Shavuot
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center May 30 - June 2, 2017 | 5777
– FEATURING –
Rabbi David Ingber & Shir Yaakov Feit, Rabbi Avram Mlotek & Yael Kornfeld-Mlotek, Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen, Rabbi Jill Hammer, Shoshana Jedwab, Rabbi David Evan Markus, Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, and Arna Poupko Fisher
The Hazon Food Conference August 9-13, 2017 hazon.org/foodconference
Table of Contents Orientation Sheet.................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Upcoming Retreats..............................................................................................................................................................................................6 Welcome Letter.....................................................................................................................................................................................................8 About Hazon..........................................................................................................................................................................................................9 Schedule Tuesday, May 30......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Tikkun Leil Shavuot................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Wednesday, May 31.................................................................................................................................................................................. 14 Thursday, June 1........................................................................................................................................................................................ 17 Friday, June 2.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Camp Teva............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Leader Bios.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Tamar Fund.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Map.........................................................................................................................................................................................................back cover
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WELCOME to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center! Welcome to the 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
FIRE SAFETY: Please only light candles at group
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 860-480-3674 from a cell phone. Emergencies only, please. You must dial 9 before making any call on our land line phones.
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.
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:
SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in all buildings,
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.
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. 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: Our Dining Hall is strictly Kosher. Please do not bring any outside food or personal dishware/water bottles/travel mugs into the Dining Hall. Please use togo ware outside the Dining Hall. 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 must be approved by our Kosher supervisor.
PARKING: Driving and parking is not allowed on
grassy areas. Please only park in the designated
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parking areas: the lot near the main entrance and the lot near the barnyard.
CHILDREN: Please make sure that your children are supervised at all times, or are participating in children’s programming associated with your retreat.
GEESE: During this season the Mother geese are very
protective of their young. Please keep away from the geese and do not feed them.
VISITING THE GOATS: During this season, we welcome the babies of our hardworking mother does! You are encouraged to visit the Adamah barnyard during scheduled goat activities. 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. Please do not feed the goats or visit when a goat is sick, giving birth or about to give birth. We want to be sure that everyone is safe and healthy!
BUSING TABLES: Please clear your table after finishing your meal. Bins for compost and dishware are located at the corner of the Dining Hall. 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, togo 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.
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.
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. LAKE AND SWIMMING / BOATING: The pool is
closed for the season. Use of the lake is at your own risk – life vests are located in the shed by the dock. Please return the vests and oars to the shed and the boats to the rack after use.
HIKING: Please stay on Isabella Freedman trails
when hiking. We advise telling a friend when you go out on a trail and when you return, carrying a cell phone and water bottle, and only hiking during daylight hours. Trail maps are located at Guest Services.
TICKS AND LYME DISEASE: We recommend doing a tick check after spending time outdoors. We have tick removal information available at Guest Services. CHECK OUT PROCEDURE: On check-out day, you MUST move out of your room by 10 am. 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 pot-able and delicious!
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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Upcoming Hazon Retreats and Programs in 2017 CAMP ISABELLA FREEDMAN
July 10-16 & July 17-23 (come for one week or two!) Isabella Freedman Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center has been offering annual summer camp experiences for adults since 1956. We are honored to continue this tradition by providing you with a warm and welcoming atmosphere for one of the best summer vacations you’ll ever have.
TORAH YOGA: TASTING THE TREE OF LIFE
July 24-30 Isabella Freedman
Experience the wonder of Torah study and the groundedness of yoga practice with Diane Bloomfield, whose teachings spring forth from her own deep learning in Jerusalem.
LET MY PEOPLE SING!
August 3-6 Isabella Freedman
Join us for a weekend of song sharing and learning. Together, we will sing and share a wide array of Jewish song traditions, inclusive of the full range of Jewish ancestry and religious practices. Includes Camp Teva for kids!
HAZON FOOD CONFERENCE
August 9-13 Isabella Freedman
Join us for the 12th annual Hazon Food Conference. Whether you want to expand your culinary expertise, experience the pleasure of harvesting your own organic fruits and veggies, unpack the complexities of our global food system, or connect to our ancient food tradition, there is something for everybody at the Hazon Food Conference. The Kids' Food Conference, specially designed for young foodies ages 5-12, makes it perfect for the whole family!
NEW YORK RIDE & RETREAT
September 1-4 (Labor Day Weekend) Isabella Freedman Join the People of the Bike for our annual fully-supported ride and retreat. This exciting, diverse community Shabbat and cycling experience is open for people of all cycling levels and ages. Includes Camp Teva for kids!
JOFEE NETWORK GATHERING
September 14-17 Pearlstone Center, Reisterstown, MD Join Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming, and Environmental Educators for the annual JOFEE Network Gathering – an innovative and engaging conference for anyone interested in JOFEE programming! 6 • 5777 Shavuot Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
HIGH HOLIDAYS: ROSH HASHANAH & YOM KIPPUR
September 20-October 1 Isabella Freedman
Join us for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur or both holidays as we weclome in the new year with inclusive prayer services, deep teachings, immersion in a relaxing wooded venue, community celebrations, and fabulous farm-to-table feasting. Includes Camp Teva for kids!
SUKKAHFEST!
October 4-15 Isabella Freedman Sukkahfest is a singular event — perhaps the most joyous, and almost certainly the most diverse, celebration of the holiday of Sukkot on planet Earth. Includes Camp Teva for kids!
THE ISRAEL RIDE
October 31-November 7 Israel Enjoy five glorious days of riding with routes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced cyclists. All routes are fully supported with rest stops, mechanics, and lead riders.
JEWISH MEN’S RETREAT
November 10-12 Isabella Freedman
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 by inviting them to join them for the weekend.
ADVA REUNION
November 17-19 Isabella Freedman Join generations of Adamah/Teva alumni for a momentous Shabbat celebration and an unforgettable gathering filled with Adva love. Bring your whole self; leave with body, mind, and soul renewed. Includes Camp Teva for kids!
HAZON MEDITATION RETREAT
December 24-31 Isabella Freedman
Join Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Beth Resnick-Folk, and Rabbi Naomi Hyman for silent meditation with instruction, musical prayer services, evening teachings that draw on Jewish, Secular & Buddhist sources, and more.
Visit hazon.org/calendar for a complete list of upcoming events! Please wear your name badge throughout the retreat! • 7
Welcome! Friends, Welcome to the 10th annual Shavuot retreat at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, the home of Hazon. I want to express my gratitude to each of you for making the choice to pilgrimage to Isabella Freedman in order to experience the transformative power of this retreat. In fact, your choice to be here is what makes this retreat possible – because both literally and more deeply – we can only do this together. In this time of matan Torah, the gift of Torah, your being here is a precious gift. The Shavuot retreat is offered in honor of the living legacy of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi ztz'l, who founded the Jewish Renewal movement, and led this retreat for many years here. Reb Zalman famously said that 'the only way to get it together, is together'. So here we are together: a community in-the-making – coming from across the human spectrum, the Jewish spectrum, the age spectrum, the gender spectrum, the race spectrum, the economic spectrum – the whole rainbow of possibilities, each one essential, gathered here like a sheaf of barley offered at the Temple. Shavuot was a particularly dear holiday to Reb Zalman, and this place was especially potent in his eyes. Each year he taught that this holiday invites us to receive the Torah that is coming down from the mountain this year, fresh and new. Here we can discover the Torah that we each individually, as a society, and as a planet need to hear – right now. And yet we adhere to the traditions of Torah that accompany this time so that we have strong enough vessels to receive. So in that sense there are two Torahs – the Torah of our tradition, and the Torah of our intuition. These two Torahs also manifest in the deep structure of the holiday and this retreat. The first day we keep a vigil through the night, learning in as many ways as there are people, in order to receive our personal Torah at the dawn. This is Shavuot of the rabbis – the interpreted tradition living to this moment – our personal inheritance. The second day is quite literally from the written Torah handed down through generations: we gather our actual first fruits from our Adamah farm, and we make a joyous procession with our animals and our arts to a place where we declare our belonging to this land, this people, this divine unity. Together, we make it possible. There are too many people to thank individually by name in this letter. But in particular I want to express deep thanks to Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen, Reb Zalman's beloved wife, for joining us and giving her gifts. Reb Zalman's passion was what he called davenology – the art and science of prayer – so I want to thank our incredible team of davenologists who will be leading us in song and silence through the liturgy. Our educators are creative, dedicated, and enthusiastic – outside in the forest and fields, and inside with stories and conversation. Our Camp Teva staff are prepared to have the most fun ever with our kids with rich and varied activities – and care, kindness, and safety. And the Isabella Freedman staff are here to support your experience however we can. We are here for you. I'm so thankful that we've been given the gift of this time together. Yours, Adam Segulah Sher General 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, and Elat Chayyim, with whom we merged in 2006. 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, curriculumdevelopment, 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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Tuesday, May 30 2:00–5:00 PM Check-in
Great Hall
2:00–5:00 PM Welcome Snack
Great Hall
2:00–6:00 PM Bookstore Open
Bookstore
2:30–5:30 PM JOFEE Fair Great Hall Come to the Great Hall to experience Hazon Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) programs. Make bikkurim (first fruits) smoothies using our bike blender, beautiful signs for the Bikkurim parade, and plant your very own micro-greens. Micro-greens are mini versions of regular vegetables, and will be ready for consumption after 1-2 weeks of growth. 5:00–6:00 PM Hike to the Overlook Meet outside the Gazebo Jacob Weiss An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff. 5:30–6:30 PM Kids Dinner + Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Arts & Crafts Parents, please join us for an orientation to the Camp Teva program. Learn about our policies and get to know the educators while your kids are enjoying an early dinner. 5:30–6:30 PM Yoga Rebecca Bloomfield
Red Yurt
Mikvah in Lake Miriam Meet at the boat dock. Immerse in the living waters of Lake Miriam on your own or in a group, as a way to prepare for Shavuot and the experiences ahead. Please respect times reserved. Bathing suits optional. 5:00–5:20 PM Gender Non-Conforming Mikvah 5:30–5:50 PM Women’s Mikvah 6:00–6:20 PM Men's Mikvah 6:30–9:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 21 for details.
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Tuesday, May 30 7:00–8:00 PM Opening and Candle Lighting Patio Gather together for the first time as a community to get oriented physically and spiritually. Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen will lead us in candle lighting. Together we will ignite the flame that separates the beginning of Shavuot from the rest of the year. 8:00–8:45 PM Renewal Maariv and D'var Torah 8:00–8:45 PM Open Orthodox Maariv and D'var Torah
Synagogue Library
9:00–10:00 PM Festive Dinner
Dining Tent
10:00–10:30 PM Dessert
Great Hall
10:30 PM–4:30 AM Tikkun Leil Shavuot One of the most distinctive customs of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot is Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an evening-long study session held on the night of Shavuot. (See learning schedule on next page for class details)
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Tikkun Leil Shavuot The early sages did not sleep on that night, rather they learned Torah. They said to each other: Come, let us bestow a holy legacy upon us and our children in two worlds. – Zohar 3:98a We are pleased to offer three different types of all-night learning opportunities. NER TAMID: A SACRED FIRE: ALL NIGHT LONG 10:30 PM–4:30 AM Jesse Beller Fire pit Join us for unstructured time around the fire creating a contemplative space for prayer, reflection, and song. BEIT MIDRASH Rabbi Mike Moskowitz
Library
10:30–11:30 PM Above and Below the Binary: The Simplicity of Spirituality 11:30 PM –12:30 AM Shavuot: Brought to You by the Letter ז 12:30–1:30 AM Synesthesia: Seeing the Sounds 1:30–2:30 AM The Mitzvah to Live: What Changed When the Torah was Given 2:30–3:30 AM Hillel and Shammi: Lessons on Inclusivity 3:30–4:30 AM Assigned Secular: Reflections on Spiritual Fluidity and Trans-Parenting ALL-NIGHT SHIURIM (TORAH CLASSES) 10:30–11:45 PM Open My Heart to Your Torah Synagogue Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen A series of imaginal exercises in the tradition of Mme. Colette Aboulker-Muscat, z’l. Our aim is to enable the deeper listening of the heart, so that the learning of the night of Shavuot take root and bear fruit in our lives. 10:30–11:45 PM Cheesemaking Demonstration and Discussion Yaakov Leeser Join our cheese scholar in residence, Yaakov Leeser, in making cheese from Adamah goat milk.
Great Hall
12:00–1:15 AM The Untold Story of Telling a Story: The Unpredictable Intentionality of Teaching Talmudic Tales Synagogue Arna Poupko Fisher The unpredictable and fluid nature of Torah (Talmud) study can: ground and de-stabilize, uplift and disquiet, excite and confound. How is it that each of these outcomes can be viewed, simultaneously as desired and optimal? What are some of the objectives of text study and what variables need to be in place in order to create a rich, positive and challenging learning environment? Come and explore a "behind the scenes scoop" from both the teacher and learners perspective.
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Tikkun Leil Shavuot ALL-NIGHT SHIURIM (CONTINUED) 12:00–1:15 AM How 'Why' Grew Up: Our spiritual Journey Toward Meaning Beige Yurt David Evan Marcus Our human condition is to ask "why," a question that evokes a search for context, relationship and meaning. Jewish sacred text and our messy human lives wend through countless "why" questions, but it wasn't always so. Join Rabbi David Markus, co-chair of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, as we trace Torah's spiritual history of "why." We'll explore how "why" grew up – from a primordial rhetorical question toward an ever fuller human relationship with the holy – and we'll ask what Torah's history of "why" can mean for spiritual seekers today. 1:30–2:45 AM Eit Ratzon: A Time of Will, A Time of Yearning, and the Revelation of Torah Beige Yurt Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt Tradition teaches that creation was preceded by divine will and yearning. Certain times are considered propitious times to connect to God in our own yearning (or to stimulate God's yearning with our own) – among them Shabbat mincha-time, midnight, and Shavuot. Our capacity to yearn is part of what makes us in the divine image. We'll explore texts and traditions about yearning and will (both God's yearning for us, and our yearning for God) and close with a contemplative practice designed to help us stimulate our yearning to receive Torah. 1:30–2:45 AM Suckling Torah: Revelation as Mother's Milk Synagogue Rabbi David Ingber We will study and imagine images offered by our Sages that offer an alternative frame for the experience of revelation. Using an altogether different register than the Torah's pyrotechnical display at Mt. Sinai, our Sages and mystical masters explored the images of breast-feeding and maternal majesty in the Divine-Human encounter. 3:00–4:15 AM Fruit, Dairy or Wheat: Which is the Authentic Shavuot food? Synagogue Sarah Shamirah Chandler Since so many of our Shabbat and holiday dishes are centered around meat, when it comes time for Shavuot, you may think: Finally, an opportunity to plan a delectable dairy meal! Only problem is, dairy isn’t originally a Shavuot food at all. Let's investigate what rabbis and historians tell us – and taste test the answers along the way. 3:00–4:15 AM Priests, Rabbis, and the Birth of Human Spirituality Beige Yurt Joshua Frankel Why can't a short priest serve in the Temple? Why do we mark distinctions between Holy and Secular over wine, a mind-altering substance famous for making it harder to tell good from bad? This exploration of rabbinic texts will examine these questions and guide us to seeing Shavuot as a time to engage in a spirituality that is not distant or transcendent, but it is human and natural.
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Wednesday, May 31 4:30–5:00 AM Welcoming the Dawn in Song Synagogue 5:00–8:30 AM The Dawn of Revelation – Daybreak Davennen’ (Open Orthodox and Renewal together) Patio The peak spiritual experience of the Shavuot retreat. As the mist rises over Lake Miriam, and the sun’s rays crest the mountain, our voices rise together and we re-member the Torah of the Future. 8:00–10:00 AM Breakfast
Dining Hall
9:00–10:15 AM Sinai and the Sefer Yetzirah Beige Yurt Jill Hammer How does the Sefer Yetzirah, an ancient mystical work, depict revelation? Sometimes as letters, sometimes as lightning, sometimes as stones, sometimes as the whole universe, and sometimes as a kiss from God. In this session, we’ll look at the Sefer Yetzirah passages that hint at revelation and try to imagine what the author is trying to tell us. Then we’ll meditate on these passages and see what comes to us when we put analysis aside and simply see, feel, and breathe. 9:30–12:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 22 for details. 10:00–11:00 AM Barnyard Visit – Meet the Goats Meet outside Arts and Crafts Visit our goats and play with the recently born kids. You might get a chance to help bring the goats fresh water, or to fluff up their hay! Please note that all goat sessions are subject to cancellation if any of the goats need medical attention. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM The Tree of Life Inside Us Synagogue Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen An introduction to – or deepening understanding of – the Kabbalists’ “Tree of Life” as experienced in our own bodies. Dress comfortably and expect to move, according to your own ability. 11:00 AM–12:00 PM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes. 12:00–1:30 PM Festive Holiday Lunch and Dvar Torah 1:30–6:00 PM Camp Teva Please see page 22 for details.
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Dining Tent
Wednesday, May 31 1:45–3:00 PM Adamah Farm Tour Meet outside Arts and Crafts Heirloom vegetables, permaculture orchard, compost, and chickens – The Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from the Isabella Freedman campus. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields, and compost-yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genisis to life as we "till and tend" the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come. 1:45–3:00 PM How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Rebbe? Synagogue Arthur Kurzweil We will review some of Reb Zalman’s teachings about Rebbes: how to find one, how to be one, how to relate to one – all in a sincere effort to channel Reb Zalman. 3:15–4:30 PM Yoga Christine Bloom Gentle yet dynamic yoga flow to limber, strengthen and open ourselves. Wear comfortable clothes.
Red Yurt
3:15–4:30 PM The Work That Reconnects: Experiential tools for troubled times (Part 1) Beige Yurt Janna Diamond In an era of vast social, economic and ecological crisis, the Work That Reconnects offers tools for meeting challenges with clear eyes and an open heart. Using practices shaped by eco-philosopher Joanna Macy, we have an opportunity to embrace these painful and beautiful, grief and grace-filled days. If you feel called to show-up amidst all the uncertainty, join us to explore these resources and draw courage from one another. 3:15–4:30 PM Mount Sinai is Everywhere!: The Where/What/Who and Why of Revelation Synagogue David Ingber We will study the meanings of 'Revelation' and Torah through Jewish history. How broadly do these terms stretch until they snap? What are the categories and definitions that have been offered over the millennia for these fundamental and core Jewish concepts? 4:45–6:00 PM The Work That Reconnects: Experiential tools for troubled times (Part 2) Beige Yurt Janna Diamond In an era of vast social, economic and ecological crisis, the Work That Reconnects offers tools for meeting challenges with clear eyes and an open heart. Using practices shaped by eco-philosopher Joanna Macy, we have an opportunity to embrace these painful and beautiful, grief and grace-filled days. If you feel called to show-up amidst all the uncertainty, join us to explore these resources and draw courage from one another. 4:45–6:00 PM Adam, Adamah, and Dust: Finding Home Synagogue Shamu Sadeh What does it mean that we are made of dust from the earth? Where is our home? What do you know about the place where you live? We will move from Biblical text, through rabbinic commentary to modern environmental writings to explore origins, home and the nature of being a dusty human.
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Wednesday, May 31 4:45–6:00 PM Spring Rye, Dates & Sustainable Beer Red Yurt Sarah Shamirah Chandler Here in Northwest Connecticut, rye from cover crops is plentiful at this time of year. What can this grain teach us about how diaspora Jews can align with the rhythm of the Jewish calendar? How are local brewers renewing ancient recipes right here in the Berkshires? And how does an organic chicken farmer save thousands of dollars on feed by building a brewery at his farm? Includes beer tasting for ages 21+. 6:00–7:00 PM Dinner
Dining Tent
7:00–9:15 PM Camp Teva Please see page 22 for details. 7:15–8:15 PM Face to Face with Silence: The Silent Aleph, Revelation, and Each Other Synagogue Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt & David Evan Markus What was revealed at Sinai? Some say the whole Torah. Others say the ten commandments. Still others offer that only the first word was spoken – or perhaps only the silent letter at the beginning of the first word. Join the co-chairs of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal as we explore teachings from our mystical tradition about the revelation of the silent aleph and our obligation to honor the divine image in each other. 7:15–8:15 PM The Long Road to Freedom Beige Yurt Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein For our ancestors, our families, each step was a miracle. Each stage of the journey conveyed a new meaning to what happened before them. "Marchin' to the beat of the Freedom Drum." Marchin' with a vision for a better future. For the sake of our descendants, for the sake of our legacy. From slavery to Sinai, is slavery to freedom, because freedom without Law as Civil Rights leaders knew so well, was not freedom. And so, we we remain BaDerech, in a state of perpetual journeying – with a vision, towards true freedom for all. 8:15–9:00 PM Open Orthodox Mincha/Ma'ariv 8:15–9:00 PM Renewal Mincha/Ma'ariv 9:00 PM Candle Lighting (candle lighting time 9:03) 9:30–10:15 PM Welcoming Shavuot Day Two Kiddish and Blintzes
Library Synagogue Great Hall Great Hall
10:15–11:30 PM Song Circle Library Jesse Beller and Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein The singing of songs has a central place in Jewish ritual, and the celebration of Shavuot is a prime example. Come to sing, learn, and share songs from all over the Jewish world, some well known and some obscure. 10:15–11:30 PM Mountain Top Night Hike Meet at Gazebo Ben Rosenthal and Jacob Weiss No flashlights, no chitchat. Just seekers in the dark on the way to light. 16 • 5777 Shavuot Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Thursday, June 1 7:00–8:00 AM Early Morning Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes. 7:00–8:00 AM Meditation: Creating the Space to Receive Beige Yurt Dan Pelberg In order to receive we must be able to hold space within ourselves to fully embrace whatever we are being given. On Shavuot we commemorate the gift of receiving Torah. By emptying ourselves out we allow ourselves the opportunity to fully embrace Torah and what it has to offer. Come as we learn what our tradition has to say about creating this space within ourselves, and learn a practice on how to create the space necessary as we are ready to receive Torah once again. 8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast
Dining Hall
9:00–12:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 23 for details. 8:30 AM–12:30 PM Open Orthodox Shacharit + Yiskor
Library
9:00 AM–12:30 PM Renewal Shacharit + Yiskor
Synagogue
12:30–1:00 PM Bikkurim Parade with Goats Meet at Barnyard The most joyous and creative moment in our retreat! Renew and re-enact the ancient procession to the Temple for Shavuot with our First Fruits Offerings (Bikkurim). Ritual craft by Rav Kohenet Rabbi Jill Hammer. 1:00–2:30 PM Adamah Foods Kiddush and Dvar Torah
Dining tent
2:30–6:30 PM Camp Teva Please see page 23 for details. 2:30–3:45 PM Twenty Core Ideas from Kabbalah I Made Sure to Teach My Children Arthur Kurzweil There will be nothing to learn in this class. Instead, we will try to remember what we may have forgotten.
Synagogue
2:30–4:30 PM Hike Through the Sephirot Meet outside Arts and Crafts Join us on a journey towards malchut – we will embark on an interactive and meditative journey through the seven sephirot of the omer, culminating in achieving malchut at the overlook. There will be several inclines and narrow paths; closed toe shoes are required.
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Thursday, June 1 4:00–5:00 PM Yoga Christine Bloom Gentle yet dynamic yoga flow to limber, strengthen and open ourselves. Wear comfortable clothes.
Red Yurt
4:00–5:15 PM The Day Before Sinai: A Bibliodrama Synagogue Rabbi Jill Hammer In this session, we’ll study the Exodus text that tells the story of Sinai and feel into its narrative and sensory details. Then, using the practice of bibliodrama, we’ll spontaneously embody the biblical characters and setting. We’ll explore the three days of preparation before Sinai as well as the moment of revelation itself. The bibliodrama will be guided by Rabbi Jill Hammer, a trained bibliodramatist and midrashic writer. 5:30–6:15 PM Open Orthodox Mincha
Library
5:30–6:15 PM Sunset Mincha with the Chickens: Praying With Our Two Feet Arts & Crafts Sarah Shamirah Chandler Cluck a lullaby before you welcome shabbat Adamah’s flock of beautiful birds. Learn how animals can teach us wisdom about life’s greatest mysteries like birth, reproduction, and death. Meet at Arts and Crafts at 5:30 sharp for this brief walk to the chicken yard. 6:30–7:30 PM Dinner
Dining Tent
7:30–9:15 PM Camp Teva Please see page 23 for details. 7:30–8:45 PM The Commonality of Individuality: Balancing Solo and Communal Spiritual Practice Mike Moskowitz
Beige Yurt
7:30–8:45 PM Leaving the Mountain, Continuing the Journey Synagogue Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen What do we take away from an encounter, great or small, with the Source, so that it may take root and grown in us, and not dissipate? Contemplation, story, imaginal exercises, niggunim. 8:45–9:15 PM Renewal Maariv 8:45–9:15 PM Open Orthodox Maariv 9:15–10:00 PM Havdallah and Closing Ceremony
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Synagogue Library Great Hall
Thursday, June 1 10:00–11:00 PM Adamah Farmers Market and Bookstore Sample some delectable organic preserves from the Adamah farm and discover treasures in the bookstore. 10:00 PM Campfire
Bookstore
Fire pit
Friday, June 2 7:00–8:00 AM Yoga Red Yurt Christine Bloom Gentle yoga to awaken the body, connect to ourselves through breath and movement. Wear comfortable clothes. 7:00–8:00 AM Meditation: Creating the Space to Receive Beige Yurt Dan Pelberg As we come out of the spiritual high of the holiday of Shavuot we recognize all that we are grateful for in life. Learn how our tradition gives thanks to even the most mundane of activities and practice your own gratitude for the life you have been given. 8:00–10:00 AM Farm-to-Table Breakfast
Dining Hall
8:00–10:00 AM Bookstore Open Jesse Beller 9:30 AM Shuttle to train (train leaves at 10:28) 10:00 AM Check out of rooms
Great Hall
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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 Shavuot Camp Teva program planned for children ages 5-12. Everything from the Book of Ruth reenactment to exploring the forest and the farm. Children under the age of 5 are welcome to participate with an adult. 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. 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. All activities meet in Arts and Crafts, unless otherwise noted. If you have any questions please direct them to Arielle Aronoff, the Camp Teva Manager.
Tuesday, May 30 2:00–5:00 PM Micro Greens at the JOFEE Fair Join Camp Teva to plant Micro Greens for spring. Plant today and enjoy your harvest in about two weeks time.
Great Hall
5:30–6:30 PM Kids’ Dinner and Mandatory Parent/ Guardian Orientation Arts and Crafts Parents, please join us for an orientation to the Camp Teva program. Learn about our policies and get to know the educators while your kids are enjoying an early dinner. 6:30–8:00 PM Wonderful Wands and Magical Masks Get ready for the Bikkurim Parade on Thursday where we will march with the goats, and parade the first fruits from the farm. We will be making wands and masks to dress up for the occasion. 8:00–9:00 PM Night Walk Test your five senses and explore the forest under the light of the stars. We will not be using flashlights as we have built in night vision. Join us on the purple trail and see how it works! Xtreme Night Hike (Ages 9+) This is a harder hike up Red Trail under the light of the stars. Test your five senses and find out how good your night vision is. No flashlights needed. 20 • 5777 Shavuot Retreat • Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Wednesday, May 31 9:00–9:30 AM Wake Up and Stretch We will start each morning with wake up games and yoga. 9:30–10:30 AM Goat Morning! Come say hay to our goats! 9:30 AM–12:00 PM Hike to the Overlook and Forest Games Ages 9+ Hike the Red Trail to the majestic Isabella Freedman Overlook. Call out to the birds flying below and play games on the way. 10:30 AM–12:00 PM Spring has Sprung Hike Search and discover the signs of Spring in the forest. We will hike the yellow and purple trails. 1:30–3:00 PM Compost, Chickens, and Cabbage Explore the farm, see where all of our food scraps go to be composted and play with the chickens. The Illustrated Pirkei Avot, a Graphic Novel of Jewish Ethics (Ages 9+) The Illustrated Pirkei Avot, A Graphic Novel of Jewish Ethics, is a fun & accessible way to learn Mishna. Join the illustrator, Jessica Deutsch, in an engaging study session, where we will learn as a group and reflect on the teachings of our ancestors and how they relate to us today! The Illustrated Pirkei Avot includes all six chapters of the Mishna, translated in English and accompanied by whimsical hand-made drawings. 3:00–4:30 PM Crepes, Palacsinta, Blintzes A flat pancake with many names from many countries. Mix the batter, pan fry, fill with jams and cheese, and enjoy! 4:30–6:00 PM Topsy Turvy Bus Tour and Energy Games Is that bus Topsy or is it Turvy?!?! Find out with the experts who actually lived on the bus for two summers. 7:00–8:00 PM The Book of Ruth with Shoshana Jedwab Listen to the tale of Ruth and Naomi, learn of their troubles, travels, and triumphs. 8:00–9:15 PM Camp Teva Hangout Play games, create a skit based on the Book of Ruth, read stories or just hangout with us in Arts and Crafts.
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Thursday, June 1 9:00–9:30 AM Wake Up and Stretch 9:30–10:00 AM Edible Torahs Build an edible Torah. Bring it on the parade or enjoy it on the spot! 10:00 AM–12:30 PM Theater 101 Arts and Crafts will transform into a theater as we move through improv games and create skits. Are you Moses coming down from Mount Sinai? The Israelites receiving the Torah for the very first time? Or are you a pilgrim, travelling to Jerusalem to give your offering of the first fruits? Gaga (Ages 9+) Gaga, the fast paced, high energy sport of camps around the country! The more players the better, come join us. 12:30–1:00 PM Bikkurim Parade Parade through camp with your magical masks and wonderful wands in hand and the goats at your side. 2:30–4:00 PM Hike to the Overlook Hike the red trail to the majestic Isabella Freedman Overlook. Call out to the birds flying below and play games on the way. 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. 4:00–5:00 PM Make Butter and Cheese Did you know that butter is sooo easy to make? All you need is heavy cream a jar, and some energy to shake it all up. Come see for yourself! We’ll also make farmers’ cheese! 5:00–5:45 PM Goat Afternoon to You Lets check in on the goats once they’ve had some time to rest after the parade. The Illustrated Pirkei Avot, a Graphic Novel of Jewish Ethics Session II See description on previous page. 5:45–6:30 PM Nature Art Don’t forget your imagination! We will create art with found objects in the forest. Challenge and Discovery (Ages 9+) Challenge yourself, build agility, have fun, and work together. Our afternoon will be filled with challenges to get your brain and body working together. 7:30–9:15 PM Campfire, Stories and Songs Light a campfire, make s’mores, listen to magical stories and sing songs. Let’s end this retreat in style.
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Leaders Arielle Aronoff came to Hazon first as a Teva educator. She found a place in this community and did not want to leave. After spending the fall and winter at Isabella Freedman, she took a seasonal outdoor education position for the spring and quickly returned to be the Camp Teva Manager. Prior to her work with Hazon, Arielle worked as a farmer, baker, and healthy school food advocate/educator. Arielle spends her time hiking, baking sourdough bread, and foraging for berries and mushrooms. Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, named in 2016 by the Forward as one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis, was ordained by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal as a rabbi in 2011 and as a mashpi’ah ruchanit (spiritual director) in 2012, and now serves as co-chair (with Rabbi David Evan Markus) of ALEPH. Since 2003 she has blogged as The Velveteen Rabbi, and she is author of four book-length collections of poetry: 70 faces: Torah poems (Phoenicia Publishing, 2011), Waiting to Unfold (Phoenicia, 2013),Toward Sinai: Omer poems (Velveteen Rabbi, 2016) and Open My Lips (Ben Yehuda Press, 2016), as well as several poetry chapbooks. Rachel serves as spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel and as interim Jewish chaplain to Williams College. Jesse Beller manages the bookstore at Isabella Freedman, online sales and e-commerce at Hazon.org, and various and sundry other merchandising projects throughout Hazon. Before joining Hazon and moving to the Isabella Freedman campus, Jesse worked for over a decade in video production and post-production, with stints in TV, feature films, advertising & marketing, and new media. Jesse is a singing fool, a film geek, a computer nerd, a bookworm, a news junkie, and a history buff. Jess Berlin manages the Programs Team at Isabella Freedman as the Senior Program Manager, whose aim is to consistently deliver exceptional programming to all retreat guests. This role feels like a natural fit for Jess as she is a strong believer in the power of multi-day immersive experiences as a tool for creating long-lasting positive change in a person’s life. She has a lifelong passion for Judaism and spirituality, having spent four years studying and teaching in Israel as well several months studying meditation in India. After graduating from Queens College, with a degree in Urban Planning, she served as a key administrator at American Jewish World Service and AVODAH and a farm educator at Eden Village Camp. Christine Bloom discovered yoga haphazardly, but davka just at a time when she needed it most! She finds that each journey on the yoga mat - connecting breath, body and spirit, brings joy to her life and a chance to reboot her system. A regular participant of Isabella Freedman retreats, she loves her wholesome community and always looks forward to nature-filled Holiday celebrations. Shavuot-infused yoga classes will be gentle in the morning and a bit more vigorous in the afternoon. She invites everyone to participate, explore how the qualities of the poses seep in and be open to receive. She is a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher (YTT200) and is also a landscape and floral designer in Stamford, CT. Sarah Shamirah Chandler is the CCO (Chief Compassion Officer) and team leader at Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA) where she works to support Jewish institutions to establish meaningful food policies rooted in Jewish ethics and animal welfare. She recently served as the Director of Earth Based Spiritual Practice for Hazon’s Adamah Farm and teaches, writes, and consults on a national level on issues related to Judaism, the environment, mindfulness, food values, and farming. Sarah managed the 2014 Food Conference as part of the Isabella Freedman/Adamah/ Hazon staff. Janna Diamond is a mover and maker, bowing to her teachers, chief among them Joanna Macy and Stephen Jenkinson, for modeling how to be human in these troubling times. Janna works at HIAS, the Jewish organization for global refugees, and studies body-oriented therapy at the Institute of Core Energetics.
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Leaders Shir Yaakov Feit is a singer, composer, designer, producer, teacher, and dad. He engages Jewish, multi-faith, and nonaffiliated people worldwide, building spiritual communities, facilitating and inspiring communal music, and helping people connect with their inner wisdom. In 2014, Shir started Kol Hai: Hudson Valley Jewish Renewal, an intentional community in New York's Hudson Valley. Shir has recorded and released four albums of original music and co-founded and performs with The Darshan Project. Arna Poupko Fisher, who has lectured in over 130 North American Communities, is on the faculty of the Judaic Studies department of the University of Cincinnati where she teaches Bible and Jewish Thought. This year, Professor Fisher will also be teaching at HUC, Cincinnati. Professor Fisher has over 25 years of experience both teaching and working in the Jewish Community. She was the first individual to serve as a permanent, full time scholar in residence for a Federation, when she began her pioneering work as the Judaic Consultant of the Montreal Federation. Graduating from Yeshiva University with degrees in both Jewish education and Medieval Jewish philosophy, Ms. Fisher continued her graduate work in the Doctoral programs of both the University of Toronto, and McGill University. She teaches and has published on subjects pertaining to the relationship of Jewish Law to contemporary society and well as the nature of effective leadership. For over 23 years, Professor Fisher has served on the core faculty for the Wexner Heritage Program and is a frequent Scholar in Residence for synagogues, campuses and Federations throughout North America. Joshua Frankel received his rabbinical ordination from YCT Rabbinical School with the support of a Wexner Graduate Fellowship. He is an alumnus of Yeshivat Har Etzion's hesder program, and he served in the 9th armored battalion of the IDF. He holds a BA from Hebrew University and a MBA from Baruch College. Joshua is married to Rachel Berger, and is the proud father of Nella, a seven month old baby that's probably smiled at you. Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD is an author, educator, midrashist, myth-weaver and ritualist. She is the co-founder of Kohenet: The Hebrew Priestess Institute. She is also the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion, a pluralistic Jewish seminary. Rabbi Hammer is the author of The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons, and the co-author of The Hebrew Priestess and Siddur HaKohanot: A Hebrew Priestess Prayerbook. Rabbi Hammer conducts workshops on ancient and contemporary midrash, bibliodrama, creative ritual, kabbalah, Jewish dreamwork, and Jewish cycles of time. She was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and holds a doctorate in social psychology from the University of Connecticut. Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen is a psychotherapist, teacher, storyteller and singer. She has studied closely with mythologist Joseph Campbell, Eutonia bodywork founder Gerda Alexander, and trained for years in Jerusalem in waking dream and the therapeutic use of imagery with Mme. Colette Aboulker-Muscat. Since returning to the United states in 1986, Ms. Ilsen has also worked in tandem with her husband of blessed memory, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi zt"l, cocreating the Wisdom School, co-leading workshops and partnering at holy day retreats. In 2008, she was ordained as a Rabbinic Pastor. These days, Eve is invoking transformative states by performing in concert, as a singer and a storyteller. Rabbi David Ingber is the founder and spiritual director of Romemu in New York City, a mystical, progressive, openhearted, and integral Jewish community that promotes human flourishing in body, heart, mind, and spirit. Rabbi Ingber studied more than 20 years in Orthodox seminaries, and studied yoga and Tai Chi before meeting his beloved teacher, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, of blessed memory. Rabbi Ingber is direct disciple and lineage holder in Reb Zalman’s lineage. He lives in New York City with his wife, Ariel, and is a proud father to his three greatest teachers, his sons Baer, Tal, and Or.
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Shoshana Jedwab is a prize-winning Jewish educator and the Jewish Studies Coordinator at the A.J. Heschel Middle School in New York City. She is the founding facilitator of the Makom Drum Circle at the JCC in Manhattan and is a percussionist and performance artist who has trained in bibliodrama and psychodrama. Shoshana has provided empowering drum circles to singles, student, training and bereavement groups. Shoshana has performed with Storahtelling, Chana Rothman, Debbie Friedman, Akiva Wharton, A Song of Solomon, Hebrew Mystical Chant with the Kirtan Rabbi Andrew Hahn, and seasonal events. She is Kohenet’s ritual drummer and also serves on the Kohenet faculty. Rabbi Arthur Kurzweil is an author, educator, editor, publisher, and illusionist. Kurzweil’s book From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History is considered to be a definitive introductory guide on the topic. Rabbi Kurzweil has also authored two books in the “For Dummies” series: Kabbalah for Dummies and The Torah for Dummies. Some of his other books include: On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy and My Generations: A Course in Jewish Family History, which is commonly used as a textbook at synagogue schools across the country. During his 17-year tenure at Jason Aronson Publishers, he commissioned and published over 650 works of Jewish interest. Kurzweil has also been editor-in-chief of the Jewish Book Club, president of the Jewish Book Council, and editorial consultant for Jossey-Bass. Yaakov Leeser has been around food all his life – he holds a B.S. in Animal Science, he has taught environmental custodianship, worked as a chef, and now studies the microbiology of cheese. For him, working with food represents cultural heritage, commitment to community, scientific pursuit, and the best way to spend an afternoon. Rabbi David Evan Markus is co-chair of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, co-rabbi of Temple Beth-El of City Island (New York City, NY), and faculty in spiritual direction and rabbinics in the ALEPH Ordination Programs. A fellow of Rabbis Without Borders and blogger for My Jewish Learning and The Jewish Studio, Rabbi David is widely published in Jewish life, liturgy and spiritual formation. By day, Rabbi David presides as judicial referee in New York Supreme Court as part of a parallel career in government service. Rabbi Avram Mlotek is the co-founder of Base Hillel and serves as rabbi for its DWTN location. Mlotek graduated cum laude from Brandeis University and has studied at Sarah Lawrence College, Yeshiva University’s Cantorial School and City College’s Educational Theatre department. A native Yiddish speaker, Mlotek’s Yiddish cultural work has brought him to China, Ethiopia, Israel, Sweden and Australia. Prior to joining Base, Avram served as a rabbi in training at The Carlebach Shul, The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and Hunter College Hillel. He completed two units of clinical pastoral education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Mlotek’s writing has appeared in The Forward, Tablet, Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, The Jewish Week, The Huffington Post and Kveller, among other blogs. In 2012 The NY Jewish Week selected him as a “leading innovator in Jewish life today” as part of their “36 Under 36” section. In May 2016, Mlotek was listed as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Rabbis” by The Jewish Daily Forward. He is blessedly married to Yael Kornfeld, a geriatric social worker, and proud Tati to Revaya and Hillel Yosl. Yael Kornfeld-Mlotek works as the Synagogue Outreach Social Worker at DOROT, where they are partnered with nine different synagogues on the Upper East and West Sides of Manhattan, advocating and serving older adults. Yael received her BA in Judaic Studies from Rutgers University where she wrote an honors thesis on “Who studies Yiddish Today and Why.” Before starting her MSW program at Hunter College School of Social Work, Yael was an Avodah Service Corps Fellow in Washington, DC. A co-founder of Base Hillel, which empowers rabbinic couples’ homes to serve as convening points for Jewish life, Yael and her partner, Rabbi Avram Mlotek live in downtown Manhattan with their two delicious
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Leaders children, Ravi and Hillel. Rabbi Mike Moskowitz (pronouns: he, him, his) is a Talmudic scholar from Richmond, Virginia. He has three ultraorthodox rabbinic ordinations from his years learning in Lakewood and the Mir and is currently working on a doctorate in Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Yale. For the past fifteen years, Rabbi Moskowitz has been engaged in Jewish outreach and education, first as the Dean of Students of the Yeshivah of Virginia, and then as Rosh Kollel. Most recently he was a rabbi at Columbia University and of the Old Broadway Synagogue in Harlem. The proud father of a trans child, Rabbi Moskowitz is a vocal advocate for inclusivity for the LGBT community, and writes and speaks frequently at the intersection of transgender and Jewish thought. He is a member of various social justice taskforces, focusing on racial justice, religious freedom and refugee rights. Dan Pelberg has practiced meditation and learned with Rabbis and teachers in India, Israel, and the US. He has significant silent meditation retreat experience and has sustained a daily practice and taught meditation for the past two years. Dan is an alum of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and currently a Fellow at the Marilyn and Sigi Ziering Brandeis Collegiate Institute. Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh is the co-founder and director of Adamah. He teaches Judaism and ecology, turns the compost piles, maintains the orchards, and supervises and mentors staff and Adamah Fellows. His wife Jaimie and kids Yonah, Ibby and Lev keep the bees, help harvest and pickle, and DJ staff dance parties. Adam Segulah Sher serves as the General Manager of Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, CT. Adam leads the fantastic Isabella Freedman team, who produce and host over 70 events each year including pilgrimage holidays, conferences, spiritual retreats, family celebrations, and synagogue retreats. He enjoys classic reggae and soul music, mystical poetry, disc golf, and purple things. He lives in Falls Village with his son Eli, and wife Megan – whom he met at Isabella Freedman in 2007 when she staffed the Adamah Farm & Fellowship. Jacob Weiss is thrilled to be a JOFEE fellow at Isabella Freedman working with the retreats team. He was born and raised in the great city of Cleveland, Ohio, and has spent the better part of the past six years living in New York City. Jacob studied Political Science and Fine Arts at Yeshiva University, and then went on to receive his Chef’s training at the Natural Gourmet Institute. He has spent his time since then cooking at various restaurants in New York, as well as taking time away from the kitchen, to work on farms around the country. With his free time, Jacob loves to cook for friends and family, get lost in the woods, take long bike rides and climb on things.
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you make it possible. THE TAMAR FUND Retreats have the power to change lives. At Isabella Freedman, we have a commitment to making Jewish retreats financially accessible. 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!