jewish ethics and animal welfare. She previously served as the Director of Earth Based Spiritual Practice for Hazon’s Adamah Farm, responsible for Food, Farm and Forest Jewish Educational Programming. She holds a M.A. in Jewish Experiential Education and a M.A. in Hebrew Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a certificate in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Leadership from Columbia University. She teaches, writes and consults on a national level on issues related to Judaism, earth-based spiritual practice, the environment, mindfulness, food values, and farming. Lily Rakia Chandler is a drummer, singer, and spiritual leader from the Boston area. Her present and grounded style can range from meditative and reflective to inspiration for a wild dance party. She has lead Jewish ritual including her original chants at communities such as Hineini, Ikar, Kohenet, and Temple of SOPHIA. Heavily influenced by hiphop and reggae, Rakia brings a sweet and spicy flavor to prayer. Arthur Kurzweil is a writer, teacher, publisher, genealogist and magician. His books include On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz, Kabbalah for Dummies, The Torah for Dummies, and From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy Rabbi Levi D. Lauer is the Founding Executive Director of ATZUM/ Avodot TZedakah U’Mishpat. Ordained by the Hebrew Union College he devoted his work to educational endeavor as Hillel Director and Instructor of Religion at the University of Missouri; Executive Director of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, the first co-educational halakhic yeshiva; Dean of the Brandeis-Bardin Camp Institute; and Director of Rabbinic Enrichment at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem. Rabbi Lauer is a pioneer educator and social activist bringing contemporary social concerns to synthesis with traditional Jewish practice and study. His concern for making social justice a priority of Jewish devotion led him to found ATZUM-Justice Works in 2002 to address glaring Israeli injustices and to bring assistance to Israelis disadvantaged by inadequate access to public and private protection. He shaped ATZUM's Roberta Project for Survivors of Terror, ATZUM’s Righteous Among the Nations Project, Beit Midrash TAKUM and the Task Force against Human Trafficking and Prostitution. Eden Pearlstein is a Jewish Hip Hop Artist and Experiential Educator. As a founding member of Darshan (along with Shir Yaakov and Basya Schechter), Eden's music and lyrics explore modern American Jewish identity in conversation with Jewish tradition, text and mysticism. Eden's work as an educator primarily focuses on Jewish thought and practice mixed with creative process and aesthetic awareness. Over the last few years, Eden has offered his classes to diverse communities, from Hasidic to Renewal, in a wide array of learning environments including Rabbinic schools, retreat centers, synagogues, kollels, and living rooms. Eden holds 2 Master's Degrees from JTS — one in Jewish Thought and Philosophy and the other in Experiential Education.
proudly serves as the Rabbi-in-Residence for Hazon and consults with multiple organizations that seek to respond to the needs of the Jewish community today (Carmel Academy, Be'chol Lashon, JDC & the Beis Community). Rothstein lives in Crown Heights, NYC where he spends his “free time” recording music, leading song-gatherings and participating in deep meaningful conversations (DMCs) concerning the emerging voices in a 21st century Judaism. Josh Rothstein has been practicing yoga and meditation since 2010. He attended training with Three Sisters Yoga Studio in New York City. When Josh is not practicing yoga he can be found in nature or his kitchen fermenting various foods and drink. In Josh's spare time you can find him gardening at a community garden plot in East Harlem planting exotic hot peppers or cooking his favorite dishes for family and friends. J.R. Rothstein is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law where he is a Fulbright Fellow engaging in a study of comparative real estate law. Mr. Rothstein is also a real estate transactional and employment attorney who practices on an extensive range of matters in both fields. He studied real estate development at New York University, received both his Juris Doctor, and Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law from Cornell Law School where he was Editor of the Journal of Law and Public Policy and an Albert Heit Scholarship recipient. J.R. serves as a Steering Committee and Board Member of AJC ACCESS where he is the former Chair of the Jewish-Muslim Taskforce. He founded and operates the Entrepreneur Shabbat Dinner Series recently recognized by the eminent Professor Jonathan Sarna and for which he was subsequently awarded the JICNY Pinnacle of Leadership Award for promoting entrepreneurship. J.R. is an oral historian and has lived, worked, studied or traveled in over two dozen countries. Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh is the co-founder and director of Adamah, and prior to that he worked as the Director of Teva. He teaches Judaism and ecology, turns the compost piles, maintains the orchards, and supervises and mentors staff and Adamah Fellows. His wife Jaimie and kids Yonah, Ibby and Lev keep the bees, help harvest and pickle, and DJ staff dance parties. Rabbi Avraham Arieh and Rachel Trugman have 35 years of experience in the field of Jewish education. They were a founding family of Moshav Meor Modiim in 1976, where Rabbi Trugman served several years as the Director of the Center of Jewish Education, which successfully ran programs for over 5,000 participants from over 25 countries. In 1988, the Trugmans took the position of Regional Directors of NCSY in Denver, Colorado. The Trugmans returned to Israel in 1995 and are now the Directors of Ohr Chadash: New Horizons in Jewish Experience, a dynamic program they created that has run programs for tens of thousands participants. Their website, YouTube channel, blog, Twitter and Facebook have received hundreds of thousands of visits. The Trugmans have visited over 40 cities worldwide, leading Shabbatons, giving classes, performing music, and serving as scholars-inresidence. Nahum Twersky is a marketing executive for Fortune 100 companies. He is a board member and advisor to many Jewish nonprofits in America and Israel. His education includes an MBA, MS in Jewish Philosophy, and Rabbinical ordination from Rav Soloveitchik at Yeshiva university. He is the sixth generation grandson of the Hasidic master – the Meor Enayim.
Rabbi Isaiah J. Rothstein is a mixed-raced-rabbi, bridge-builder, songwriter, and spiritual enthusiast. Isaiah was born and raised in Monsey, NY, and is the youngest of three boys. Isaiah proudly identifies as a Jew of Color, growing up in a mixed-raced Lubavitch family. Currently Rothstein
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Jewish Life – Yom Kippur We welcome people from across the spectrum of Jewish practice and knowledge as well as people from other religious backgrounds. Our goal is to provide a nurturing and dynamic space for all to engage with Jewish culture and experiences.
SERVICE OPTIONS Orthodox Sing and pray in an uplifting traditional Hebrew service. There will be separate seating for men and women. Renewal This service focuses deeply on core phrases and themes from the traditional service, rather than using the entire liturgy. Percussion instruments and occasionally guitar may be utilized to support a joyous, creative prayer experience.
CANDLE LIGHTING
Like all Jewish holidays, Shabbat and Holidays begin in the liminal “place in-between” as day moves into night. We light candles to mark the transition from the mundane work-week to the holiness of Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. This ritual provides an opportunity to both reflect on the past week and enter the day of rest.
YOM KIPPUR GREETINGS
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, when we ask forgiveness for the wrongs we have committed over the past year. Jewish tradition believes that on this day God places a seal upon the Divine decrees affecting each person for the coming year. You can say, “Have an easy fast” or “gmar hatima tova” (may you be inscribed for a good year.) It’s also acceptable to say “shana tova” (happy new year).
FASTING AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS
Yom Kippur is the day on which we are instructed to divorce ourselves as completely as humanly possible from the mundane world in which we live, in order to devote ourselves with all our hearts and minds to our relationship with the Divine. Traditionally, Jews are not required to fast until they reach bar/bat mitzvah age (12 or 13), and children under the age of 9 are not allowed to fast. People for whom fasting is a health risk, along with pregnant and nursing women, are also exempt. The fast includes abstaining from water, but, again, only if doing so does not pose health risk. Fasting is the most widespread manifestation of this devotion.additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing including teeth brushing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes, and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur. It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which the dead are buried.
SUKKAH BUILDING
It is meritorious to start building the sukkah immediately after Yom Kippur, even if it is Friday, because a chance to perform a mitzvah, good deed, should not be put off.
YOM KIPPUR SERVICES
The liturgy for Yom Kippur is much more extensive than for any other day of the year. Liturgical changes are so far-reaching that a separate, special prayer book for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. This prayer book is called the machzor. The Kol Nidrei is the first prayer, and should be recited before sunset. "Kol nidre" means "all vows," and in this prayer, we ask God to annul all personal vows we may make in the next year. The Maariv is an evening service and includes the viddui. The Viddui, which means “confession,” is a prayer recited just before Yom Kippur, and repeated many times throughout the holiday. A general practice during the Viddui is to gently beat oneselves on the chest for each transgression listed. This action serves as a symbolic punishment for our hearts, which are ultimately responsible for leading us to sins of greed, lust and anger. In the morning, the Shaharit begins the day. It is similar to other morning services but includes additional poems, known as piyutim. We traditionally read a passage from Leviticus about the sacrificing of a goat (the origin of the term scapegoat). In addition to these readings from the Torah (the five books of Moses), on the afternoon of Yom Kippur it is customary to read the Book of Jonah, from the Prophets section of the Bible. Next is the Yizkor, a memorial prayer for those whose parents have died. Those with parents still living leave the main sanctuary while it is being said. The Musaf is the longest service of the year. It contains two parts: one which recounts the temple service, and the second describes the ten Jewish wise men tortured to death by the Romans. The concluding service of Yom Kippur, known as Ne'ilah, is one unique to the day. It usually runs about 1 hour long. The ark (a cabinet where the scrolls of the Torah are kept) is kept open throughout this service, thus you must stand throughout the service. There is a tone of desperation in the prayers of this service. The service is sometimes referred to as the closing of the gates; think of it as the "last chance" to get in a good word before the holiday ends. The service ends with a very long blast of the shofar.
ANCIENT RITUALS
The Talmud states that both Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av (often described as the Jewish Valentine’s Day) were the most joyous days of the year, when women would wear white gowns and dance in the vineyards, chanting “Young man, lift up your eyes and see what you choose for yourself. Do not set your eyes on beauty, but set your eyes on a good family.”
SHABBAT CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES See page 9
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Yom Kippur Schedule
Friday, September 29 Simple food will be available at the coffee bar and upon request. Children will receive meals and snacks in Arts & Crafts. Food may be consumed in the Dining Hall at designated tables. Please refrain from eating and drinking in common spaces. Silent space option during the Yom Kippur retreat is available in the Red Yurt. Yoga mats, blankets, backjacks and zaphoos are available to use for meditation and introspective practices. Please keep all yoga and meditation supplies in the yurt. All Streams/Communal Sessions 2:00 PM Check-in Great Hall 2:00 PM Arrival Snack Great Hall 3:00-3:30 PM Mikveh Boat Dock Prepare for Yom Kippur via ritual immersion in Lake Miriam with guided meditation and prayer. Please note sessions are broken down by gender identity to provide privacy to each group. Bathing suits are optional. 3:00-3:15 PM Non-Binary/Genderqueer 3:15-3:30 PM Self-Identified Women 3:30-3:45 PM Self-Identified Men 5:00 PM Seudah HaMafseket “Separation Meal” Pre-Fast Meal Dining Hall The meal, which is similar to a traditional Shabbat meal, with soup and chicken, takes place before sunset and before synagogue services. Kiddush, the prayer over wine, is not recited, but we will say the blessing over challah. 6:00 PM Fast Begins
6:00 PM Community Candle Lighting Great Hall On Yom Kippur we light candles in honor of the holiday, candles in honor of our deceased parents, candles in the synagogue (Great Hall), and candles to use in havdalah. After lighting the candles, the holiday and the fast officially begin. 6:15-6:30 PM Mandatory Parent/Guardian Orientation Arts & Crafts 6:30-8:30 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts 6:20 PM Both services begin either in the Synagogue or Library Synagogue and Library. See next page. 8:30 PM Learning, Singing, and Storytelling Great Hall Table hymns sung during or immediately after Shabbat and High Holiday meals are called zemirot On this special High Holy Day we rejoice in song and storytelling. Four Worlds Teshuva (Repentance) Library Alternating between reflecting, sharing, and chanting, we will pass through four gates of teshuva. Open to all; no drums or other instruments will be used in this session.
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Friday, September 29 Orthodox Services – Synagogue 4:45 PM Mincha 6:20-8:30PM Kol Nidre, Welcome The first communal prayer service of Yom Kippur actually takes place immediately prior to sunset on the evening of Yom Kippur. This service is called Kol Nidrei (“All Vows”). These are the first words of a special legal formula that is recited at the beginning of this service and is chanted three times. Kabbalat Shabbat
Maariv with Selihot All five services on Yom Kippur include a section known as Selihot (forgiveness prayers) and another one called the Vidui (confessions). The Selihot include a basic confession of sins, an expression of our contrition, and reflections on God’s forgiving nature. We recite the 13 attributes, which are taken from a prayer that Moses recited in Exodus 34. In it, we assert that God is a compassionate, patient, and righteous God. Included in the Vidui is the Ashamnu, which is an alphabetical acrostic of different sins we have committed. It is said in first-person plural, because while each individual may not have committed these specific sins, as a community we surely have, and our fates are intertwined on this day.
Renewal Services – Library Services will begin in the Library. Some components of the services will be held outside. Please dress accordingly for the weather. 6:20-8:30PM Kol Nidre The first communal prayer service of Yom Kippur actually takes place immediately prior to sunset on the evening of Yom Kippur. This service is called Kol Nidrei (“All Vows”). These are the first words of a special legal formula that is recited at the beginning of this service and is chanted three times. Kabbalat Shabbat Ma'ariv See description above.
Saturday, September 30 9:00 AM-3:30 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts 5:00-7:30 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 23
Saturday, September 30 Orthodox Services – Synagogue 8:30 AM "Releasing" Meditation 9:00 AM Shacharit (Psukei d'Zimra) Beginning with Shachrit, the morning service, the prayers occupy themselves with themes of seeking forgiveness for sin and engaging in the process of teshuvah or repentance. 11:45 AM Torah Reading The Torah portion read on Yom Kippur morning is taken from Leviticus 16, which details the ancient biblical Yom Kippur rituals in which two goats would be selected as symbolic sacrifices. One would be sacrificed to God in the ancient belief that animal sacrifice could achieve divine ablution from sin, and the other goat literally became the “scapegoat” upon which the High Priest would symbolically place all the sins of the Jewish people. This scapegoat would then be sent off into the desert to a demon known as Azazel (presumably to die there), thus carrying away the sins of the people. 12:15 PM Yizkor Address & Service Literally “May God remember,” Yizkor is a prayer service in memory of the dead. Traditionally, those with parents still living leave the synagogue while it is being said. 12:30 PM Musaf The Musaf, or additional service, that follows is a repetition of the main themes of the Shachrit service and includes many ancient and medieval religious poems included over the centuries to continue to heighten the spiritual experience of the day. Two unique additions to the Yom Kippur Musaf liturgy are the Martyrology and the Avodah, or worship, service. The Martyrology is actually a long medieval poem that describes in painfully gruesome detail the deaths of famous rabbis during ancient Roman persecutions. This poem, oftentimes including additions from the time of the Holocaust, is intended to impress upon us the spiritual devotion of our ancestors, as well as to intensify the religious and emotional tenor of the day.
5:00 PM Mincha, including Torah Reading The Torah is once again read, this time concerning the laws of forbidden marriages (Leviticus 18). Because sexuality can and should be a vehicle for creating the divine presence in our lives, it is appropriate that such a seemingly profane topic should be read in public on Yom Kippur. The Haftarah for the Mincha service is the entire biblical book of Jonah, which deals with the theme of repentance. 5:45 PM Neilah Address & Service It is the final service on Yom Kippur, Neilah - literally “locking” (of gates) - which paints an image of the gates of heaven closing, lending urgency to our prayers and our need for repentance and forgiveness. We begin the service with a piyyut that asks God to “open the gate” and let us enter so that we might have a final appeal before God’s decree is sealed. There is a silent Amidah prayer, like at all services, which is repeated by the cantor. Throughout Neilah, the language of being “written” in the book of life used thus far in High Holiday liturgy shifts, as we instead speak of being “sealed” in that book. The final section of Neilah includes a recitation of the Shema (“Hear O Israel…”) followed by recitation of these lines: Barukh Shem K’vod (“Blessed be God’s name…”) three times, and Adonai Hu HaElohim (“Adonai is our God”) seven times. 7:17 PM Nightfall, Shofar Blast We conclude the service with a long blast of the shofar, Tekiah Gedolah. 7:20 PM Maariv Immediately after the conclusion of the Neilah service and the shofar is blown, many people recite the evening prayers so that the clean slate after Yom Kippur is not immediately sullied by skipping a daily prayer service.
3:30 PM Break after Musaf
24 • 5778 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Saturday, September 30 Renewal Services – Library Services will begin in the Library. Some components of the services will be held outside. Please dress accordingly for the weather. 9:00 AM Shacharit (morning practice) Beginning with Shachrit, the morning service, the prayers occupy themselves with themes of seeking forgiveness for sin and engaging in the process of teshuvah or repentance.
12:30 PM Lake trail contemplative walk
11:45 AM Torah Service The Torah portion read on Yom Kippur morning is taken from Leviticus 16, which details the ancient biblical Yom Kippur rituals in which two goats would be selected as symbolic sacrifices. One would be sacrificed to God in the ancient belief that animal sacrifice could achieve divine ablution from sin, and the other goat literally became the “scapegoat” upon which the High Priest would symbolically place all the sins of the Jewish people. This scapegoat would then be sent off into the desert to a demon known as Azazel (presumably to die there), thus carrying away the sins of the people.
5:00 PM Becoming Jonah The Haftarah for the Mincha service is the entire biblical book of Jonah, which deals with the theme of repentance.
3:30 PM Break
5:45 PM Neilah & Ma'ariv - Unlocking the Spiral See description on previous page. 7:17 PM Nightfall, Shofar Blast
12:15 PM Yizkor Service Literally “May God remember,” Yizkor is a prayer service in memory of the dead. Traditionally, those with parents still living leave the synagogue while it is being said. All Streams/Communal Sessions 7:30 PM All Streams – Havdalah (Fast) Havdalah (literally “separation”) marks the end of High Holidiay’s and Shabbat and the start of the new week. 7:45 PM Break Fast! 8:30 PM Sukkah Building Patio According to most opinions, one should begin on at the departure of Yom Kippur in order to go immediately from one mitzvah to another. 8:45 PM Kiddush Levanah – Blessing the Moon Outside next to tent In Kabbalistic tradition, the new moon is sanctified seven days after its appearance, under a clear sky, standing facing east. It may be said as early as three days after the new moon, and as
late as a day before the full moon (the moon should still be visibly waxing). It is the custom in the month of Av to wait to sanctify the moon until after Tisha b’Av, and in Tishrei to wait until after Yom Kippur. In a minyan, the Aleinu prayer and kaddish are traditionally added at the end. 9:00 PM Campfire and s'mores 9:00 PM Happy – Documentary Synagogue Does money make you happy? Kids and family? Your work? Do you live in a world that values and promotes happiness and well-being? Are we in the midst of a happiness revolution? Roko Belic, director of Genghis Blues, now brings us Happy, a film that sets out to answer these questions and more. Taking us from the bayous of Louisiana to the deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to the villages of Okinawa, Happy explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.
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Sunday, October 1 All Streams/Communal Sessions 8:00-9:30 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Guest Room Check-Out
8:30 AM Orthodox – Shacharit Synagogue
12:00 PM Lunch
9:00 AM Renewal – Shacharit Library
1:00 PM Departure
Leaders and Teachers – Yom Kippur Kohenet Shamirah Bechirah, also known as Sarah Chandler, is leading the Renewal services. She is a Jewish experiential educator, community activist, and earth-based spiritual leader. Her ritual craft and prayer leadership is well-known from the Isabella Freedman Shavuot Goat Parade and Sukkot Water Drawing celebration. In recent years, she lead high holiday services at Bnai Or in St. Croix USVI, as well as West End Synagogue and Altshul Minyan in New York City. Currently, she is the CCO (Chief Compassion Officer) and team leader at JIFA (Jewish Initiative for Animals) where she works to support Jewish institutions to establish meaningful food policies rooted in Jewish ethics and animal welfare. She previously served as the Director of Earth Based Spiritual Practice for Hazon’s Adamah Farm, responsible for Food, Farm and Forest Jewish Educational Programming. She holds a M.A. in Jewish Experiential Education and a M.A. in Hebrew Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a certificate in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Leadership from Columbia University. She teaches, writes and consults on a national level on issues related to Judaism, earth-based spiritual practice, the environment, mindfulness, food values, and farming. Rabbi-Chazan Matti Brown is leading the Orthodox services. Before jumping with both feet into the streams of Jewish joy, he passionately sought for an experience of the oneness underlying the world’s wisdom traditions. A mentorship with Rav DovBer Pinson helped him focus and resolve this search, which in turn led him to Jerusalem to study for rabbinic ordination with posek Rav David Fink and educator Reb Sholom Brodt. As a certified life coach and somatics practitioner, Matti loves to turn spiritual teachings of the Torah into penetrating questions for self-investigation, insight and embodiment. As a baal tefillah and songwriter, Matti has helped fill the prayers of hundreds of people with song. He is also an editor of Jewish books, and currently lives in Jerusalem with his wife, the singer and storyteller Rachel Ravitz, and their twin daughters. Lily Rakia Chandler is leading the Renewal services. She is a drummer, singer, and spiritual leader from the Boston area. Her present and grounded style can range from meditative and reflective to inspiration for a wild dance party. She has lead Jewish ritual including her original chants at communities such as Hineini, Ikar, Kohenet, and Temple of SOPHIA. Heavily influenced by hiphop and reggae, Rakia brings a sweet and spicy flavor to prayer.
26 • 5778 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Hazon Meditation Retreat A week of silence, awareness, and insight December 24-31, 2017 Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Rabbi Jay Michaelson
Beth Resnick-Folk
JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.
Rabbi Naomi Mara Hyman
Eliezer Sobel
HAZON.ORG/MEDITATION
Dining Tent