Rosh Hashanah 5779 at Isabella Freedman
Shabbat Elul September 7–9
Rosh Hashanah Retreat September 9–12
HOW ARE YOU
#LIVINGTHECHANGE THIS NEW YEAR?
Hazon is the leading Jewish partner in Living the Change – a worldwide, faith-driven, evidence-based initiative designed to address the growing environmental challenges for our shared home. Demonstrate on a global scale how your individual transportation, home energy use, and diet choices can make a difference.
Make your commitment to sustain the earth:
livingthechange.net #livingthechange
Welcome! Chag Sameach Friends, I am excited and honored to welcome you to the 11th annual Rosh Hashanah Retreat at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, home of Hazon in beautiful Falls Village, Connecticut. Whether this is your first time at Isabella Freedman or your 20th, I invite you to experience this New Year’s celebration with an open heart and willingness to try something new. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the year as we look towards our future as individuals and as a community. Celebrating Rosh Hashanah at Isabella Freedman allows you to have a personal transformative experience whether you are singing traditional Jewish liturgy in services, joining a meditative hike in the forest, reenacting the Torah through biblical storytelling, discussing Jewish texts and ideas, or sharing your personal story with family and friends, new and old, as we enjoy festive holiday meals together. As you bask in the joyful celebration of Rosh Hashanah at Isabella Freedman, consider a small or large change you would like to add to your life in the coming year. In contrast to Yom Kippur, when we gather as a community to proclaim our shortcomings and wrongdoings, on Rosh Hashanah we look ahead and commit to change either personally or as a community. There are so many great opportunities to explore, new ways of being, and lessons to learn over this holiday. As we step into the New Year together, I welcome you to connect with friends and family, build new relationships through an exchange of new ideas, and come together to create a better and more sustainable world. One small step to build community is to greet each other as you walk through campus and to share your voice through song and conversation. May this be the beginning of an incredible year! L’Shanah Tovah U’metukah With gratitude, Ayala Azari Retreat Coordination Manager
Table of Contents Welcome to Isabella Freedman...........................................................................4 About Hazon..............................................................................................................6 Our Food Values at Isabella Freedman.............................................................8 Higher Welfare Kosher Meat.............................................................................. 10 Schedule at a Glance............................................................................................ 11
Rosh Hashanah Sunday............................................................................................................... 15 Monday.............................................................................................................. 17 Tuesday.............................................................................................................. 18 Wednesday....................................................................................................... 20
Shabbat Elul Friday.................................................................................................................. 12 Saturday............................................................................................................ 13 Sunday............................................................................................................... 14
Camp Teva Schedule............................................................................................ 21 Jewish Life at Isabella Freedman..................................................................... 24 Leaders and Teachers Bios................................................................................. 25 Upcoming Hazon Retreats & Programs......................................................... 26
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WELCOME Welcome to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. This beautiful campus has been touching people’s lives since the 1950s, and since 2014 has been the home of Hazon. The word “Hazon” is Hebrew for “vision.” We’re working to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. We hope that your stay here will indeed inspire you to reflect, to learn, to celebrate, to recharge, and thus to return to your home and your community with a renewed sense of hope for our world and a renewed commitment to health and sustainability in your own life.
Please read upon arrival If you need anything during your stay, please contact the Retreat Manager on duty. EMERGENCY CALLS: In the event of a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1 from your cell phone, OR: 9-9-1-1 from any land line phone, located in the buildings throughout campus. Please familiarize yourself with the location of the nearest phone to your room. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones. After making a 9-1-1 call, please contact a retreat manager at the IF Emergency #: Dial 860-453-3963 from a cell phone. Emergencies only, please. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones. SECURITY: Isabella Freedman is an oasis in a troubled world. And, we are committed to vigilance and preparedness for the unfortunate realities of our society today. Two general guidelines provide the basis for our security program: Please wear your name tags at all times. Our staff need to be aware of who should be on our site. In the event of a campus-wide emergency, you will hear three one-second blasts of a very loud air horn, repeated multiple times. If you hear this, immediately evacuate to the decorative gate at Adamah farm located across the street from the main entrance and remain there until emergency services arrive. Do not use your cellphone or take time to look for others besides children. FIRST AID: First aid materials are located at Guest Services, in the Lounge, Yurts, Arts and Crafts Building, and Pool House. A defibrillator is located in the Lounge. FIRE SAFETY: Please only light candles at group candle lighting in the main building. Camp fires must be approved by the event coordinator in advance and are only allowed at the fire pit by the lake. Camp fires must be put out at the end of the activity. Please see a retreat manager for any questions.
SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in all buildings, and throughout campus. You may smoke only at the fire pit by the lake. Please dispose of cigarette butts in the designated cigarette bin. PARKING: Driving and parking is not allowed on grassy areas. Please only park in the designated parking areas: the lot near the main entrance and the lot near the barnyard. KASHRUT: Our facility is strictly kosher. Please do not bring any outside food or beverages or personal drinking and eating vessels (including water bottles and travel mugs) into the main building without prior approval from one of our kosher supervisors. Mugs from our coffee bar can be used throughout the main building. Please do not take our dishes outside of the dining spaces. Food may be brought outside of the dining spaces in compostable to-go ware found at the coffee bar. Any supplemental food you wish to have at a meal must be brought (in original sealed packaging) to be checked by our kosher supervisor. BUSING TABLES: Please clear your table after finishing your meal. Bins for compost and dishware are located at the corner of the Dining Hall. CHECK OUT PROCEDURE: On check-out day, you MUST move out of your room by 10 am or a $50 late fee will be applied to your credit card. Kindly strip your bed and place all sheets and towels into the pillowcases. (Please leave mattress pads, blankets and comforters on the beds.)
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COMPOST & RECYCLING: Around campus you will see containers for compost (green), recycling (blue) and trash (black). Items that are compost: All food including bones, paper napkins, paper towels, to-go ware (hot/cold cups, lids, utensils, containers) tea bags, paper wrappers, corks, and wooden coffee stirrers. We use our compost to fertilize our Adamah Farm! GUEST FRIDGE: You may store personal food items in the fridge located in the Sunroom near Guest Services. (These items do not have to be kosher.) Please label your name on all items. POTABLE TAP WATER: ALL tap water on campus comes directly from a local well source and is potable and delicious! HOT WATER/COFFEE: Due to our kosher policies, on Shabbat we offer coffee and hot water until it runs out. Once Shabbat ends, our staff make fresh batches. We appreciate your understanding, and we strive to provide enough coffee and hot water through the holiday. CHILDREN: Please make sure that your children are supervised at all times, or are participating in children’s programming associated with your retreat.
GAMES, BOOKS AND MORE: We offer a variety of sport equipment, books, games and toys for your pleasure. Please see a retreat manager to borrow any of these items. Please do not use any bikes located on campus as these belong to Isabella Freedman staff. LAKE AND SWIMMING / BOATING: The pool is only open 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. Please return the vests and oars to the shed and the boats to the rack after use. HIKING: Please stay on Isabella Freedman trails when hiking. We advise telling a friend when you go out on a trail and when you return, carrying a cell phone and water bottle, and only hiking during daylight hours. Trail maps are located at Guest Services. TICKS AND LYME DISEASE: We recommend doing a tick check after spending time outdoors. We have tick removal information available at Guest Services. VISITING THE GOATS: Please only enter into fenced-in areas with an Isabella Freedman staff member present, and please respect any signage and/or directions given by staff members.
THERMOSTATS: The thermostats in your buildings/rooms are programmed to keep you comfortable. You may adjust the temperature by increasing or decreasing the thermostat one or two degrees.
We hope you enjoy your stay with us! It’s important to us to know both what you enjoyed and ways we could improve our work here. Please do fill out an evaluation form. If you do not receive one, please email evaluations@hazon.org.
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About Hazon
The word "hazon" means "vision." We're the Jewish lab for sustainability. We work to create a more sustainable Jewish community – and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. We do this through immersive multi-day programs like food conferences, retreats, and bike rides; through thought-leadership (writing, teaching and advocacy); and capacity-building – fostering new experiments in Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education, across the Jewish world.
“The Torah is a commentary on the world and the world is a commentary on the Torah.” Our theme quote reflects our belief that turning Jewish life outwards to address some of the greatest challenges of our time is good not only for the world, but also for the renewal of Jewish life itself.
Our programs are multi-generational and open to people of all religious backgrounds and none. We are based in New York, Detroit, Denver, Boulder, and at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in the Connecticut Berkshires.
Education
We offer Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE), providing thought-leadership and immersive experiences for a spectrum of ages and interests. From institutions and individuals using our wide range of curricula and sourcebooks to kids at our Teva programs weighing their leftovers and young adults living in community and farming with Adamah, Hazon supports learning at the intersection of Jewish life and sustainability.
Action
Hazon participants take action. We compost and pickle. We improve the energy profiles of our Jewish institutions, use our food dollars to support local farms, and meet thousands of our neighbors at regional Jewish Food Festivals. We raise environmental awareness while riding our bikes. We share sustainable Shabbat meals, create gardens at our Jewish institutions, plant seeds for future generations, build intentional communities in North America, and visit our partners in Israel’s environmental sector.
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Advocacy
And in settings from synagogues to community board meetings to global climate marches, we advocate on local and regional projects like bike lanes and family-owned farms, as well as on national issues like climate change and sustainable agriculture. Hazon provides rabbis with sermon materials on climate issues, and training and support for meetings with government representatives. Hazon participants speak up to help make the world we all share healthier and more sustainable for everyone.
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center: Organizational Retreats & Simchas
With decades of retreat hosting experience, Isabella Freedman is the ideal setting for your organizational retreat or simcha. We offer a unique gathering place for meetings, workshops, and team-building, as well as weddings, b’nai mitzvah, milestone birthdays, and family reunions. Our event coordinators will work with you to design and curate an experience that is perfect for you and your guests. Enjoy a tour of the Adamah farm, Teva nature programs, farm-to-table food education, yoga, meditation, and other on-site amenities and activities.
JOFEE
Because Jewish life is short of acronyms, we’ve added a new one to summarize the fast-growing field that we’re catalyzing: JOFEE, which stands for Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education. Our range of programs has grown steadily since 2000. We offer retreats here at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, plus bike rides, food festivals, curricula resources, mini-grants, and capacity-building. Flagship programs include Adamah, Teva, JOFEE Fellowship, and the Hazon Seal of Sustainability.
Seal of Sustainability
Many Jewish institutions want to engage in healthier, more humane, and more sustainable behaviors, but don’t know where to start or how to keep up the momentum. Through the Hazon Seal of Sustainability, we are providing a solution – a roadmap to advance sustainabilityrelated education, action, and advocacy in the Jewish community. The Hazon Seal will help you improve sustainability and strengthen your institution in three areas and through three audits: sustainable food and animal welfare, renewable energy and facilities, and ecosystems and health. Tap into our expertise, online resources (including our Food Audit), workshops, and field trips, for your Green Team to create a culture of sustainability through signage, educational programming, gardens, green kiddush, green roofs, composting, solar panels, and recycling.
Sustainable Israel Tour Join community leaders on a one-of-a-kind mission highlighting developments in Israel towards more sustainable food production, healthy living, and social justice. Adamah
Our flagship farming fellowship, based here at Isabella Freedman, is a three-month leadership training program for Jewish adults ages 20-35 that integrates organic agriculture, farm-to-table living, Jewish learning, community building, and spiritual practice. Adamah – a program of extraordinary impact – cultivates the soil and the soul to produce food, to build and transform identities, and to gather a community of people changing the world. We grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, goats, flowers, eggs, and more, using organic and sustainable methods. And we grow people by creating hands-on experiences with ecology, food systems, spiritual practice, a vibrant evolving Judaism, and intentional community. Adamah alumni are fanning out across the American Jewish landscape as educators, rabbis, activists, entrepreneurs – and farmers.
Teva
Teva works to fundamentally transform Jewish education through experiential learning that fosters Jewish, ecological, and food sustainability. Teva was founded in 1994 with the philosophy of immersing young people – children ages 2-17 years old and educators of children – in the natural world and providing structured activities to sensitize participants to nature’s rhythms, help them develop a more meaningful relationship with nature, and deepen their own connection to Jewish practices and traditions. Teva works with day schools, congregations, camps, JCCs, BJEs, youth groups, and other Jewish institutions that cover the spectrum of religious affiliation. Our Teva educators have been inspired by their experiences living and teaching in community to start initiatives that are making real impact in Jewish communities around the world. "Camp Teva" is available for children during most of our retreats at Isabella Freedman.
Hakhel The word hakhel means "gather the people," or "to create a community.” (It’s from the same root word as kehillah, community.) Hakhel was founded on the premise that communal life is an irreplaceable component in maintaining Jewish identity, and yet existing community models do not resonate with increasing numbers of people. Through Hakhel, we are cultivating the emergence of a range of new experiments in Jewish community by providing matching mini-grants, free professional consulting, and learning trips to Israel for individual communities and community leaders; by networking communities through conferences, peer-learning, trainings and seminars; and by developing content and educational materials to further develop the field and the discourse of Jewish Intentional Communities. Bike Rides
In 2000, we launched our first Jewish Environmental Bike Ride aimed at raising both environmental awareness and much needed funds to support greening initiatives in the Jewish community. What started as a singular program now includes several supported rides in cities across the United States, as well as a popular series of fun, free community events called Tribe Rides. Thousands of people have participated in our various bike rides which often serve as entry points to organized Jewish life for those who are excited about biking, sustainability, the environment, and/ or the outdoors. Our two largest bike rides – the New York Ride & Retreat (which takes place over Labor Day Weekend here at Isabella Freedman) and the Israel Ride – are powerful immersive experiences, as well as important fundraisers for Hazon and the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies.
Educational Curricula and Sourcebooks
We have developed a diverse library of curricula and sourcebooks that can be used in the classroom, at home, or as experiential programs. Our tools are geared towards various age groups and are used in synagogues, day schools, JCCs, and camps around the world. Check the Hazon Bookstore here at Isabella Freedman for titles including Food for Thought: Hazon’s Sourcebook on Jews, Food & Contemporary Life, Tu B’Shvat Haggadah: The Hazon Seder & Sourcebook, Sustainable Shabbat Dinner, and more.
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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.
Sustainable Fish
As worldwide demand for fish has increased, wild fish populations can't keep up with our appetites and find themselves threatened by overfishing. Certain fish farming practices have very little effect on the environment while others are devastating. We use the Monterrey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list in determining how to serve ocean friendly fish.
How can you make sure you are eating safe and sustainable fish at home? Get the Seafood Watch mobile app at seafoodwatch.org. Fair Trade
When we buy foods grown far away, like chocolate, tea and coffee, we make sure they come from Fair Trade sources. We choose reputable certifiers like the worker cooperative Equal Exchange and the indigenous rights and environmental advocates Deans Beans. Our fair trade chocolate costs four times more than most brands, but it is our priority to nourish our guests with food produced in fair and sustainable ways.
Craving chocolate? You can find ethically-sourced chocolate bars in the Hazon Bookstore! Want to avoid consuming foods produced by slave labor? Choose fair trade in all of your shopping! Taste the Forest
Experience the liminal moment between winter slumber and spring vibrance in the maple syrup we serve. In late winter, when nights are below freezing but days are warm, trees move sap up to their branches and emerging leaf buds. Our neighbors Jude and Winter Mead siphon off a portion of the excess sap production of their maple trees each season, boil it down, and bottle it for us to serve throughout the year. 40 gallons of sap yield just one gallon of syrup, making this precious regional delicacy a real reminder to slow down and savor the sweetness of the world.
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.
Can't imagine your post-Isabella Freedman meals without sauerkraut and kimchi? We have jars for sale in the Hazon Bookstore along with our small-batch jams and other Adamah products! You can also find a wide variety of lacto-fermented vegetables in your local market or CSA. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Michael Pollan's adage expresses our intentions for the Adamah Foods experience. We strive to nourish, accommodating all of our guests' different dietary needs. Please begin your meals with small portions, revisiting the buffet for second helpings so that not too much precious food ends up being wasted. In the interest of our community's health and the sustainability of our planet, we serve balanced meals that center on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. During the spring and summer we grow and harvest the majority of our own produce at the Adamah Farm. This includes kale, collards, chard, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, scallions, garlic, salad greens, spinach, Jerusalem artichoke, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi, jalapeños, dill, parsley, cilantro, sorrel, watermelon, cantaloupe, summer squash, zucchini, winter squash (kabocha, jester, acorn, and delicata), radish, eggplant, cabbage, ginger, and watermelon radish.
Interested in reducing your footprint on the environment and feeling healthy? Try eating more vegetables by joining a CSA program, increasing your whole grain and bean intake, and keeping fruit and nuts around for snack time.
Want to bring some home with you? We produce a small amount of maple syrup from the trees right here at Isabella Freedman by hand – schlepping buckets and boiling the sap down in an outdoor evaporator. Purchase your taste of the Isabella Freedman forest in the Hazon Bookstore! Pickles of All Kinds
The Adamah farmers harvest organic vegetables from our land for seven months of the year, but the bounty of their labor is available
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Meat
All of the meat we serve is provided by Grow & Behold, a company started by alumni of the Adamah program and former Hazon staff. Grow & Behold's mission is to provide premium Glatt Kosher pastured meats raised on small family-run farms. Pasture-raised meats are better for the environment, for your health, and for the animals you eat. Turn the page to read more about how we are deepening our commitment to serving ethical, higher welfare kosher meat.
Interested in finding kosher, pasture-raised meat in your area? Check out growandbehold.com or kolfoods.com for nationwide delivery and buying club options. Pri Ha’Gafen (Fruit of the Vine)
eggs is where we start! The eggs we use are Oliver’s organic, free range, pasture-fed 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.
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!
• Download the new Hazon Food Guide for more information about
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.
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.
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.
higher-welfare products. • Contact Jewish Initiative for Animals for support in finding higher-
welfare eggs. Keeping it Kosher
Learn More
Visit us online at hazon.org/jewish-food-movement or check the Hazon Bookstore for our resources on Jews, Food & Contemporary Issues, including sourcebooks, how-to guides, and curricula materials for adults, kids, and families. Please enjoy the abundance, ask lots of questions, demand answers, and challenge the ever-changing thoughts on what it means to eat responsibly. Thank you for being here; we are honored to feed you.
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
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Deepening Our Commitment to Serving Ethical, Higher Welfare Kosher Meat In our society, all too often the readily available and familiar sources for our food prioritize uniform quality and economies of scale over taste, nutrition, environmental health, animal welfare, hospitality, and support for local communities. Hazon has developed a list of food values that we strive to reach when we are preparing food at all Hazon events, programs, and meetings. However, we often are asked to prioritize one (or more) of our food values over another. Hazon strives to take everything into account and prioritizes to bring you the best possible mix of foods and experiences, pushing both producers and consumers to make higher welfare foods available, and working within the realities of supply, budget, and our vision. Our food choices should not be reduced to a “this over that” mentality, but rather a holistic approach that we pursue with our vision clearly before us. As we work towards a healthier and more sustainable food system where we will be able to meet all of our food values all the time, we are making a new, deeper commitment to foster growth and demand for the highest welfare kosher meat available. Starting at the Hazon Food Conference in August, Isabella Freedman will increase the heritage chicken (as defined
by the American Poultry Association) that Hazon sources each year by at least 5% and we will no longer serve any conventionally bred turkey. Over the next 7-year period, we intend to incrementally move towards improving the welfare of the chickens that produce our meat and eggs, with a vision toward eliminating all conventionally bred chicken from our menu. Working with Grow & Behold Foods and JIFA (Jewish Initiative for Animals) and other allies, we aim to shift the percentage of kosher chicken that is heritage, which is important for both public health, the long-term stability of the food supply, and animal welfare. The initial heritage chickens will hatch from eggs laid at Frank Reese’s farm, Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch. Frank focuses on animal welfare, breed conservancy, and environmental stewardship. We are also pleased to be able to support the important work that Frank is doing to safeguard genetic diversity and to preserve ways to raise poultry outside the currently dominant factory farm system.
In addition to our commitment to serving heritage chicken, and in an attempt to reduce meat consumption overall, we are developing new and creative plant-centered menus which can be augmented by flavorful preparations of meat. Some people are accustomed to always having meat at Shabbat or holiday meals. How do we take the Jewish sensibility of elevating holiday time with a particular food to enhance our understanding of, and commitment to, sustainability and gratitude? As we think about the food we use to sanctify our holiest of times, let’s make sure the food is a sanctification of life, the world, and all of our blessings. Using Michael Pollan’s approach of ‘The Third Plate’, we will be taking a ‘less meat, better meat’ approach to our meat consumption, including over Shabbat. We will also continue to purchase our eggs from Oliver’s Organic Pastured Eggs, who maintain NOFA-NY certified organic, free-range hens. We have also connected Oliver’s with Red Barn Produce, a local wholesaler who has started selling their eggs and expanding the market for higher welfare eggs in the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. We encourage you to join us and help build the market for heritage poultry, higher welfare eggs, and less meat, better meat approaches to food purchasing.
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Schedule at a Glance On this page you will see a snapshot of the Shabbat Elul and Rosh Hashanah retreat schedule. Please review the retreat schedule on the following pages for session details, the Camp Teva schedule, and leaders’ bios. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 4:00-5:20 PM - Mikveh 5:30-6:00 PM - Kids’ Dinner and Orientation 5:30-6:30 PM - Meditation 6:20-6:30 PM - Candle Lighting 6:30-8:00 PM - Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv 8:00-9:30 PM - Dinner 9:30-11:00 PM - Sessions & Activities SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 7:00-7:45 AM - Meditation 8:00-9:30 AM - Breakfast 8:00-9:00 AM - Yoga 9:00 AM-12:00 PM - Services 12:00-1:30 PM - Lunch 1:30-2:00 PM - Mincha 2:00-3:15 PM - Sessions & Activities 3:30-4:45 PM - Sessions & Activities 5:00-6:00 PM - Sessions & Activities 6:00-7:30 PM - Dinner 7:40-8:00 PM - Ma’ariv 8:05 PM - Havdallah 8:30-10:00 PM - Campfire SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 7:00-7:45 AM - Meditation 8:00-9:30 AM - Breakfast 8:00-9:00 AM - Yoga 9:00-10:30 AM - Selichot & Shacharit 10:00-12:00 PM - Sessions & Activities 12:00-1:00 PM - Lunch 1:30-3:30 PM - Sessions & Activities 4:00-5:20 PM - Mikveh 5:30-6:00 PM - Kids’ Dinner and Orientation 6:45-7:00 PM - Candle Lighting 7:00-8:15 PM - Mincha & Ma’ariv 8:30-10:00 PM - Holiday Dinner 10:00-11:00 PM - Sessions & Activities
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 7:30-8:30 AM - Yoga 7:30-9:00 AM - Breakfast 8:00-10:30 AM - Shacharit & Torah Service 10:30-11:00 AM - Kiddush 11:00 AM-2:00 PM - Shofar Service & Musaf 2:00-3:30 PM - Holiday Lunch 3:30-5:00 PM - Sessions & Activities 5:15-6:00 PM - Mincha 6:00-7:00 PM - Communal Tashlich 6:00-6:30 PM - Kids’ Dinner 7:15-8:00 PM - Ma’ariv 8:00-8:15 PM - Candle Lighting 8:15-9:30 PM - Holiday Dinner 10:00-11:00 PM - Campfire TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 7:30-8:30 AM - Yoga 7:30-9:00 AM - Breakfast 8:00-10:30 AM - Shacharit & Torah Service 10:30-11:00 AM - Kiddush 11:00 AM-2:00 PM - Shofar Service & Musaf 2:00-3:30 PM - Holiday Lunch 3:30-4:45 PM - Sessions & Activities 5:00-6:15 PM - Sessions & Activities 6:15-6:45 PM - Mincha 6:45-8:15 PM - Dinner 8:15-8:45 PM - Ma’ariv 8:45-9:00 PM - Havdallah 9:00-11:00 PM - Campfire and Movie WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 7:30-8:00 AM - Goat Milking Observation 8:00-9:00 AM - Yoga 8:00-10:00 AM - Brunch 8:00-9:00 AM - Shacharit & Torah Service
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 11
Shabbat Elul Schedule
Friday, September 7 3:00-5:00 PM Guest Arrival Great Hall 3:00-5:00 PM Lacto-Fermented Pickling Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educator Conventional pickles are preserved in hot vinegar which sterilizes everything and defeats the purpose of fermentation. This keeps them shelf-stable for years upon years. This may be great for business but not so great for you. We will teach you about the gut-health promoting probiotics of lacto-fermented pickles and you will have a chance to take home your very own jar. 3:00-5:00 PM Challah Braiding and Decorating Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educator On Rosh Hashanah there is a little extra honey or sugar, for a sweet new year. And instead of the usual long braid, it’s round. Perhaps the reason traditionally we have round challah, versus the braids, for Rosh Hashanah, is because the year is round, it represents that idea. 3:00-5:00 PM Bike Blender Smoothie Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educator We invite you to pedal your Bike Blender to make a fresh fruit and vegetable smoothie in honor of the new harvest. 3:00-5:00 PM Welcome Snack Great Hall 3:00-5:00 PM Bookstore The bookstore offers a variety of books, music, jewelry, Judaica, and Adamah products including pickles and jams! Store hours will be posted. 4:00-5:20 PM Mikvah Dock Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or in a group, as a way to prepare for Shabbat and the experiences ahead. Please respect times reserved. Bathing suits optional. 4:00 - 4:20 PM Gender Non-Conforming 4:30 - 4:50 PM Self-Identified Women 5:00 - 4:20 PM Self-Identified Men
5:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva – Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/Guardian Orientation Dining Hall Frances Lasday 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 See Camp Teva Schedule for Information. 5:30-6:30 PM Movement Meditation Red Yurt Elizabeth Yaari Movement meditation: Lightly guided meditation to bring us to a point of stillness to prepare for the beauty and calm of Shabbat. 6:30 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall 6:30-8:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman 8:00-9:30 PM Dinner Dining Tent 9:30-11:00 PM Balancing solo and communal spiritual practice Synagogue Rabbi Mike Moskowitz An exploration of a Talmudic dispute as a frame for prioritizing social and spiritual contributions through the lens of Shabbat preparation. 9:30-11:00 PM Tish Great Hall Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish ritual. Gather around to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some well-known and some obscure. No prior experience necessary.
12 • 5779 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Saturday, September 8 7:00-7:45 AM Outdoor Meditation Meet at Red Yurt Elizabeth Yaari In this gently guided meditation we will connect to the universal breathe to receive and let go what is required for our own inner awakening. 8:00-9:30 AM Breakfast Dining Hall 8:00-9:00 AM Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield Tend to your mind, body, and spirit with a yoga practice that combines alignment and fluidity, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally and spiritually. Beginners welcome. 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah See Camp Teva schedule for information. 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Services Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman 12:00-1:30 PM Lunch Dining Tent 1:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts 1:30-2:00 PM Mincha Orthodox Synagogue Egalitarian Library
2:00-3:15 PM Adamah Farm Tour Meet outside Arts & Crafts Isabella Freedman Educator Feast your eyes on the fruits of our labors as we explore the Kaplan Family Farm. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields, and compost yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we “till and tend” the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come. 2:00-3:15 PM Bibliodrama Torah Portion Nitzavim Meet at Gazebo Elizabeth Yaari In Bibliodrama we are invited to step into the role of biblical characters or objects to experience fully what it was like to be ‘there’. In Torah Portion Nitzavim we explore one biblical moment using movement, sound and voice and get a sense of how this relates to our lives today. 2:00-3:15 PM Standing Together for Rosh Hashanah Synagogue Rabbi Mike Moskowitz A text based, mystical, interpretive offering of practice advice based on the first verse of this week’s parsha, Nitzavim. 3:30-5:00 PM Guided Hike Meet outside Arts & Crafts Isabella Freedman Educator We will hike up to an incredible vista, which rewards hikers after a moderate-challenging hike. Closed-toe shoes and water is essential. Hike is guided by experienced staff member. Please note, this trail is outside the eruv. 3:30-4:45 PM Running to Return Synagogue Eden Pearlstein In Chasidic philosophy the trope of “running and returning” is used to evocatively describe the expansion and contraction of the soul in its dynamic process of both connecting to God and collecting itself. On this last Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah, come explore how these ideas can inform and inspire our holiday experience through the lens of the Song of Songs and contemporary poetry.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 13
Shabbat Elul Schedule
Saturday, September 8 3:30-4:45 PM Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield Tend to your mind, body, and spirit with a yoga practice that combines alignment and fluidity, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally and spiritually. Beginners welcome.
7:40-8:00 PM Ma’ariv
5:00-6:00 PM Water, Water Everywhere: An exploration of the parable of Water as it Runs through the Holidays of Tishrei Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman A Fascinating journey through the use of water as a focus for understanding the holidays and deepening our ability to get the most out of these precious days.
8:05 PM Havdallah Campfire (Rain Location - Great Hall)
6:00-7:30 PM Shabbat Dinner & Zemirot Dining Tent
Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman
8:30-10:00 PM Bookstore The bookstore offers a variety of books, music, jewelry, Judaica, and Adamah products including pickles and jams! Store hours will be posted. 8:30-10:00 PM Campfire
Sunday, September 9 7:00-7:45 AM Bibliodrama Meditation Red Yurt Elizabeth Yaari This lightly guided meditation will allow us to experience the perspective and timelessness of angels as we visit the earth at the beginning of time
9:15 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Train Station Outside Great Hall There will be a shuttle departing today to the train to Grand Central Station. If you haven’t registered in advance, please see a staff member at Guest Services. Shuttle is $20 per person. The train schedule is 10:15 am-12:46 pm
8:00-9:30 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
9:00 AM-12:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah See Camp Teva schedule for information.
8:00-9:00 AM Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield Tend to your mind, body, and spirit with a yoga practice that combines alignment and fluidity, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally and spiritually. Beginners welcome.
9:00 AM-9:45 AM Selichot Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman
14 • 5779 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Shabbat Elul Schedule
Sunday, September 9 9:45-10:30 AM Shacharit Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman 10:00 AM Sunday Check-Out Guest Rooms We are so happy you enjoyed us at Isabella Freedman. Please be sure that you and all your belongings are out of your room by 10:00 am or a $50 late fee will be applied to your credit card.
10:00-12:00 PM Create a Journal Red Yurt Elizabeth Yaari The Misaviv Hebrew Circle Calendar is ready to take on the future, once again, with a new package of old spiral time for 5779, announcing to all that a new era of Jewish inspiration and imagination has arrived. In this workshop we will study the calendar and create an art journal that will accompany it for the entire year. Bring along the words that best describe your wildest dreams for the year ahead and we will transpose these into shapes, textures and colors for the journal cover. 10:30-12:00 PM Reflecting on Mashiach During Tekiat Shofar Synagogue Rabbi Mike Moskowitz A text based discussion on a messianic intention of blowing the shofar and lessons in sustainable spiritual resistance from traditional sources. 12:00-1:00 PM Lunch Dining Hall Thank you for joining us for Shabbat Elul! Shana Tova!
Rosh Hashanah Schedule 1:00-3:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts
3:00-5:00 PM Welcome Snack Great Hall
1:30-3:30 PM Guided Hike Meet Outside Arts & Crafts Isabella Freedman Educator Join us as we enter the wilds, connect with nature, scramble up boulders, and hike up to the breathtaking Isabella Freedman Overlook. Trails are steep at parts, sturdy closed-toe shoes required.
3:00-5:00 PM Round Challah Braiding Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educators On Rosh Hashanah there is a little extra honey or sugar, for a sweet new year. And instead of the usual long braid, it’s round. Perhaps the reason traditionally we have round challah, versus the braids, for Rosh Hashanah, is because the year is round, it represents that idea.
1:30-3:00 PM Putting our Affairs in Order for Prayer Synagogue Eden Pearlstein It’s your last chance to prepare for the BIG DAY! Come learn a psychologically astute teaching from the Piazetsna Rebbe about how and why we pray. Then put this learning into practice with a prayerful writing exercise designed to inspire and illuminate the New Year!
3:00-5:00 PM Apple and Honey Tasting Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educators The Jewish New Year is celebrated by greeting one another with the words shana tova u’metukah, Hebrew for “a good and sweet new year!
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 15
Rosh Hashanah Schedule
Sunday, September 9 3:00-5:00 PM Bike Blender Smoothie Making Great Hall Isabella Freedman Educators We invite you to pedal your Bike Blender to make a fresh fruit and vegetable smoothie in honor of the new harvest. 3:00-5:00 PM Book Store Open Bookstore 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 Mikvah Dock Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or in a group, as a way to prepare for Shabbat and the experiences ahead. Please respect times reserved. Bathing suits optional. 4:00 - 4:20 PM Gender Non-Conforming 4:30 - 4:50 PM Self-Identified Women 5:00 - 4:20 PM Self-Identified Men 5:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva - Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/Guardian Orientation Dining Tent Frances Lasday 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.
7:00-8:15 PM Rosh Hashanah Mincha & Ma’ariv Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish 8:30-10:00 PM Rosh Hashanah Simanim Seder and 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. 10:00-11:00 PM Night Walk Meet Outside Arts & Crafts Isabella Freedman Educator Together we will amplify our senses as we use our night vision to traverse up a moderate incline. Closed-toe shoes are essential. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. 10:00-11:00 PM Tish Great Hall Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish ritual Gather around to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some well-known and some obscure. No prior experience necessary.
6:00-8:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts 6:45 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall
16 • 5779 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Monday, September 10 7:30-8:30 AM Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield Tend to your mind, body, and spirit with a yoga practice that combines alignment and fluidity, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally and spiritually. Beginners welcome. 7:30-9:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall 8:00-10:30 AM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah See Camp Teva schedule for information. 8:00-10:30 AM Morning Prayers and Torah Service Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish 10:30-11:00 AM Kiddush Great Hall 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Gan Adamah Beige Yurt 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Shofar Service & Musaf Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish 2:00-3:30 PM Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 3:30-6:00 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts
3:30-5:00 PM Guided Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Join us as we enter the wilds, connect with nature, and hike up to the breathtaking Isabella Freedman Overlook. Trails are steep at parts, sturdy closed-toe shoes required. 3:30-5:00 PM The Call of the Shofar: Understanding its History & Meaning Synagogue Elan Margulies In this session we will look the origins of the Shofar in Jewish sources and explore the layered meanings of this ancient ritual. 3:30-5:00 PM G-d is Infinite, Gender is Not Library Dr. Saundra Sterling Epstein We are taught that we are created BeTzelem Elokim, in the image of G-d. How do we really speak about the Ein Sof, the infinite nature of G-d, when we consider the limitations of our human reality and the limitations of the linguistic tools and terms we have at our disposal? There are as many as ten different gendered terms in Jewish classical sources (noting this is not a binary male or female matter). How do we relate to G-d in a meaningful and intentional matter while understanding that we are all composed of so many different aspects of being as is G-d, who encompasses all that all is and is both transcendent and infinite and beyond gender, as well as personal and close and imminent in our lives? 3:30-5:00 PM Comparative Agricultures: Behind the Labels Beige Yurt Janna Siller This session will provide background to help you address shopping quandaries like: Should I buy the local IPM apples or the biodynamic ones from Washington State? Is it genetically modified if it has the Organic label, and are GMOs really that bad? We will examine some of the agricultural practices used to produce the foods that bear different labels and their social and ecological implications. 5:15-6:00 PM Mincha Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 17
Rosh Hashanah Schedule
Monday, September 10 6:00-7:00 PM Communal Tashlich 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. 6:00-6:30 PM Kids’ Dinner Dining Tent
6:30-8:15 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts 8:00 PM Candle Lighting Great Hall On the second night of a holiday: The candles should be lit, from a pre-existing flame, after nightfall. 8:15-9:30 PM Holiday Dinner Dining Tent
7:15-8:00 PM Ma’ariv Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek
10:00 PM Campfire Sit back and relax around the campfire. Enjoy s’mores and singing.
Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish
Tuesday, September 11 7:30-8:30 AM Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Theresa Sheremeta Tend to your mind, body, and spirit with a yoga practice that combines alignment and fluidity, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally and spiritually. Beginners welcome. 7:30-8:00 AM Goat Milking Observation Barnyard Ellyanna Kessler Watch our Adamah farmers milk the goats and ask barnyard manager Ellyanna 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”. 7:30-9:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
8:00-10:30 AM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah See Camp Teva schedule for information. 8:00-10:30 AM Morning Prayers and Torah Service Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish 10:30-11:00 AM Kiddush Great Hall 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Camp Teva/Gan Adamah See Camp Teva schedule for information.
18 • 5779 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Tuesday, September 11 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Shofar Service & Musaf Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman & Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish 2:00-3:30 PM Holiday Lunch Dining Tent 3:30-6:30 PM Camp Teva Arts & Crafts 3:30-5:30 PM Guided Hike Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator An extended hike through the forest, climb over boulders, and gaze out at the summit overlooking the valley. Please wear long pants, long socks, and sturdy shoes. 3:30-4:45 PM God is Judge, But We are Jury Beige Yurt Eden Pearlstein Throughout Rosh Hashanah we are constantly appealing to God as the ultimate judge of our past, present and future. But what role do we play in the outcome of this Kabbalistic and Kafkaesque trial? Come learn a fascinating teaching from the always surprising Rebbe Nachman about the ways in which we wield our own powers of judgment, and how we may employ them more judiciously in the New Year. 3:30-4:45 PM Rendezvous with God – An Examination of the Motif of Rosh Hashanah Synagogue Nahum Twersky We will be exploring the history and essence of Rosh Hashanah and why there is little Biblical information about this holiday in comparison to Sukkot and Passover. 5:00-6:15 PM Adamah Farm Tour Meet at Gazebo Isabella Freedman Educator Feast your eyes on the fruits of our labors as we explore the Kaplan Family Farm. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields, and compost yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we “till and tend” the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come.
5:00-6:15 PM Tending the Earth and Our Responsibility to the Environment Synagogue Dr. Saundra Sterling Epstein We are instructed that we are to be stewards for the earth and its resources. Are we observing environmental Kashrut and fulfilling the dictates of Torah and Jewish Law? How can we be Kosher and Green, caring for the many blessings and gifts that God has given us and acknowledging that we are to use, not to abuse the resources that we have in our lives? This too is an important, though too often forgotten, part of being Shomrei Mitzvot. 5:00-6:15 PM Dust: The Jewish Creation Story and Where is Home Library Shamu Sadeh In Genesis/Bereshit we are told that humans are created from the dust of the earth. What does this mean in terms of our relationship to land, place and each other? We will explore Rashi’s (Medieval rabbinic commentator) interpretation and study contemporary writings on the nature of place, humans and the land. 5:00-6:15 PM Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield Tend to your mind, body, and spirit with a yoga practice that combines alignment and fluidity, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally and spiritually. Beginners welcome. 6:15-6:45 PM Mincha Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish 6:45-8:15 PM Dinner and Zemirot Dining Tent As the three day Yom Tov (Holiday) comes to a close, we gather together to sing and celebrate the transition in havdallah. 8:15-8:45 PM Ma’ariv Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 19
Tuesday, September 11 8:45-9:00 PM Havdallah Campfire (Rain Plan-Great Hall) Havdallah is Hebrew for “separation” and refers to the verbal declaration made at the end of Shabbat or a Jewish holiday, in which the holy day is separated from the mundane period that follows.
9:00-11:00 PM Movie: Footnote – Hearat Shulayim Great Hall Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik are father and son as well as rival professors in Talmudic Studies. When both men learn that Eliezer will be lauded for his work, their complicated relationship reaches a new peak. (107 min)
9:00-11:00 PM Campfire
Wednesday, September 12 No Camp Teva or Gan Adamah Arts & Crafts Please note, there will be no Camp Teva today. Thank you for joining us. See you next time! 7:00-8:00 AM Goat Milking Observation Barnyard Ellyanna Kessler Watch our Adamah farmers milk the goats and ask barnyard manager Ellyanna 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 “cappuccino”. 8:00-9:00 AM Vinyasa Yoga Red Yurt Rebecca Bloomfield Tend to your mind, body, and spirit with a yoga practice that combines alignment and fluidity, using breath as the vehicle. This form of yoga challenges the mind, the body, and the spirit to work as one to detox, heal, and open the individual physically, emotionally and spiritually. Beginners welcome. 8:00-10:00 AM Brunch Dining Hall
8:00-9:00 AM Morning Prayers & Torah Service Orthodox Synagogue Rabbi Avram Mlotek Egalitarian Library Rabbi Aviva Richman and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish 9:15 AM Shuttle to Wassaic Train Station Outside Great Hall There will be a shuttle departing today to the train to Grand Central Station. If you haven’t registered in advance, please see a staff member at Guest Services. Shuttle is $20 per person. The train schedule is 10:25 am-12:43 pm 10:00 AM Check-out and Departure Guest Rooms We are so happy you joined us at Isabella Freedman for Rosh Hashanah. Please be sure that you and all of your belongings are out of your room by 10:00 am or a $50 late fee will be applied to your credit card.
8:00 AM -12:00 PM Bookstore Open The bookstore offers a variety of books, music, jewelry, Judaica, and Adamah products including pickles and jams! Store hours will be posted.
20 • 5779 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Parents, you can relax into the retreat, knowing that your children are playing and learning with exceptional Jewish experiential educators. We have an engaging, thoughtful, and fun Camp Teva program planned for children ages 5–12. Everything from apple cider making and morning shacharit to exploring the forest and the farm. All activities meet in Arts and Crafts, unless otherwise noted. From there we will move to other locations on campus. Children under the age of 5 are welcome to participate with an adult. Camp Teva programming runs between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner with some evening programming scheduled. Children must be dropped off and picked up by parents/guardians and are required to stay with educators once checked in, unless they are picked up early by parents/guardians. Gan Adamah is for children ages 2 - 4. Parents/ Guardians can choose to drop their children off or stay with them. Gan Adamah is located in the Beige Yurt. Please see the schedule below for times. Please come to the first night’s kids’ dinner to learn more about our program and some important policies that we would like to share with you. If you have any questions please direct them to Frances Lasday.
Schedule FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 5:30–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent Orientation Dining Hall Dinner will be late so join us at 5:30pm for a delicious meal. Bring your parents too and we will tell you all about the fun activities Camp Teva has planned for you and all of the important logistics.
6:00–8:00 PM Welcoming Shabbat Shabbat is here! We will dance and sing to bring the Shabbat Queen. Bring your favorite Shabbat songs and your dancing shoes (or you can take off your shoes)!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 9:00 AM–12:00 AM Gan Adamah (Ages 2-4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop off their toddlers for movement, toys, and fun Shabbat activities. 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning Shabbat Song, dance, prayer. Lets wake up our bodies for a joyful Shabbat morning. 9:30 AM–12:00 PM Goats and Forest Exploration Say hay to the goats and explore the forest. Maybe we’ll meet some animals and find out what they like to eat. 9:00 AM–12:00 PM Good Morning Shabbat Hike (Ages 9+) Have you ever heard of Hitbodedut? It is a radical form of meditative prayer in the forest. This will be a combination of hiking and prayer. 12:00–1:30 PM Lunch
1:30–4:30 PM Cave Exploration (Ages 9+) Discover the magic held within the caves of Isabella Freedman. We will be hiking, exploring, and searching for the hidden wonders that exist all around us. 1:30–3:00 PM Forest Tales Hike to a magical nature spot and hear magical tales together! 3:00–4:30 PM Salad Toss Up Prepare & indulge in a scrumptious salad that we will chop together! 4:30–6:00 PM Shabbos Kodesh Come and relax with us as we enjoy the last moments of Shabbat for the year! Swing in our hammocks, hear stories, and play some ping pong before we get to Havdallah.
Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 21
Camp Teva/Gan Adamah Schedule SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 9:00–9:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away. 9:30 AM–12:00 PM New Year Collage Bring in the New Year by sparking your creativity! Decide which things you are excited to bring into the new year and collage them together! 12:00–1:00 PM Lunch 1:00–2:00 PM Nature Art and Sukkah Decorations It’s the beginning of fall! That means Sukkot is coming! 2:00–3:00 PM Rosh Hashanah Leaf Placemats All the leaves are going to start falling down soon! Make yourself a leaf placemat for your holiday meals.
3:00–5:00 PM JOFEE Fair 5:30–6:00 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent Orientation Dining Hall Dinner will be late so join us at 5:30pm for a delicious meal. Bring your parents too and we will tell you all about the fun activities Camp Teva has planned for you and all of the important logistics. 6:00–8:00 PM Welcome in the New Year! Shana Tova! Come welcome in the new year with us! Try new fruits, read some new stories, and sing in the New Year! 6:00–8:00 PM Night Walk to the Farm (Ages 9+) Come and explore the stars under the new moon on our farm. Challenge yourself to walk in the dark, and listen to the waving of the grasses!
2:00–3:00 PM Shelter Building (Ages 9+) After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the Israelites got really good at shelter building. Learn how to build a debris shelter from sticks and leaves to add to your own wilderness survival skills. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 8:00–10:30 AM Gan Adamah (Ages 2-4) Beige Yurt Parents can drop their toddlers off in the beige yurt where we will have movement, toys, and fun Chag activities. 8:00–8:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away. 8:30–10:30 AM Apple Adventures Join us as we make apple cider using our very own cider press. We will also be baking delicious apple honey muffins together! 10:30–11:00 AM Kiddush
11:00 AM–2:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2-4) 11:00 AM–12:30 PM Busy Bees Farm Exploration Did you know that bees dance to communicate? Lets dance our way over to the farm and see what we can see and learn from the bees and the end of the farming season! 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Farm Scavenger Hunt (Ages 9+) There is so much to see on the farm! Ripening tomatoes, greens, and flowers! How many things can you find? What do they look like? How do they smell? 12:30–2:00 PM Topsy Turvy Bus! Do you think this bus is more Topsy or more Turvy? People have lived and worked on this bus – find out what that’s all about and learn about veggie oil too!
22 • 5779 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
2:00–3:30 PM Holiday Lunch
5:00–6:00 PM Rosh Hashanah U’metukah!
3:30–4:30 PM DIY Playdough and Story Time Learn how to make your own DIY Playdough, then let your imagination run wild! What can you dream into sculpture?
6:00–6:30 PM Kids’ Dinner Dining Hall
3:30–5:00 PM Theater Games Take the stage with improv games and skits. Here’s your chance to prepare for the Kids’ Open Micro-cone at the Camp Fire tonight!
6:30–8:15 PM Campfire and Open Micro-cone!
3:30–5:00 PM Hike up the Mountain Explore the forest of Isabella Freedman, play games, and hike to the overlook to see the whole valley! TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 8:00–10:30 AM Gan Adamah (Ages 2-4) 8:00–8:30 AM Good Morning, Wake up and Stretch! Stretch out your bodies with kid-led yoga or field games to get your body moving. Every morning we will begin our day with stretching and a game to shake the sleep away. 8:30–10:00 AM Ancient Burping Yeasts Learn how yeast burps rise bread dough. Mix your own batch of pita bread to be baked later in our cob oven! 10:00–10:30 AM Bubble Fun These will be larger than life. Have you ever blown a bubble bigger than your face? Now’s your chance… 10:00–10:30 AM Goat Time! Let’s go say hay to the goats! Have you met our dwarf goats yet? 10:30–11:00 AM Kiddush 11:00 AM–2:00 PM Gan Adamah (Ages 2-4)
11:00 AM–12:00 PM DIY Pita and Butter Making The best combination since apples and honey: homemade pita and butter! Come make this tasty treat with us. Now that our pitas have been fermenting a few hours, it is time to roll them out, bake, and enjoy. Join us as we bake the pita in our woodfired cob oven, and make your own butter to put on them, too! 12:00–2:00 PM Kickball The title speaks for itself! Come play kickball with Camp Teva. 2:00–3:30 PM Holiday Lunch 3:30–5:00 PM Wild Tea over the Fire Explore camp to find out what we can eat and what we can make into tea as we reap the abundance of the Fall! 5:00–6:30 PM Night Walk End the chag exploring the woods with all of your senses under starlight! 5:00–6:30 PM Extreme Night Hike (Ages 9+) Get ready for the next level of night hike…experience the forest in a brand new light (or dark…)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 **Please note, there will be no Camp Teva programming on Wednesday. Thank you for participating in Camp Teva! Shana tova umetuka! See you next time :)
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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.
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 (song books) at your tables. The meal ends with a musical blessing, Birkat haMazon, the Grace after Meals.
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.
SATURDAY MORNING SERVICES The traditional Shabbat morning service includes Psalms to warm up the soul, the Shema, the Shacharit Amidah, Torah reading, and Musaf.
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 and Holiday schedule, we have tried to create programming that will be of interest to all, and have multiple minyanim (prayer services) to choose from.
HAVDALLAH Havdallah, (lit. separation), marks the end of Shabbat and the Holiday and the beginning of the new week. Havdallah will take place as soon as three stars are visible in the sky. The Havdallah ceremony on Shabbat includes a blessing over wine, spices, and a flame, and concludes with a blessing separating Shabbat 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. In comparison to the Shabbat Havdallah, we only say the blessing over the wine at the conclusion of Rosh Hashanah.
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, thus Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah begin at sundown on Friday night for Shabbat and Sunday night for Rosh Hashanah. We mark the transition from the work week to Shabbat and holidays with the lighting of candles. This is a way to welcome in Shabbat and holidays, reflect on the last week, and prepare for a day of rest before the week begins again. FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICES Friday night services traditionally open with Kabbalat Shabbat (lit. welcoming the Sabbath). This is a collection of Psalms, often recited in song and joy, especially the culminating poem Lekha Dodi, which ends with the welcoming of the Sabbath Bride. 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
ROSH HASHANAH GREETING L’shana tovah u’metukah — Pronounced l’shah-NAH toe-VAH ooh-meh-too-KAH (oo as in food). A Hebrew greeting for the High Holiday season that means, “For a good and sweet year.” 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. 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. 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.
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Leaders and Teachers Bios Rebecca Bloomfield is the Director of Adamah. In this role she recruits, teaches, and mentors Adamah fellows. Since being an Adamah fellow herself in the Fall of 2005, Rebecca has taught at The Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California, managed the Organic Farmer Training Program at Michigan State University, and operated her own small farm business, Bloomfield Farm, in Ottawa, Canada. Her values of good food, strong community, and the connection to something-greater has brought her back to Adamah. She loves yoga, coffee shops, walking in the woods, and any time spent at her family cottage in Temagami, Ontario. Dr. Saundra Sterling Epstein (Sunnie) received her B.A., M.S. and Ed.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. Sunnie directs Beyachad, a program bringing Jewish Education and Best Educational Practices Together. She has been teaching texts, reaching and inspiring students and looking at challenging issues in the real world for the past forty plus years. Sunnie has published on topics as varied as Women in Faith, Inclusion of LGBTQ Members in our Communities of Faith, Environmental Sustainability, Prayer, G-d Talk, the importance of Interfaith and Intrafaith Dialogue, and Palestinian-Israeli Relations Beyond the Conflict. Sunnie is presently serving as Educational Consultant to ESHEL, the National LGBT Inclusion Consortium for the Orthodox Community. She is the author of Life Journeys: Stepping Back and Moving Forward. Frances Lasday is the Teva Education Coordinator. In this role she is thrilled to be spending her time nerding out over curriculum development and referring to the vast library of books in the Teva office. Frances came to Hazon to live and work on the Topsy Turvy Bus which she did for two summers before settling at Isabella Freedman to work for Teva in the Fall of 2016. Frances graduated from the University of Vermont in May 2016, with a major in Environmental Studies, a minor in Food Systems and a thesis on the possibility of local kosher meat in the state of Vermont. In her free time she enjoys reading, starting knitting projects, general silliness, and getting dirty. Elan Margulies is the Director of Education at Hazon. In this role he aims to inspire joy and reverence for the natural world by introducing students to earth-based Jewish traditions and the wonders right outside their door. He has taught ecology at Eden Village Camp, the Student Conservation Association and the Cornell University Naturalist Outreach Program, led hikes in Israel, volunteered in the Kalahari Desert, worked for the US National Park Service, and directed a Jewish educational farm outside Chicago – where he learned that the best way to catch a goat is to run away from it. Before returning to Teva he pursued graduate studies in forest ecology at University of Michigan and The Hebrew University. In his free time, he enjoys finding wild edibles, brewing ginger beer and working with wood and metal. Rabbi Avram Mlotek is the co-founder of Base Hillel and serves as rabbi for its DWTN location. He studied at Brandeis University, Sarah Lawrence College, Yeshiva University’s Cantorial School, Jewish Theological Seminary, and City College’s Educational Theatre department. A native Yiddish speaker, his Yiddish cultural work has brought him to China, Ethiopia, Israel, Sweden and Australia. Previously, Avram served as a Rabbi in training at The Carlebach Shul, The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, and Hunter College Hillel. His writing has appeared in The Forward, Tablet, Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, The Jewish Week, The Huffington Post and Kveller, among other blogs. The NY Jewish Week selected him as a “leading innovator in Jewish life today” as part of their “36 Under 36”, and he was listed as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Rabbis” by The Jewish Daily Forward. He is blessedly married to Yael Kornfeld and proud Tati to Revaya and Hillel Yosl. Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is the Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. He is a deeply traditional and radically progressive advocate for trans rights and a vocal ally for LGBT inclusivity. Rabbi Moskowitz received three Ultra Orthodox ordinations while learning in the Mir, in Jerusalem, and in Beth Medrash Govoha, in Lakewood, NJ. His writings can be found at rabbimikemoskowitz.com Eden Perlstein 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 cre-
ative 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. Rabbi Aviva Richman is a faculty member at Yeshivat Hadar, and directs the Manger Winter Learning Seminar. Aviva has taught at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, and is a past Rosh Kollel of the Bet Midrash at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. She has also taught at the National Havurah Institute. She studied in the Pardes Kollel and the Drisha Scholars’ Circle and was ordained by a private teacher. Particular interests include Halakhah, gender and sexuality in Judaism and niggunim. A Wexner fellow, Aviva is currently pursuing a doctorate in Rabbinics at NYU. 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. Janna Siller leads the Adamah crew in growing organic vegetables for CSA distribution, value-added production, Isabella Freedman food service, and donations, while maintaining the fields as resonant learning space for fellows and 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 lives in Falls Village with her daughter Tzuf and their cats. Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman 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. 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 Miriam-Simma Walfish is pursuing a doctorate in Talmud at Harvard University and directs Boston’s Teen Beit Midrash. A graduate of the Pardes Educators Program, she has taught Tanakh, Talmud, and Jewish Law in numerous settings including Yeshivat Hadar, Harvard University, Hebrew College, and the National Havurah Committees summer institute. Her specific interests include rabbinic approaches to Shabbat, gender, parenting, and education, and her article, “Upending the Curse of Eve: Reframing Maternal Breastfeeding in Bavli Ketubot” was published in 2017. She facilitated a Niddah Salon at Boston’s Mayyim Hayyim in the spring of 2018. Miriam-Simma revels in the process of learning Torah with and from her students. Eliezer Weinbach is the Retreat Coordinator at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. Prior to joining Hazon, he worked as a Research Associate for Haskins Laboratories, a research institution affiliated with Yale University. He attended Yeshiva University where he studied Psychology. In his spare time Eli enjoys reading, listening to music, and adventuring. Elizabeth Yaari has a huge heart, an artist’s vision, and is deeply connected to the earth and sky. To spend time with her, is to enter a realm where depth matters and play reigns. Thirteen years ago she co-founded Explora-Torah with Peter Pitzele and uses a rare form of play called Bibliodrama to allow individuals to self express, co-create and experience a deep mutual understanding of themselves and the Bible. She uses a variety of different art mediums including, but not limited to: film, rhythm, sound, meditation, movement, writing and visual art. She is a graduate of The Institute for Circlework founded by Jalaja Bonheim and has a penchant for permaculture.
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Upcoming Hazon Retreats & Programs All retreats take place at Isabella Freedman unless otherwise indicated. Visit hazon.org/calendar for more information. September 23 - October 3
Sunday, November 11 (Philadelphia, PA)
SUKKAHFEST
HUNGRY FOR CHANGE: AMERICAN AND ISRAELI STRATEGIES ON FOOD SECURITY, RECOVERY, AND JUSTICE
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. October 11 - 14 (Tamarack Camps, MI)
JOFEE NETWORK GATHERING For anyone interested in bringing Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming, and Environmental Education (JOFEE) elements to your work and home communities. October 19 - 21
JEWISH MEN’S RETREAT
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia invites all of our community members for one day of our international food conference, serving as an opportunity to learn about innovative food security initiatives currently in progress in Philadelphia and Israel. December 23 - 30
HAZON MEDITATION RETREAT Silent meditation with instruction, musical prayer services, and evening teachings that draw on Jewish, secular, and Buddhist sources.
Deepen your relationship with your father, sons, brothers, friends, and congregants by inviting them to join for the weekend. October 23 - 30 (in Israel)
ARAVA INSTITUTE & HAZON ISRAEL RIDE – SOLD OUT Cycle from Jerusalem to Eilat and broaden your understanding of the region as you meet Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians working towards peace, environmental sustainability, and regional cooperation. Registration for the 2019 Israel Ride opens on October 23. Sign up early to secure your spot on this epic adventure!
26 • 5779 High Holidays • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
you make it possible. THE TAMAR FUND Retreats have the power to change lives. At Isabella Freedman, we have a commitment to making Jewish retreats financially accessible. Hazon works to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community, and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. Retreats are at the heart of what we do best. Each year we offer thousands of people the opportunity to immerse themselves in a vibrant and inclusive Jewish community. Through food, the outdoors, and the environment, we reframe and renew Jewish life; we inspire those who are already Jewishly involved and bring new people through the door; and we strengthen institutions and communities. It costs about $150 per person per day for most of our retreats at Isabella Freedman. For some members of our community, especially young adults, that fee can be a barrier to participating in a program that could change their lives. A $180 scholarship from the Tamar Fund is often enough to make a $450 retreat affordable. Even a small gift goes a long way. We are committed to making our programs accessible to all interested people to the greatest extent possible, regardless of their ability to pay. Towards that vision, Hazon awards over $110,000 in financial aid each year, much of it unfunded. The Tamar Fund provides need-based financial aid to ensure that people from across the spectrum of the Jewish community have access to retreat experiences at Isabella Freedman.
"Throughout my young 20s, as I was exploring the world, Judaism and the expanses of my own identity, Isabella Freedman retreats were my steady anchors. Here, I could let go of the outside world and be present in beautiful land with beautiful people, a place where I could simply be and connect. Isabella Freedman's generous scholarships made these experiences possible. I thank Isabella Freedman with my full heart."
Natalie
The Tamar Fund is in loving memory of Tamar Bittelman, z”l who attended the Food Conference in Davis, California in 2011. Torah, Jewish community, ecology, and DIY food were values that Tamar held dear in her own life, and she very much appreciated the intersection of these values at the Hazon Food Conference. Sharing a meal with Tamar, particularly a Shabbat or Chag meal, was an experience filled with kedushah, where one was effortlessly and joyfully escorted to “a different place.” Your gift to the Tamar Fund, in any amount, opens our programs to those who might not otherwise be able to participate. Please contact Morgan Dorsch, Development Manager, at morgan.dorsch@hazon.org to make a gift. You can also visit the donation box outside of the bookstore. Thank you!
donate today. thank you!
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Dining Tent
Emergencies only, please. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones.
Isabella Freedman Emergency #: 860-453-3963