Shavuot Retreat 5776
Dedicated to the Living Legacy of
Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi זצ׳ל
ברוכים הבאים We are blessed by your arrival! Your retreat managers are here to support your retreat. ADAMAHFOODS – Farm-to-Table kosher food magic. Our homemade and varied menu integrates
vegetables & pickles from our Adamah farm with ethically sourced products – including organic grains, Grow and Behold kosher pastured meats, and local fruits - embodying the new Jewish food movement. For special food needs, check in with our friendly Adamah Dining staff. GIFT & BOOK STORE – We’re proud to have one of the most unique collections of books, music, and gifts anywhere! You can buy our Adamah cheeses, jams, and pickles here. LAKE – Our pristine Lake Miriam is open at all times for boating & swimming, with lifejackets located in the boat shed by the dock. – please always wear lifejackets when on the lake and return the boats back on the rack after you are done using them. You may swim and use boats at your own risk. EMERGENCY NUMBER – In the event of an emergency, you can find a list of emergency numbers by all the phones onsite. Each cabin has a phone or directions to the nearest phone. Please identify where yours is if you haven’t already done so.
In case of EMERGENCY ONLY Dial 9 (if from on-site phone) 1-860-671-8751 EMERGENCY CALLS - If you need to call 911 using a campus phone, please note that you must first dial a 9 to get an outside line, then dial 911, thus 9-911. Please dial our emergency number (see above) immediately after making the call so that we know an ambulance is arriving. PARKING - Please park only in designated areas - in the parking lot next to the main office or the barnyard lot. DO NOT park on the road or adjacent to your guest building. ROOMS - We do not use keys at Isabella Freedman. Doors lock from the inside. Make sure you unlock your door before leaving your room! We ask you to keep the doors to your rooms shut at all times. Please save electricity - turn off lights when not in use. BUSSING TABLES - When you’re finished eating, clear all your dishes in the wash bins we have provided for you. Don’t forget the compost bin too! KIDS & FAMILIES - See our fantastic Camp Teva schedule and Q&A for details.
All kids under 13 must be supervised by Camp Teva staff or another adult AT ALL TIMES.
LIBRARY - You will notice our brand-new library in the Lounge space in the Main Building. This incredible collection was donated by Arthur & Bobby Kurzweil as a learning resource for the community. We will gather for a dedication ceremony during the retreat. KASHRUT - Our Adamah Dining spaces and Kitchen are strictly kosher and supervised by the Rabbi Yitzchok Adler of the Hartford Kashrut Commission. Please do not take dishes out and please do not bring any food or dishes into our Dining spaces. If you have special dietary needs and need to bring your own food into the space, please have it approved by one of our Mashgichim (kosher supervisors). Our Rosh Mashgiach is Hazzan Mordechai Schram. COMPOSTING & RECYCLING - Isabella Freedman is a green organization. Our disposable plates, napkins, tableware, and cups are all compostable! Put them in the compost bin in the Adamah Dining Hall or by the Coffee Bar. Please recycle paper, plastic, glass, and cans near the Guest Services desk. WATER - We have delicious, very clean water from our own Berkshire mountain spring wells. Enjoy it from any tap! Extra points for using your own reusable water bottle. SMOKING - Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is prohibited on campus, except at the fire pit at the lake. Please dispose of all cigarette butts in garbage cans located on our 'main street’. CANDLES - Candles are strictly prohibited in all buildings except as designated by the Retreat Manager in the Main Building for Shabbat, holidays, and yizkor. CHECK-OUT PROCEDURE - On check-out day, please leave your rooms by 10:00am and place your luggage in your car or in the Synagogue. When leaving your room, please put your sheets in one pillow case and place it by the door. Make sure that all of your garbage is placed into the wastebaskets in your rooms. TIMELINESS IS IMPORTANT AND GREATLY APPRECIATED.
Bookstore & Gift Shop We carry a unique selection of books, music, judaica, and art - reflecting our diverse community and our shared values. Creations from our retreat community are featured in the store including Reb Zalman’s many writings and recordings. Friday — 2-6pm OPEN FOR SALES Sunday — 3-6pm BROWSING ONLY Monday — 2-4:30pm BROWSING ONLY Monday — 9-11pm OPEN FOR SALES Tuesday — 10am-2pm OPEN FOR SALES
QUESTIONS ARE BETTER THAN ANSWERS Who was Reb Zalman ?זצ׳ל Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Rebbe’d the Jewish Renewal movement and was a true genius of our generation. He brought Jewish spirituality in an accessible and profoundly deep way to the full spectrum of seekers - Jewish and beyond. A polymath and pioneer in eco-kashrut, davenology, deep ecumenism, neo-hasidut, meta-kabbalah, and so much more, Reb Zalman’s innovative vision will only grow - his is truly the Torah of the Future and our annual Shavuot retreat is dedicated to unfurling that legacy. His beloved wife Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen joins us again this year as an honored guest & teacher.
What is JOFEE? JOFEE is Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education. In 2014, Hazon and the Jim Joseph Foundation published a study establishing the exciting impacts and potentials in this field. Just last week we held the first annual JOFEE Network Gathering bringing together leaders in the field from across the country and around the world. Right here at Isabella Freedman, with our gorgeous campus, Adamah & Teva programs, there are many ways to have a JOFEE experience. Eat farm-fresh food, tour the fields, take a hike, meet the goats, meditate by the lake - it’s all JOFEE!
What is Davennen’? The art, science, and direct experience of prayer in Judaism is called Davennen’, a Yiddish word of uncertain derivation. The Hebrew word is Tefilah. Davennen’ however, is also a verb - to daven - and refers to an activity intended to achieve a certain result: direct experience of an I-Thou relationship, a spiritual technology for talking with G*d. On this retreat, our davennen’ is musical, participatory, and egalitarian. The three traditional times to daven are morning (shacharit), afternoon (mincha) and evening (ma’ariv). The retreat community will gather together for these special times of connection and Divine conversation.
What is Camp Teva? To support families on retreat, we have a magnificent Camp Teva program put together for kids 5-12. For parents with kids under 5, you can accompany your kids in any Camp Teva program, and during Camp Teva hours, parents can gather in the Gazebo or Synagogue to see if other parents and young children are around to socialize and play. Other resources for parents of kids under 5 include the playground and the snack fridge in Arts & Crafts. See separate Camp Teva Schedule
Friday June 10 — Erev Shabbat — Sivan 4 TIME 2:00 — 5:00 pm
PROGRAM Arrival and Check-In — welcome snack available
LOCATION Guest Services
4:45 — 5:05 pm
Women’s Mikvah
Lake Miriam
5:15 — 5:35 pm
Men’s Mikvah
Lake Miriam
5:45 — 6:05 pm
All-Gender Mikvah
Lake Miriam
5:00 — 6:00 pm
Yoga
6:15 — 8:00 pm
Opening. Beginning. Journeying
8:00 — 9:30 pm
Kiddush and Festive Shabbat Dinner Maiden Initiation Journeys Rabbi Rav Kohenet Jill Hammer
9:30 —11:00 pm
Mi Bara Eleh: A Zohar Passage Reflecting the Evolution of Nonduality and Polytheism
Beige Yurt Mountain View Dining Tent Synagogue
Reb Zalman Library
Rabbi Jay Michelson
Beyond the Borders of Israel Rabbi Brent Spode & Rabba Kaya Stern-Kaufman
Red Yurt
Friday Program Descriptions Mikvah: 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 Shabbat, Shavuot, and the experiences ahead. Please respect times reserved. Bathing suits optional. Opening. Beginning. Journeying: Gather as a community to open the retreat, along with a group candle-lighting and Kabbalat Shabbat & Ma’ariv davennen’. Maiden Initiation Journeys: Joseph Campbell identified the hero's journey, but for the biblical Ruth, heroine of Shavuot, that journey takes a particular turn. Rebekah, Esther, and Ruth all show a particular pattern to their journeys of growth and transformation. In this session, learn the nine stages of these maiden initiation journeys and consider how they may reflect and inspire our own life passages. Mi Bara Eleh: A Zohar Passage Reflecting the Evolution of Nonduality & Polytheism: The Zohar, masterpiece of Kabbalah, is theologically polymorphous. Sometimes everything is God, sometimes God is multi-gendered, multi-named, multi-faced, and mythically charged. A short passage from early in the Zohar is like a micro-history of theological evolution that, unpacked, still has the capacity to shock today. Ta shma. Beyond the Borders of Israel: An in-depth learning and conversation on conversion.
Saturday June 11 — Shabbat — Sivan 5 TIME
PROGRAM
LOCATION
7:00 — 8:00 am
Yoga
Beige Yurt
8:00 — 9:00 am
Breakfast
Dining Tent
Embodying the Sefirot (session A) 9:00 — 9:55 am
Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen
The Fixing of Cain and Abel - Pesach Dahvid Stadlin
Synagogue Reb Zalman Library
10 am - 12:40 pm
Shabbat Morning Davennen’
12:45 — 2:00 pm
Kiddush & Festive Shabbat Lunch
2:15 — 3:15 pm JOFEE Experiences
Farm Tour - Shamu Sadeh, Director of Adamah
Meet at Gazebo
Afternoon Hike - Superben Rosenthal
Meet at Red Yurt
3:30 — 4:30 pm
Mountain View Dining Tent
Heaven: The Sapphire Ascent and the Throne of Glory - Rabbi David Evan Markus
Reb Zalman Library
Zen Frisbee Tossing Clinic - Pesach Dahvid Stadlin
Meet at Synagogue
Embodying the Sefirot (session A) Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen
Synagogue
4:30 — 5:30 pm
Taste and See: Psychedelic Perspectives on Torah and Transformation - Eden Pearlstein 5:30 — 6:30 pm Davennen’ Options 6:30 — 7:30 pm
7:35 — 8 :55pm
Reb Zalman Library
Traditional Mincha - Rabbi Royi Schaffin
Mountain View
Contemplative Mincha Hike - Rabbi Brent Spodek
Meet at Gazebo
Dinner - Seudah Shlishit
Dining Tent
Preparing to Receive - Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt
Synagogue
Queering Kabbalistic Gender Dimorphism: Possibilities for a Jewish Queer Theology
Reb Zalman Library
Rabbi Dr. Jay Michelson
9:00 — 9:45 pm
Shabbat Havdalah / Candlelighting Shavuot 1 Counting the 50th Day / Ma’ariv
Mountain View
Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen, Shir Yaakov Feit, Aviva Chernick 9:45 — 10:25 pm
Kiddush and Cheese(cake) Feast
Great Hall
10:30 pm — 5:30 am — All-Night Learning Vigil — Tikkun Leil Shavuot — תקון ליל שבועות
Saturday Program Descriptions Embodying the Sefirot (sessions A & B): Join Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen in discovering how the seven lower Sefirot of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life live and interact in and through our most basic manifestation in this world: our bodies. Heaven: The Sapphire Ascent and the Throne of Glory. Moses and the elders had a mystical vision of a sapphire pathway leading heavenward (Ex. 24:10). What is the sapphire ascent, where might it lead, how did our rabbinic ancestors imagine the heavenly realm, and what can we bring back to our earthly lives? Adamah Farm Tour: Explore our organic farm, compost & chicken system, vegetable fields, and permaculture systems. Hike: Bring full water bottles & good shoes for a step-by-step forest encounter experience. Taste and See: Psychedelic Perspectives on Torah and Transformation: Ethno-Botany, Theo-Poetics, and Traditional Torah Commentaries converge in this weird trip through Jewish culture and consciousness. Preparing to receive: Through Omer poetry and guided meditation we'll recapitulate the journey of the last seven weeks and prepare ourselves to open for revelation. Queering Kabbalistic Gender Dimorphism - Possibilities for a Jewish Queer Theology: In recent years, Kabbalah has become a resource for feminists, queers, and others seeking alternatives to mainstream patriarchal theologies. Yet Kabbalah is also rigorously heteronormative, projecting gender dualism onto the cosmos itself. What are some ways in which queers and allies of all sexual & gender identities might still make use of this complex and rich heritage? Cheese(cake)?: Kabbalistic gematria equates the numerical value of the word ḥalav (milk), 40 (‘het’=8, ‘lamed’=30, ‘vet’=2), with the 40 days Moses spent on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18). Others look to the mountain itself, which is termed in Psalms 68:15 “mount of gavnunim”, meaning many peaks. The connect that description with the Hebrew word g’vinah, meaning cheese. Also, spring harvest festivals common to many ancient peoples characteristically featured dairy dishes because cheese was first produced during that season.
Tikkun Leil Shavuot — A Holy Legacy in Two Worlds תקון ליל שבועות 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 TIME
10:30 pm - 5:30 am
10:30 — 11:45 11:55 - 1:10
PROGRAM
Ner Tamid: Sacred Fire Song Circle Margot Seigle, Nom Lerman, Batya Levine
Legends of David and Revelation Rabbi Rav Kohenet Jill Hammer
The Imaginal World: Entering in Wholeness and Leaving in Wholeness - Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen Levinas and Me'or Einaym: A Meeting Across Time
1:20 -2:35
Rabba Kaya Stern-Kaufman
Midnight Mountain Hike - Superben 2:45 - 4 4:10 - 5:25 5:30 — 8:00
The Garden (of Eden) State Parkway Pesach Dahvid Stadlin
The Two Mountains: A Shavuot Teaching and Story from Reb Shlomo and Reb Zalman - Eden Pearlstein The Dawn of Revelation - Daybreak Davennen’
LOCATION
Fire Circle
Synagogue
Synagogue
Synagogue Meet at Gazebo Synagogue
Synagogue Lakeside Patio
All-Night Learning Vigil — Tikkun Leil Shavuot — תקון ליל שבועות Ner Tamid: A Sacred Fire: All night long. Join us for unstructured time around the fire creating a contemplative space for prayer, reflection, and song. Legends of King David and Revelation: Tradition holds that King David died on Shavuot. In honor of his yartzeit, study midrashim that tell of the unique and personal ways King David received revelation: via, harp, stone, ladder, and even the Garden of Eden. Add the mystery of David's hymns at midnight to this season of revelation. Levinas and Me'or Einaym: A Meeting Across Time: Together, we will explore the deeper meaning of Na'aseh v'Nishmah (we will do and we will understand) through the clear lens provided by a 20th cent. philosopher and an 18th century Hasidic Master. Midnight Mountain Hike : No flashlights, no chitchat. Just seekers in the dark on the way to light. The Two Mountains: A Shavuot Teaching and Story from Reb Shlomo and Reb Zalman: Explore the dialectical relationships between Torah and Prayer, Sinai and the Temple, Wilderness and Jerusalem according to Reb Shlomo. Then imbibe a neo-hassidic dream-story about praying at dawn told by Reb Zalman.
Sunday June 12 — Shavuot Day One — Sivan 6 TIME
5:30 — 8:00 8:00 — 9:30 am 10 - 11 am
PROGRAM
The Dawn of Revelation - Sunrise Davennen’
Dining Hall
Yoga
Beige Yurt
Gabbai Seth Fishman
Finding God in Nature - Jess & Carol Berlin 12:00 — 1:30 pm
1:45 — 3 pm JOFEE Experiences
Festive Holiday Lunch Dvar Torah from ALEPH leaders
6:30 — 7:30 pm
Meet at Gazebo
Dining Tent
Meet at Red Yurt
Meet the Goats - Tour the Adamah Barnyard
Meet at Gazebo
The Meaning of Heresy: Conceptualizing Jewish Antinomianism - Rabbi Jay Michelson See the Sounds: Receiving the Torah According to the Aish Kodesh - Eden Pearlstein
5:00 — 6:30 pm
Synagogue
One-der Walk - Pesach Dahvid Stadlin
Tenufah: The Wave-Offering - Rabbi Jill Hammer 3:15— 4:45 pm
Lakeside Patio
Breakfast (with Kiddush optional)
Torah We Have Received From Reb Zalman (a’h) 11am - 12pm
LOCATION
Poems of Ruth - Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt
Synagogue
Reb Zalman Library
Synagogue
Reb Zalman Library
Yoga
Beige Yurt
Dinner
Dining Tent
7:45 pm
Musical Mincha-Ma’ariv Davennen’ and Candle Lighting
9:30 pm
Welcoming Shavuot Day Two Kiddish and Blintzes
Great Hall
10:00 pm
Darshan
Great Hall
Mountain View
SUNDAY PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS The Dawn of Revelation - Sunrise Davennen’: 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. Hike to the Overlook: An incredible vista rewards hikers after a moderately challenging hike. Proper shoes and water bottles are a must. Hike is guided by experienced staff. Torah We Have Received From Reb Zalman (a’h): Please join Gabbai Seth Fishman in a discussion of lessons from Reb Zalman Finding God in Nature: In this interactive session, participants will be given the opportunity to explore the natural world as a form of living Torah. We will use ancient practices of yoga and meditation to enrich our connection to the earth and Judaism. Tenufah: The Wave-Offering: In biblical times, at the beginning and end of the Omer period, there was a wave-offering: both the Passover barley sheaf and the loaves of Shavuot bread were waved in the four directions and up and down. This practice shared a holy offering between heaven and earth. The Levites themselves were considered a waveoffering. Learn the details and meaning of this biblical offering practice, which we'll engage during the Shavuot procession tomorrow before lunch. Adamah Farm Tour: Explore our organic farm, compost & chicken system, vegetable fields, and permaculture systems. The Meaning of Heresy: Conceptualizing Jewish Antinomianism: Many heretics deliberately transgress normative religious laws. Why? What are the purposes of antinomianism? And how do they differ from mere disregard? Focusing on the teachings of Jacob Frank, the great 18th century Jewish-Christian heretic, and combining text learning and discussion, we will shed light on these questions. See the Sounds: Receiving the Torah According to the Aish Kodesh: Was Moses eavesdropping on G-d talking to Herself? Why did we need to "see the sounds" at Sinai? What does the medium have to do with the message? These questions, and more, will be addressed in a Hasidic teaching delivered on Shavuot during the German invasion of Poland. Poems of Ruth:. We'll enter into the Book of Ruth through the prism of English-language poetry. What new facets of Ruth, Naomi, Orpah, and Boaz might we discover through these lenses -- and what might we learn about ourselves in the process? Darshan: Iconoclastic neo-hasidic hip-hop that Bubbe would love. Darshan is a musical project and creative methodology founded by MC Eden Pearlstein and Reb Shir Yaakov
Monday June 13 — Shavuot Day Two — Sivan 7 TIME
PROGRAM
LOCATION
7:00 — 8:00 am
Yoga
Beige Yurt
8:00 — 9:00 am
Breakfast
Dining Hall
9:00 — 12:30 am
Holiday Morning Davennen’ and Yizkor
12:30 — 1:00 pm
Bikkurim Parade!
1:00 — 2:30 pm
Adamah First Fruits Kiddush & Holiday Lunch
Dining Tent
2:30 — 3:30 pm
Make your own Pickles
Great Hall
JOFEE Experiences
Adamah Farm Tour Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) as Space-Time Portal - Rabbi David Evan Markus
3:30 - 5:00
Mountain View Meet at Barnyard
Meet at Gazebo Synagogue
“And You Shall Write This Poem…” - Julie Seltzer
Reb Zalman Library
Ascent of the Generations: Humility and Hutzpah According to the Aish Kodesh - Eden Pearlstein
Red Yurt
5:00 — 6:15 pm
Mincha Davennen’
Great Hall
6:30 — 7:30 pm
Dinner
Dining Tent
The Imaginal World: Entering in Wholeness and Leaving in Wholeness - Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen
Great Hall
Ma’ariv and Havdallah / Closing
Great Hall
7:45 — 9 pm 9:00 pm
MONDAY PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS Bikkurim Parade: The most joyous and creative moment in our retreat! Renew and reenact the ancient procession to the Temple for Shavuot with our First Fruits Offerings (Bikkurim). Ritual craft by Rav Kohenet Rabbi Jill Hammer. Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) as Space-Time Portal. The priestly blessing (Num. 6:22-27), in this week's Torah portion, gives ancient words for a familiar blessing: "May God bless you and keep you...." More than that, it encodes a space-time portal and ritual for transformation. Learn about that portal and enter it to become a vessel for blessing others. “And You Shall Write This Poem…” (Deuteronomy 31:19) What is the nature of the mitzvah to hand-write a Torah? Could a robot accomplish the task just as well, perhaps even better? We will explore the spiritual significance and value of making handwritten Torahs; we will also learn hands-on about the craft of scribal arts, forming Hebrew letters with a feather and ink. Note: This class involves writing – if your practice does not include writing on the holiday, you are still welcome to join the first half. Ascent of the Generations: Humility and Hutzpah According to the Aish Kodesh: A Shavuot teaching from the Piasetzner Rebbe that explores the dynamic tension between us and our ancestors when it comes to matters of spirituality, salvation, miracles and meritocracy.
Tuesday June 14 — Farewell Day — יום להתראותSivan 8 TIME
PROGRAM
LOCATION
7:00 — 8:00 am
Yoga
Synagogue
8:00 — 9:00 am
Breakfast
Dining Hall
by 10am — Check out of Rooms Please! 10:30 - 11:30 am 11:30 am
Davenology Morning Service in honor of Reb Zalman זצ׳ל
Great Hall
Lunch To-Go
Dining Tent