Freedman Catalog2009 by Adam Berman

Isabella Freedman

JEWISH RETREAT CENTER 2009 Program Catalog

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality Center for Jewish Life and Learning Center for Environment and Sustainability

www.isabellafreedman.org (800) 398-2630

Welcome Each year thousands of guests â&#x20AC;&#x201D; people of all ages and backgrounds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; come to the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center to celebrate together, pause for personal reflection and explore transformative possibilities.

Engage your body, open your heart, expand your mind, lift your spirit...

We offer the most comprehensive schedule of year-round Jewish retreats anywhere in the world, inspiring a love of Jewish life, strengthening the bonds of community and cultivating new leadership. Renew your body, heart, mind and spirit Our retreats are carefully designed to engage and support all aspects of your well-being.

Enjoy and honor the natural environment Our programs encourage an appreciation of the natural world and foster in our guests a heightened ability to care for our planet.

Be a part of community Our aspiration is to help our guests build vibrant, diverse communities while they are on retreat and when they return home.

CONTENTS 4 Our Home 6 Program Highlights 8 2009 Program Calendar

There is something for everyone. We invite you to join us in 2009.

12 Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality 32 Center for Jewish Life and Learning (including programs for senior adults) 40 Center for Environment and Sustainability 46 Guest Information 49 Renting Isabella Freedman 51 Isabella Freedman in New York City

photo by: Ahron Lerman

Our Home

photo by: Paul Golin, Jewish Multiracial Network Annual Retreat

Location

Dining

Surrounding Area

Commitment to Sustainability

Isabella Freedman is located near the small New England town of Falls Village, Connecticut, approximately 2 hours from New York City and 3 hours from Boston. The retreat center rests on 380 acres of forested land and lush meadows in the foothills of the southern Berkshires. There are two lakes for boating, fishing and swimming, or simply for contemplation. Well-groomed trails wind around the lakes and stretch into the adjacent forest, connecting after a short distance with the Appalachian Trail for miles of unspoiled hiking and views.

We serve gourmet wholefoods cuisine, using only the finest quality and freshest ingredients. We are committed to providing local, organic produce, grains, cheeses and meat when available. In season, some of our produce is grown on our own organic farm. High-quality vegetarian and vegan alternatives are offered at every meal. Ingredients for all dishes are labeled at each meal for those with food allergies or special needs.

With its natural beauty, quintessential New England towns, antiques, literary history and rich cultural life, it’s no wonder the Berkshires continues to attract and inspire so many visitors year after year. Located near the historic town of Falls Village, CT, Isabella Freedman is only a short distance from the world-renowned cultural, historic and natural attractions of the beautiful Berkshires.

Isabella Freedman is committed to operating our facility in ways that minimize our environmental impact. New buildings are constructed with energy efficiency that is at least 30% better than state code. Food is sourced and grown with the environment in mind. Non-toxic paints, cleaning products and finishes are used throughout the facility. Renewable energy technologies such as biodiesel (use and manufacturing) and a small-scale hydroelectric turbine are utilized on the site. In the summer of 2008, we installed a 6.8 KW solar photovoltaic system for our main office building.

Accommodations During your time with us, you will enjoy the simplicity, comfort and charm of our country lodging. We can accommodate up to 180 guests in our well-appointed rooms. Each of our ten lodges has its own unique character, and all are fully air-conditioned and winterized for use at any time of year. Some buildings have rooms with private baths; others offer shared bathrooms. Handicap-accessible rooms are also available upon request.

Kashrut The Isabella Freedman kitchen is glatt kosher and under the strict supervision of the Hartford Kashrut Commission. A mashgiach is on the premises at all times.

Organic Farming Our six-acre organic farm yielded over 40,000 pounds of produce in 2008, which we sold through our CSA, served in our dining room and turned into our own branded label of pickled (live-culture food) products. Adamah products are sold in the retreat center bookstore and in dozens of local retail establishments throughout the Berkshires.

Getting Involved At Isabella Freedman, we approach our work as avodah, which means “service,” and we encourage staff members to bring joyfulness, selfexamination and a desire for personal growth to the work environment. Seasonal staff and internship opportunities are available. Visit our website for more details.

During your stay you can also enjoy: Hiking trails that connect to the Appalachian Trail Our organic gardens and six-acre farm Outdoor lake swimming and boating with lifeguard, in season Outdoor pool with lifeguard, in season Hot tub year-round Tennis, volleyball and basketball courts Indoor fitness room Wi-Fi high-speed internet access Arts and crafts center Fire circle for evening bonfire programs Low elements ropes course for team-building activities Glass-walled synagogue with views of lake and mountain Large theatre space Bookstore stocked with a wide selection of Jewish books, music and art Private massage and bodywork (on some retreats)

Program Highlights

Yoga & Meditation pages 14 – 16, 26, 28 and 31

Teens and Families pages 30, 42 and 44

Experience Jewish meditation retreats with Sylvia Boorstein, Joanna Katz, Jeff Roth and David and Shoshana Cooper, and participate in yoga retreats for all levels with Ida Unger and Jodi Falk.

Bring the whole family to the Bnai Mitzvah Family Camp with Goldie Milgram, give teens the gift of the outdoors on the Yitziah Backpacking and Canoeing Trip, and dig in the soil with your kids at Taste of ADAMAH.

Senior Adults pages 36 – 39 Join us for Passover in the Berkshires, attend our time-honored Senior Summer Camp and enjoy an array of new Elderhostels as well as familiar favorites with Laura Wetzler and Tom Friedmann.

Diversity in the Jewish Community page 33

Holiday Celebrations pages 15, 31 and 35

Organic Farming pages 41 – 43

Celebrate Shavuot with Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and spend Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot among friends in the land of apples and honey.

Participate in a three-month ADAMAH fellowship, get hands-on Permaculture experience and join us for Family Farm Day.

Torah and Talmud pages 20, 34 and 35

Relationships and Intimacy pages 15, 21 and 23

Examine the life of Moses with Avivah Zornberg, celebrate and study Talmud with Adin Steinsaltz and learn Hasidic texts with Art Green.

Spend a Basherte™ weekend with Jewish singles, explore a Jewish sexual ethic with Danya Ruttenberg, and honor all sacred relationships with David and Shoshana Cooper.

Jewish Mysticism pages 16 – 18 and 22 Explore various facets of Kabbalah with Danny and Hana Matt, Elliot Ginsberg, David Ingber, Mindy Ribner and Shefa Gold.

Participate in a family-oriented Shabbat with the Jewish Multiracial Network and join Nehirim for GLBT and Women’s Retreats.

Art, Music and Dance pages 23, 25 and 27 Find your beat in the Holy Drumming Institute with Akiva Wharton, dance the 5 Rhythms™ with Eliezer Sobel and get creative with Nancy Katz.

2009 Program Calendar March 8 – 15

May 11 – 14

June 15 – 18

July 13 – 19

The Path to Freedom: A Seven Day Meditation Retreat Sylvia Boorstein, Rabbi Joanna Katz and Rabbi Jeff Roth Co-sponsored by the Awakened Heart Project Page 14

Moses the Man: Mirrors and Shadows Dr. Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg Page 35

Celebration of the Talmud Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz with Arthur Kurzweil and others Co-sponsored by The Aleph Society Page 34

Wisdom of the Heart: From Age-ing to Sage-ing® Rabbi Shaya Isenberg and Bahira Sugarman with a cameo appearance by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Page 16

June 15 – 18

Wisdom’s Way: Embracing the Divine Feminine Rabbi Rami Shapiro Page 17

March 20 – 22 Nehirim Women’s Retreat Sponsored by Nehirim Page 33 April 2 – 5 Practice the Change You Want to Be: A Jewish Mindfulness Retreat for Social Justice Activists Rabbis Rachel Cowan and Sheila Weinberg Co-sponsored by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Page 14 Spirituality, Social Justice and the Rabbinate: An Interdenominational Rabbinical Student Retreat Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, Rabbi Dov Linzer and Claudia Horwitz Sponsored by PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values Page 33

May 15 – 17 Nehirim East: Spiritual GLBT Retreat Sponsored by Nehirim Page 33 May 17 – 22 Elderhostel: Jewish Poets of Broadway, Kabbalah in the Arts, Jewish Genealogy Bonnie Weiss, Laura Wetzler and Arthur Kurzweil Page 38 May 17 – 22 Elderhostel: Birding in the Berkshires Page 38 May 24 – September 7 ADAMAH: The Jewish Environmental Fellowship (Summer Session) Page 41 May 28 – 31

April 8 – 17

Shavuot with Reb Zalman Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Eve Ilsen with Rabbi David Ingber Co-sponsored by Kehilat Romemu Page 15

Passover Program for Senior Adults Page 36

June 1 – 4

April 28 – 30 Planning and Planting the Garden of Eden: An Introduction to Permaculture Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh Page 43

Teva Learning Center Professional Development Seminar Page 44 June 5 – 7 Jewish Multiracial Network (JMN) Annual Retreat Page 33

Justice, Abundance and Connection: The Torah of the Environment Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed, Rabbi Natan Margalit and Rabbi Steve Greenberg Sponsored by Oraita: Institute for Continuing Rabbinic Education of Hebrew College Page 33

The Power of Listening: Shema! Rabbi Phyllis Berman Page 17

June 21 – 28

Shabbat: A Day Made for Love Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg Page 17

Sacred Relationship through Meditation Practices Rabbi David Cooper, Shoshana Cooper and Eliezer Sobel Page 15

Shabbat, the Earth and Ruach Ha’Olam: Prayer, Torah and Action to Heal our Planet Rabbi Arthur Waskow Page 17

June 28 – July 3 Elderhostel: Torah, Tanglewood and Tikkun Olam Page 38

Kohenet: A New Vision of Jewish Women’s Spiritual Leadership (Week Three) Rabbi Jill Hammer, Holly Taya Shere and Shoshana Jedwab Page 24

July 6 – 10 Elderhostel: Jewish Family in American Theater, Gershwin, Jewish Humor Betsy Shevey, Dick Smolens and Tom Friedmann Page 39 July 13 – 19 Introduction to Jewish Meditation Rabbi Jeff Roth Page 16 The Art of Praise Rabbi Shefa Gold Page 16

July 20 – 26 Taste of ADAMAH Ronit Ziv-Kreger and Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh Page 42 Exploring the Zohar Daniel and Hana Matt Page 18 Leaning on Heaven: Developing a Trusting Heart with the Wisdom of Mussar Alan Morinis Page 18

photo by: Risa Alyson Strauss

2009 Program Calendar July 20 – 26

July 27 – August 2

August 3 – 9

Jewish Mind, Beginners Mind: Fundamentals of Judaism Arthur Kurzweil Page 18

I and Thou: On Jewish Sex Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Yiddish Oyf Eyn Fus (Yiddish on One Foot) Naftali Ejdelman Page 27

Be a Rabbinical Student for a Week Rabbi Jonah Chanan Steinberg and Faculty of Hebrew College Rabbinical School Page 19 Shir Ecstacy Jospel Choir Sharon Alexander Page 19 July 24 – 26 Radical Judaism: Hasidism for a New Era Shabbat Hazon with Rabbi Art Green Page 20 July 26 Freedman Community Day ADAMAH Staff and Fellows Page 43

Page 23 Listen to Her Voice Miki Raver Page 23 WAVES: Soul Dances and Body Prayers Eliezer Sobel Page 23 July 31 – August 2 Spiritual Politics in the Age of Obama Shabbat Nachamu with Rabbi Michael Lerner Co-sponsored by Tikkun Page 21 A Weekend for Jewish Singles in their 30s and 40s Rosalie and Rabbi Efraim Eisen Page 21 August 3 – 9

July 27 – August 2

New Two-Year Institute Beginning!

Living with Authenticity and Faith Mindy Ribner Page 22

Holy Drumming Institute Akiva Wharton and Friends Page 25

Sephirotically Correct: Uncovering and Discovering the Soul’s Map Rabbi David Ingber Page 22

Davennen Leadership Training Institute (DLTI) (Week Three) Rabbi Marcia Prager and Rabbi Shawn Zevit with Cantor Jack Kessler and Daniel Sheff Page 24

Living our Losses Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener Page 22 This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation Rabbi Alan Lew Page 23

As Long As You’re Breathing, You Might As Well Laugh: Ten Jewish Jokes to Live By Rabbi Moshe Waldoks Page 26 Yoga and Embodied Prayer Jodi Falk Page 26

Art as a Mirror to the Soul Nancy Katz Page 27 Redefining Diet: A Holistic Approach to Nutrition and Sustainable Weight-Loss Yiska Obadia Page 27 August 9 Family Farm Day ADAMAH Staff and Fellows Page 43 August 10 – 16 Bnai Mitzvah Family Camp Rabbi Goldie Milgram Page 30 Taste of ADAMAH Rabbi Jill Hammer and Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh Page 42 Yitziah: Teen Backpacking and Canoeing Trip Teva Learning Center Educators Page 44 Eyn Od Milvado: How to See God as Everything and Remain Sane Rabbi Moshe Aharon (Miles Krassen) Page 28 Yoga Intensive for All Levels Ida Unger Page 28 Diving in the Sea of Soul: A Spiritual Journey for the Rational Mind Mitchell Chefitz Page 29

photo by: Shir Feinstein-Feit

August 10 – 16

September 7 – 11

December 20 – 27

The Art and Passion of Hebrew Kirtan: Opening Your Heart Through Call-AndResponse Chant Rabbi Andrew Hahn with Shoshana Jedwab Page 29

Elderhostel: Preserving the Harvest with Pickles and Jams Page 39

Awakening To What Is: Winter Meditation Retreat Rabbi David Cooper, Shoshana Cooper and Eliezer Sobel Page 31

Lev Shomea: Training Spiritual Directors in the Jewish Tradition (Week Three) Rabbi Avruhm Addison, Dr. Barbara Eve Breitman, Rabbi Zari Weiss, Ann Kline and Julie Leavitt Page 24 August 17 – 28 Senior Summer Camp Page 37 August 31 – September 4 Elderhostel: Broadway Belters, Jewish Poetry, Jewish Humor Laura Wetzler, Dr. Abe Gittelson and Tom Friedmann Page 39 September 4 – 7 Hazon New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride Sponsored by Hazon Page 45

September 13 – December 13 ADAMAH: The Jewish Environmental Fellowship (Fall Session) Page 41 September 18 – 21 Rosh Hashanah Retreat Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Simcha Zevit Page 31 September 27 – 29 Yom Kippur Retreat Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Simcha Zevit Page 31 September 29 – October 2 Elderhostel Women’s Retreat: Celebrating the Feminine in Judaism Laura Wetzler, Miki Raver and Rabbi Jill Hammer Page 39 October 2 – 5 Fourth Annual Sukkahfest Page 35

September 7 – 11

October 23 – 25

Elderhostel: Jewish Musicals, Current Jewish Issues, Kabbalah for Dummies Laura Wetzler, Dr. Abe Gittelson and Arthur Kurzweil Page 39

Eighteenth Annual Jewish Men’s Retreat Page 31

December 24 – 27 Fourth Annual Hazon Food Conference Sponsored by Hazon Page 45 January 11 – 17, 2010 Holy Drumming Institute (Week Two) Akiva Wharton and Friends Page 25 Lev Shomea: Training Spiritual Directors in the Jewish Tradition (Week Four) Rabbi Avruhm Addison, Dr. Barbara Eve Breitman, Rabbi Zari Weiss, Ann Kline and Julie Leavitt Page 24 Kohenet: A New Vision of Jewish Women’s Spiritual Leadership (Week Four) Rabbi Jill Hammer, Holly Taya Shere and Shoshana Jedwab Page 24 February 10 – 15, 2010 Davennen Leadership Training Institute (DLTI) (Week Four) Rabbi Marcia Prager and Rabbi Shawn Zevit with Cantor Jack Kessler and Daniel Sheff Page 24

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality Manifesting the Divine in The Four Worlds of Body, Heart, Mind and Spirit

photo by: Shir Feinstein-Feit

Join us during the Elat Chayyim 2009 Summer Season. We offer both weeklong and weekend courses. Weeklong courses consist of either morning or afternoon classes — giving you plenty of time to relax when you’re not in class or giving you an opportunity to take a second course. Our weeklong retreats culminate in joyous Shabbat celebrations with the entire Isabella Freedman community.

Prayer at Elat Chayyim Retreats is designed to provide an experience that opens the heart and facilitates our connections to community, the Divine and our deepest truths. Prayer sessions generally follow the structure and rhythm of traditional Jewish services and also include chanting, musical instruments and meditation. Translated and transliterated prayer books and chant sheets are always provided. Some Elat Chayyim programs also offer more traditional services. Please see specific program descriptions for more details.

A Typical Day

Contemplative Silence is encouraged in our dining room and

8:00 – 9:00 am Silent Breakfast

main building from the moment we rise through breakfast. This gentle mindfulness practice enables us to be more available to the present moment and fully open ourselves to the journey of the day ahead.

Mishpacha Sharing Circles offer daily opportunities for

The Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality continues to offer the transformational and cutting-edge retreat experiences carried over from Elat Chayyim in Accord, New York. Our year-round programs promote practices that draw on the wisdom of Jewish tradition and reflect the values and consciousness of our evolving society. Experiential approaches to Jewish learning, ritual and prayer are designed to help us all on our search to cultivate awareness of the Divine presence in all aspects of life. Unique retreat features, such as alternative prayer services, mishpacha sharing circles, silent breakfasts and evening programs invite guests to discover more about themselves and their Jewish lives. Our Summer Intern program is returning for the summer of 2009! For more information, visit us at www.isabellafreedman.org/elatchayyim.

retreatants to speak their feelings, reactions, enthusiasm, values and thoughts in a safe emotional space. Mishpacha (“family”) groups allow small groups of participants to share the sometimes profound insights, struggles, challenges and surprises that they may experience over the course of a retreat.

Our Children’s Program gives children the gift of a joyous and engaging Jewish experience. Children ages 4 – 14 receive a balance of creative learning, arts, environmental and organic farming education, sports and outdoor activities. For more information and to find out when the children’s program is offered, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/children.

Actual times and schedules may vary according to retreat. 6:15 – 6:45 am Meditation 7:00 – 8:00 am Yoga or Morning Prayer

9:00 – 11:45 am Morning Class Session or Children’s Program 12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch 2:00 – 4:45 pm Afternoon Class Session or Children’s Program 5:00 – 6:00 pm Yoga, Farm Tour, Guided Contemplative Hike or Free Time 6:00 – 7:00 pm Dinner 7:20 – 8:20 pm Mishpacha Sharing Circle 8:30 – 9:30 pm Evening Program or Entertainment

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality

The Path to Freedom A Seven-Day Jewish Meditation Retreat March 8 – 15, 2009 Sylvia Boorstein, Rabbi Joanna Katz and Rabbi Jeff Roth Co-sponsored by The Awakened Heart Project As Passover approaches, we invite you to explore the theme of liberation in your own life. The greatest obstacle to our own liberation is ignorance: when we fail to see clearly the true working nature of our heart/mind, we contract down, meeting only our smallest selfish needs, much like an inner Pharaoh that enslaves us in acting unkindly towards those around us. Through a variety of Jewish meditation approaches, this retreat provides the tools and the time to open our hearts to wisdom and compassion, and propel ourselves into a life of loving-kindness. The week includes a special reading of the Book of Esther on Purim and culminates with a deep celebration of Shabbat. Program Fee: By Donation Only For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/marchmeditation Sylvia Boorstein has been teaching meditation retreats since 1985. She is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center and a psychotherapist, wife, mother and grandmother who is particularly interested in seeing daily life as practice. She has led numerous retreats and training programs for rabbis and Jewish educators. Rabbi Joanna Katz is a co-founder of Elat Chayyim and is currently on the faculty of the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program (ECAMP). Joanna helps people work toward gaining greater insight, balance and freedom in their lives. She facilitates ongoing meditation groups and lives with her family in New York’s Hudson Valley. Rabbi Jeff Roth is the founder and director of The Awakened Heart Project for Contemplative Judaism. He was the cofounder of Elat Chayyim where he served as executive director and spiritual director for 13 years. Currently on the faculty of ECAMP, he is an experienced meditation teacher and the facilitator of over 70 Jewish meditation retreats.

Practice the Change You Want to Be: A Jewish Mindfulness Retreat for Social Justice Activists April 2 – 5, 2009 Rabbis Rachel Cowan and Sheila Weinberg Co-sponsored by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Can activists be still? Why should we try? As compassionate Jewish activists who are aflame with the cries of the innocent and the hurting in the world, we may be neglecting the needs of our very own bodies, hearts and minds. The weaving together of our spiritual and social justice lives enables us to become more balanced, healthy and durable activists and helps us to build a more sustainable Jewish social justice leadership. We will bring mindfulness meditation and movement into a Jewish framework, creating a container of safety, silence, presence and equanimity. For beginners as well as those with ongoing meditation or yoga practices. Program Fee: $125 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/socialjustice Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg is a Reconstructionist-trained rabbi who has served as an educator, activist and congregational rabbi. Rabbi Weinberg has studied mindfulness for the past 17 years and has introduced meditation into the Jewish world in multiple settings. She is a founder and the outreach director of The Institute for Jewish Spirituality, a training program for rabbis, cantors, Jewish educators and lay people. Rabbi Rachel Cowan is the executive director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. She received her ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 1989. Rabbi Cowan served as the program ditrector for Jewish Life at the Nathan Cummings Foundation. Her work has been included in Moment, Sh’ma and anthologies including Illness and Health in the Jewish Tradition: Writings from the Bible to Today.

photo by: Zachary Mastoon

Shavuot with Reb Zalman

Sacred Relationship through Meditation Practices

May 28 – May 31, 2009 Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Eve Ilsen with Rabbi David Ingber

June 21 – 28, 2009 Rabbi David Cooper, Shoshana Cooper and Eliezer Sobel

Co-sponsored by Kehilat Romemu The holiday of Shavuot celebrates the revelation of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Jewish tradition teaches that each generation receives its own Torah through a process that begins on Passover and culminates during Shavuot. This is a truly unique opportunity to join the luminary Reb Zalman for a journey that will open our minds and hearts to the Torah that is ours today. Through a combination of exercises, lectures, practices and discussions, we will prepare together to experience the Sinai of this moment in time. Program Fee: $350 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/shavuot Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, was ordained at the Lubavitcher Yeshiva and received his PhD at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Reb Zalman ordains rabbis through the ALEPH Rabbinic Program and is the founder of the Spiritual Eldering Institute. He was recently the “Holder of the Chair of World Wisdom” at Naropa University. More information about Rabbi David Ingber can be found on page 22.

Deepening our relationships—with family, friends, business associates or neighbors—is an integral part of creating and sustaining a steady meditation practice. Relationship itself is a spiritual practice. This retreat builds on fundamental meditation techniques: concentration, mindfulness and awareness. Silent sitting is our foundation. We will also work in pairs and groups to help us strengthen the wisdom teachings and insights of “Boundless Awareness.” Partners are encouraged to join this workshop together; individuals are welcome and will be assigned in pairs. Both beginner and advanced meditation practitioners are welcome. Program Fee: By Donation Only For Room and Board Rates, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/relationship Rabbi David Cooper is the author of many books, including God is a Verb and Ecstatic Kabbalah. He has published a number of audio-sets, including Kabbalah Meditation, The Mystical Kabbalah and The Holy Chariot. Rabbi Cooper has led workshops and retreats worldwide. His teachings offer a Jewish perspective that is complemented by the wisdom of other schools of thought including Sufism and Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. Shoshana Cooper is an artist, tea ceremony teacher, meditation instructor, composer and former nursing instructor. Shoshana has become a leader in the growing popularity of Jewish meditation. She and her husband David have taught at the Jewish Renewal Kallah for twelve years and they lived in the Old City of Jerusalem for the previous eight years. Eliezer Sobel is a certified teacher of the 5 Rhythms™ work, which he has offered previously at Elat Chayyim as part of the biannual meditation retreats with David and Shoshana Cooper. He is also a musician and the author of Wild Heart Dancing, Minyan: Ten Jewish Men in a World that is Heartbroken, winner of the Peter Taylor Prize for the Novel, and The 99th Monkey.

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality

A Week with Elat Chayyim’s Founding Teachers

july 13 – 19 | Morning Classes | A Week with Elat Chayyim’s Founding Teachers

july 13 – 19 | Afternoon Classes | A Week with Elat Chayyim’s Founding Teachers

Introduction to Jewish Meditation

Wisdom of the Heart: From Age-ing to Sage-ing®

Wisdom’s Way: Embracing the Divine Feminine

Shabbat: A Day Made for Love

Rabbi Jeff Roth

The ALEPH Sage-ing® Mentorship Program – Part I

Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg

Jewish meditation is a powerful tool for deepening one’s spiritual life. It helps to steady the mind and transform the tendencies that lead to greed, anger and confusion. We’ll learn techniques for awakening the heart to greater compassion, leading us to act with greater kindness in our lives. This class balances didactic presentations with time for contemplative practice. It is the perfect opportunity for those who have been drawn to learning to meditate but are hesitant to attend a fully silent retreat.

Rabbi Shaya Isenberg and Bahira Sugarman with a cameo appearance by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Wisdom is considered the Divine Mother, the presence of God, Shekhina. She speaks to us through myth, proverb, poem and the quiet moments of daily life. Wisdom calls us to justice, compassion and humility. Her teachings are found in the Torah, in the ethical teachings of the rabbis and in our own hearts. We will use contemplative text study, journaling, walking, listening and chanting to deepen our awareness of the Presence of God in our lives.

To enter the Sabbath is to step out of the “River of More,” to practice being “enough” and let go of the need to acquire, consume and do more. In this course, we will learn practices for exploring the plenitude of Shabbat and its vision of a more just and loving world. We will experience modes of holy pausing and enlivening rest, finding the balance between fullness and emptiness that marks the deep ecology of Shabbat-practice: reducing our carbon footprint from a place of joy. Our learning will be anchored in sacred texts, and enlivened through chant, humor and meditation.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/intromeditation Rabbi Jeff Roth is the founder and director of The Awakened Heart Project for Contemplative Judaism. He co-founded Elat Chayyim, where he served as executive director and spiritual director for 13 years. He is an experienced meditation teacher and the facilitator of over 70 Jewish meditation retreats.

The Art of Praise Rabbi Shefa Gold Perek Shirah is an ancient Jewish text that sings praise for the Creator. The heavens, the earth, fruits, vegetables, birds, clouds, rivers, fish, frogs, insects, lizards, snails—all of creation has a voice in this celebration. What can we learn from the creatures that abound in our world? How can we listen to their Song of Creation and let it instruct us in the Art of Praise? We will attempt to unlock the secrets of Perek Shira through chant, silence, imagination, study, movement and stillness. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/praise Rabbi Shefa Gold is a leader in Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. She received ordination from both the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. She is the director of C-DEEP, The Center for Devotional, Energy and Ecstatic Practice in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. She is the author of Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land.

Building on the teachings of Reb Zalman, this training workshop offers powerful contemplative tools for gathering and giving expression to the wisdom of our own ripening lives. Together we will learn to harvest the wisdom of our life experiences to enrich the present moment, face our mortality and learn from it, mature in our relationships and in our communities, develop a regenerative spirit, and take active leadership roles in society. Presentations are intertwined with writing exercises, meditations, movement and group sharing. For people of all ages who seek to deepen the connection of aging to spiritual life, personally and/or professionally. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/sageing Rabbi Shaya Isenberg teaches Jewish studies and comparative mysticism at the University of Florida. He is co-founder and co-director of UF’s Center for Spirituality and Health, an affiliate member of UF’s Center for Gerontological Studies. He serves as Rabbi for P’nai Or Gainesville and as a director of studies for the Aleph Rabbinic Program. Bahira Sugarman, a traditional reiki master teacher, was ordained as a spiritual guide by Reb Zalman. Licensed as a clinical social worker, a marriage and family therapist and a massage therapist, Bahira teaches T’ai Chi Chuan and combines psychotherapy with healing work in her private practice. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi was ordained at the Lubavitcher Yeshiva, and received his PhD at HUC-JIR. Reb Zalman ordains rabbis through the Aleph Rabbinic Program and is the founder of the Spiritual Eldering Institute. He was recently the “Holder of the Chair of World Wisdom” at Naropa University.

Program Fee for one weeklong retreat: $375 Additional Program Fee for a second course during the same week: $150 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/wisdomsway Rabbi Rami Shapiro, an award-winning poet and essayist, was ordained at HUC-JIR and has been a congregational rabbi for twenty years. He holds doctoral degrees in Jewish studies and divinity and teaches Religious Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. He writes for Spirituality and Health Magazine and is the author of The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness, The Divine Feminine and Ethics of the Sages.

The Power of Listening: Shema! Rabbi Phyllis Berman

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/shabbat Rabbi Elliot K. Ginsburg is Professor of Jewish Thought and Mysticism at the University of Michigan and leader of the Pardes Hannah minyan. He wrote two books on the mystical celebration of the Sabbath, and is currently writing about the the presence of Shabbat during the week.

Shabbat, the Earth and Ruach Ha’Olam: Prayer, Torah and Action to Heal our Planet Rabbi Arthur Waskow

At the heart of Jewish prayer is the Shema—with an imperative voice that says: “Listen!” True listening is not a passive response, but an action that takes attention, awareness, heart and art. Under the seasoned guidance of Rabbi Berman, learn and practice strategies for transformative listening that are applicable to relationships, personal decision-making and all aspects of life. Learn how to listen to yourself and your own innate wisdom, to the voices of others, to the subtle voices of nature, and to the One through Her/His many voices.

What do Shabbat, the Song of Songs and the Prophet Malachi have in common? They are all strands of Torah that can teach us how to shape our work to protect God’s “ruach”— air, wind, spirit—and prevent global scorching. In this course, we will examine how this most urgent of contemporary mitzvot can shape Jewish prayer and the celebration of festivals and life-cycle events. Learn how to draw on Jewish practice for public action to heal the earth, following the example of Abraham Joshua Heschel by “praying with our legs.”

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/shema

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/ecohealing

Rabbi Phyllis O. Berman is a leading Jewishrenewal liturgist, prayer leader, teacher, storywriter and storyteller. She was the director of the Summer Program at Elat Chayyim from 1994 to 2005 and has been the executive director of the Riverside Language Program in NYC since 1979. She is a co-author of Tales of Tikkun: New Jewish Stories to Heal the Wounded World and A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven: The Jewish Life-Spiral as a Spiritual Journey.

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, a creator and leader of Jewish renewal since 1969, founded The Shalom Center in 1983, a prophetic voice in Jewish, multi-religious and American life that works for justice, peace and the healing of the Earth. A pioneer of eco-Judaism, he is involved with the Green Menorah Covenant campaign and is the author of Torah of the Earth and Down-to-Earth Judaism: Trees, Earth and Torah.

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality july 20 – 26 | Morning Classes

Exploring the Zohar Daniel and Hana Matt Come study with one of the world’s experts on—and the English translator of—the Zohar, the foundation and masterpiece of Kabbalah. We will see how the Zohar re-imagines God and Torah as we delve into topics including Ein Sof (God as Infinity), Shekhinah (the feminine half of God), God’s need for us, and the mystical dimension of Torah. We will also explore psychological aspects of Kabbalah and discover how these ancient teachings can enlighten us today. Meditation and chanting will deepen our learning. We will study selected text from the forthcoming fifth volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition—new material that Daniel has not taught previously.

july 20 – 26 | Afternoon Classes

Leaning on Heaven: Developing a Trusting Heart with the Wisdom of Mussar Alan Morinis The heart is the engine of your spiritual journey. When your heart is overcome with worry and anxiety, that journey can be derailed. So our sages teach: ashrei adam boteach bach—praiseworthy is the one who trusts in You. The Mussar masters saw how important it is to cultivate a heart infused with trust, and they developed teachings and practices that instill trust in the heart. We will use text, chanting, visualization and contemplation to explore these teachings and bring them to life in our own hearts, so we can experience the benefits of trust—even in these tumultuous and uncertain times. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/mussar Alan Morinis is an active interpreter of the teachings and practices of the nearly-lost Jewish spiritual discipline of the Mussar tradition. He gives regular lectures and workshops and directs distance-learning programs. His doctoral thesis was published by Oxford University Press as Pilgrimage in the Hindu Tradition and his books include Climbing Jacob’s Ladder and a guide to Mussar practice entitled Everyday Holiness: the Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/zohar Daniel Matt is one of the world’s leading scholars of Kabbalah and the Zohar. He has published numerous books, including The Essential Kabbalah and God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality. His multi-volume translation of the Zohar (The Zohar: Pritzker Edition) has been called “a monumental contribution to the history of Jewish thought.” Hana Matt is a teacher of Jewish Spirituality and a spiritual director. She is completing her book Jewish Spiritual Practices and Spiritual Direction Based on Kabbalah and Hasidism, which includes teachings on transforming depression, anxiety, addictive patterns and relationship problems. She teaches classes in Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, Jewish meditation and world religions at schools throughout the country.

Program Fee for one weeklong retreat: $375 Additional Program Fee for a second course during the same week: $150 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47

Jewish Mind, Beginners Mind: Fundamentals of Judaism Arthur Kurzweil Borrowing from the title of the contemporary classic by Shunryu Suzuki, we will examine 20 essential spiritual notions at the core of Jewish practice. If you are a beginner to Judaism, this class will give you a foundation to build upon. If Judaism is well-integrated within you, this may be a good time to review what we often take for granted. You can also help Arthur introduce these important and fundamental concepts to those in attendance who are new to Judaism, as those new to Judaism in attendance can help us to deepen our understanding and cultivation of these truths. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/beginnersmind Arthur Kurzweil is the author of several books, including Kabbalah for Dummies, The Torah for Dummies, and On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz. He is a teacher, publisher and performing magician.

Be a Rabbinical Student for a Week

Shir Ecstacy Jospel Choir

Rabbi Jonah Chanan Steinberg and Faculty of Hebrew College Rabbinical School, including Rabbi Art Green

Sharon Alexander

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be in rabbinical school—to study and discuss Jewish sources and traditions on a 24/7 quest for meaning, mission and inspiration? Come taste the life of a rabbinical student through a series of beit midrash (rabbinic study-hall) sessions and shi’urim (expert-led seminar discussions). Guided by our topic for the week—the constructive interaction between our souls and Torah—we will delve into the classical rabbinic traditions of Midrash, Mishnah and Talmud, and into later layers of commentary and creativity, including mystical and Hasidic sources. Accessible to newcomers and satisfying for veteran learners. This course culminates with Rabbi Art Green’s weekend retreat “Radical Judaism: Hasidism for a New Era.” There is no additional cost to participate in the weekend retreat, which is described in full on page 20.

Gospel—literally “good news”—is a powerful African-American spiritual musical tradition designed to help people ascend together to an ecstatic state of k’vodo—glory. The soulful melodies and rhythmic beats help people find joy, comfort, healing and a sense of God’s personal love. We will sing, clap, move and be moved by Jospel—Jewish Gospel—music as we learn to perform several hand-clapping, foot-stomping multi-part pieces. You’ll learn how to apply the fundamentals of gospel technique to Jewish prayer in your own community at home. Expect to come away with an elevated heart and a singing soul! For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/jospel Sharon Alexander was raised with a Conservative Jewish education, and spent the past 30 years at the forefront of Jewish Renewal as a community organizer, teacher, vocalist and visionary. Her fascination for the physics and spirituality of ecstasy led her to examine gospel’s secrets. Reb Zalman granted her smicha as a Leader of Sacred Chorales. Since 2003, she has been presenting ecstatic Jospel Choir workshops in the U.S., Israel and throughout Europe. www.shircstasy.com

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/rabstudent Rabbi Jonah Chanan Steinberg, PhD is Associate Dean, Director of Academic Development and Director of Talmudic Studies at the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College. Dr. Steinberg received his PhD from Columbia University, where he assisted the eminent talmudist David Weiss Halivni and completed a dissertation entitled Angelic Israel: Self-Identification with Angels in Classical Midrash and its Antecedents. Rabbi Steinberg has taught at the JTS, the University of Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

MORE PROGRAMS Taste of ADAMAH July 20 – 26, 2009 Ronit Ziv-Kreger and Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh Taste of ADAMAH is also a program of the Center for Environment and Sustainability. Classes take place in both mornings and afternoons. For more information about Taste of ADAMAH, see page 42.

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality july 24 – 26, 2009 | weekend retreats

july 31 – August 2 | weekend retreats

Immerse yourself in a Shabbat experience you’ll never forget! Arrive Friday afternoon and spend the weekend relaxing, learning and lifting your spirit.

Radical Judaism: Hasidism for a New Era Shabbat Hazon with Rabbi Art Green July 24 – 26, 2009 During this special shabbaton, Rabbi Art Green will share some of the insights in his forthcoming Radical Judaism: Hasidism for a New Era. We’ll explore the key themes of his book—God, Torah and Israel—as seen in both evolutionary and post-critical perspectives. In addition to sharing his own thoughts, Art will teach a few key Hasidic texts that have been formative in his own thinking.

Spiritual Politics in the Age of Obama Shabbat Nachamu with Rabbi Michael Lerner July 31 - August 2, 2009 Co-sponsored by Tikkun Americans of every political persuasion have celebrated the huge step against racism taken by the American electorate in choosing an African American to be our president. Yet that celebration could turn to despair if President Obama does not effectively develop policies guided by a deep spiritual vision. During this shabbaton, we will explore the meaning of a spiritual progressive politics, the Global Marshall Plan which has emerged from that vision, and the challenges facing anyone who wishes to support President Obama in fulfilling the hopes he stimulated during the 2008 presidential election season. Program Fee: $250 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47

This Shabbat will be a culmination of the weeklong retreat “Be a Rabbinical Student for a Week,” which is described in full on page 19.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/lerner

Program Fee: $250 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47

Rabbi Michael Lerner is the rabbi of Beyt Tikkun in San Francisco, the editor of TIKKUN magazine and a co-chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives. Rabbi Lerner is a leading figure in the intersection between spirituality and politics in the American Jewish and interfaith communities. He is the author of several books, including Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation, and he co-authored Jews and Blacks: Let the Healing Begin with Cornel West.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/radicaljudaism Rabbi Arthur Green is Rector of the Hebrew College Rabbinical School and Irving Brudnick Professor of Jewish Thought. He has been studying and teaching Jewish mysticism and theology for nearly half a century. Much of his life has been devoted to thinking about rabbinic education and the role of rabbis.

A Weekend for Jewish Singles in their 30s and 40s Rosalie and Rabbi Efraim Eisen July 31 – August 2, 2009 Enjoy summer days with self-discovery and fun! In our culture, it is rare to find a place where like-minded people can meet and have fun in a beautiful, respectful setting. Basherte has cultivated this atmosphere for many years as a comfortable, no-pressure, playful container where it is easy to be yourself while getting to know other great people. In this workshop, you will learn practical communication tools and new Jewish teachings on loving relationships. To meet your soulmate, you must meet your soul. Program Fee: $250 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/basherte Rosalie (Raziel) Eisen, MEd, is a professional coach, executive director of BasherteTM and Soul Memory Discovery Facilitator. Rosalie brings a special warmth, compassion and sensitivity to her coaching, creation of Jewish women’s ritual and facilitation of more than 150 workshops and retreats across the U.S., Canada and Israel. Rabbi Efraim Eisen, co-founder of Basherte, currently serves as Rabbi of Temple Israel in Greenfield, MA. He previously served the college congregations at the University of Oregon and Vassar and Mt. Holyoke Colleges. Efraim has practiced as a licensed MFCT (Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist) for 25 years, and is also well known for his music and joy.

photo by: Shir Feinstein-Feit

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality july 27 – august 2 | Morning Classes

Living with Authenticity and Faith Mindy Ribner Calling all those who want to live with more trust and faith. In this experiential workshop, we will study excerpts of classic Jewish texts—Duties of the Heart, The Way of God, and Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith—to explore and learn how to grow through our own personal questions of faith. We will use meditation, chanting, prayer and practical exercises to integrate the teachings of these texts into our lives, and we will examine Jewish perspectives on creation, free will, divine providence, the messianic age and any other issues that arise for members of the group. No prior text experience necessary. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/authenticity Melinda (Mindy) Ribner (aka Miriam Shulamit) is the Director of Kabbalah of the Heart and Beit Miriam. A teacher of Jewish meditation and a personal transformational workshop leader for over 25 years, she is also a spiritual psychotherapist in private practice. Mindy is the author of Everyday Kabbalah, New Age Judaism, and Kabbalah Month by Month. She received ordination as a maggid, spiritual guide, rabbinic pastor and meditation teacher from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z”l and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

july 27 – august 2 | Afternoon Classes

Sephirotically Correct: Uncovering and Discovering the Soul’s Map

This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation

Listen to Her Voice

Rabbi David Ingber

Rabbi Alan Lew

The sephirot—dynamic energies or intelligences—act like a GPS of the soul, giving us an accurate map of our inner life. Understanding these elements of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life as the basic building blocks of creation can help us align ourselves in the balance between gevurah— boundaries, and chesed—love. Join this exploration of the dynamic relationships between our own maps and the maps of those with whom we connect in our daily lives. Together we’ll learn how to calibrate and align ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually, as well as interpersonally with friends, family and the world at large.

The High Holidays offer opportunities for deep transformation, but not if we walk into services unprepared. Fortunately, our tradition provides a map for a spiritual journey through the Days of Awe that begins on Tisha B’Av—which we will honor during this retreat—and culminates on Yom Kippur. This ancient progression carries us through a reenactment of the soul’s voyage through life, calls us to the full extent of our broken-heartedness, and opens our hearts to God. We will use meditation, text study and personal exploration to awaken ourselves to this extraordinary path.

Immerse yourself in the vividly dramatic stories of our beautiful and resilient biblical foremothers. Through text study, guided meditation, art masterpieces, discussion, movement and writing, we’ll explore the meaning of these tales for our own personal journeys. Within the gentle safety of a sacred circle, we’ll connect with the nurturing spirit of Shekhina— the powerful source of inspiration that lies within each of us. Open your heart, enter the sanctuary of your own soul and hear the authentic voices of your feminine ancestors.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/sephirot Rabbi David Ingber is the founder and Spiritual Director of Kehilat Romemu, NYC’s Transformative Synagogue. An explorer and integrator, Rabbi David has trained in the worlds of both orthodox and renewal Judaism, taught Pilates and Gyrotonics, and meditated under the guidance of great Zen teachers. His inspirations and practices include tai chi, yoga, astrology, Jewish mysticism and western philosophy. His vision is to bring together all he has learned to reveal a Judaism that is truly Integral.

Additional Program Fee for a second course during the same week: $150 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/listen

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/realunprepared

Miki Raver, author of the Jewish bestseller Listen to Her Voice: Women of the Hebrew Bible, is Program Director at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. Miki is a graduate of the Institute for Circlework Training. She lectures on the women of the Bible and leads women’s circles nationally.

Rabbi Alan Lew is the founder and co-director of Makor Or, a Jewish meditation center in San Francisco. He is the author of Be Still and Get Going. Since retiring from Congregation Beth Sholom of San Francisco three years ago, Rabbi Lew has traveled widely, teaching and giving workshops about Jewish meditation.

WAVES: Soul Dances and Body Prayers Living our Losses

I and Thou: On Jewish Sex

Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

We are called upon by life to lose loved ones, capacities, self-images and imagined futures. Loss is a steady feature of every life. And it is a component of gain. If you grieve for yourself or others, if you grieve for the injustices of the world, you may find solace, strength and companionship in this course. We will look at the texts of our lives and the texts of our people, studying the journeys of Job and Hagar as well as prayers of consolation. And together we will share what understanding we have gained through the devastation, clarity and opportunity that accompany loss.

Judaism’s sacred texts and great thinkers offer many inspirations, challenges and provocative questions about how we conduct our most intimate relationships. How should a couple interact in the bedroom? How does sexuality impact our relationships with God and ourselves? Have feminism, queerness and gender identity impacted our Jewish understandings? Our tradition can help guide us in ways that resonate even today. We’ll look at texts and use experientialbased learning to look within, asking ourselves what it means to have a Jewish sexual ethic.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/livinglosses

Program Fee for one weeklong retreat: $375

Miki Raver

Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener is the director of the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network and rabbi of Congregation Pnai Or of Central Connecticut. Andrea is the biological mom of four and the foster mom of a family member. She is the translator of Conscious Community by Reb Kalonymous Kalman Shapira and has written books about teaching both prayer and communication skills in Hebrew school settings. Andrea is a cancer survivor and a divorcee; she is making lemonade.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/iandthou Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg wrote Surprised By God: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Religion, edited Yentl’s Revenge: The Next Wave of Jewish Feminism and The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism, and is currently co-editing Jewish Choices/Jewish Voices with Rabbi Elliot Dorff. A contributing editor to Lilith Magazine, she also blogs and serves on the editorial board at www.jewschool.com.

Eliezer Sobel Developed by Gabrielle Roth, the 5 Rhythms™ work is a dancing path of healing, a moving meditation that calls the spirit into physical form and propels each unique body—no matter what size or shape—toward its own destiny. This introduction to the fundamental 5 Rhythms™ will use the music of our Jewish roots to beckon us forward through the obstacles of inertia and resistance to change. Take a highly personal journey toward an inner stillness, pulsating aliveness and naked mystery. No prior dance experience or skills required; only your sole. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/5rhythms Eliezer Sobel is a certified teacher of the 5 Rhythms™ work, which he has offered previously at Elat Chayyim as part of the biannual meditation retreats with David and Shoshana Cooper. He is also a musician and the author of Wild Heart Dancing, Minyan: Ten Jewish Men in a World that is Heartbroken, winner of the Peter Taylor Prize for the Novel, and The 99th Monkey.

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality TWO-YEAR TRAINING INSTITUTES

two-year TRAINING INSTITUTES

Two-year training institutes provide rewarding opportunities to deepen your studies in a particular area of Jewish learning and spirituality. The rhythm of the retreats — one in winter and one in spring or summer each year over the course of two years — allows ample time to hone your skills and develop lasting friendships in a tight-knit community. INSTITUTES IN MID-SESSION To find out when new cycles of these institutes will begin, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/traininginstitutes.

Davennen Leadership Training Institute (DLTI) Rabbi Marcia Prager and Rabbi Shawn Zevit with Cantor Jack Kessler and Daniel Sheff DLTI participants are learning how to deepen the quality of Jewish communal prayer so that it activates the body, touches the heart, engages the mind and nourishes spiritual growth and insight. DLTI offers professional and lay leaders of all denominations coaching in the high art of leadership of public ritual and prayer. Week Three: August 3 – 9, 2009 Week Four: February 10 – 15, 2010 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/dlti

Lev Shomea: Training Spiritual Directors in the Jewish Tradition Rabbi Avruhm Addison, Dr. Barbara Eve Breitman, Rabbi Zari Weiss, Ann Kline and Julie Leavitt Spiritual directors offer companionship and reflection in the exploration of relationships with the Holy. Lev Shomea’s participants—lay and professional Jewish spiritual leaders—learn to help individuals expand awareness of the sacred dimensions that underlie both the ordinary and extraordinary events of life. Week Three: August 10 – 16, 2009 Week Four: January 11 – 17, 2010 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/levshomea

Kohenet: A New Vision of Jewish Women’s Spiritual Leadership A revitalization of the connection between Judaism and the Divine Feminine is helping women reclaim the ancient role of the priestess. Kohenet trains women to exercise their spiritual power and facilitate holy Jewish experiences in a distinctly feminine way as the needs of Jews, women and the planet as a whole continue to evolve. Week Three: July 13 – 19, 2009 Women of Strength and Vision: Making Boundaries, Becoming Vessels Week Four: January 11 – 17, 2010 Women Weaving Together: Integration and Initiation For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/kohenet

Holy Drumming Institute Akiva Wharton and Friends NEW TWO-YEAR INSTITUTE BEGINNING! Have you always wanted to bring your drum into holy space? Do you dream of drumming with people at prayer? Elat Chayyim invites you to take part in the world’s first two-year Holy Drumming Intensive. Led by popular Master Drummer Akiva The Believer Wharton, this four-week training program is conducted over the course of two years. Each participant will graduate as a Holy Drummer—a title that conveys respected musicianship and familiarity with the role of the drummer during Jewish prayer services The four weeklong retreats are designed for beginners and experienced drummers alike—for people studying to become professional drummers and for those who want to accompany and co-create with prayer leaders at synagogues or havurahs. Learn how to bring thoughtful musical drumming into weekday, Shabbat, Festival and High Holiday prayer services. Gain or hone basic and advanced techniques with an array of percussion instruments that can be artfully used to deepen people’s experiences during prayer. Discover secrets for accessing healing drum energy and prepare yourself to play for dance celebrations, drum circles and special events. Retreats will feature guest appearances by professional drummers and prayer leaders. All participants will have opportunities to accompany people at prayer. Knowledge of Hebrew is not required and all instruction will be tailored to accommodate a wide range of familiarity with Jewish prayer. Just bring an open mind, a willing heart, a drum and one additional percussion instrument. A variety of drums and other percussion instruments will be available for purchase during the first weeklong retreat. Week One: August 3 – 9, 2009 Week Two: January 11 – 17, 2010 Week Three: Summer 2010 Week Four: Winter 2011 Program Fee: $500 per week For Room and Board Rates, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/drumming Akiva Wharton is a Master Drummer and a passionate percussionist who has helped reintroduce holy drumming into Jewish prayer settings. He performs solo concerts, leads services and teaches workshops all over the world, often accompanying well-known artists and groups such as Shefa Gold, Craig Taubman and Storahtelling. Akiva is the author of the forthcoming book Holy Drumming: A Manual for Any Drummer Who Wants to Accompany People in Prayer. He is working on a CD called The Rhythm of G!d.

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality august 3 – 9 | Morning Classes

august 3 – 9 | Afternoon Classes

Yiddish Oyf Eyn Fus (Yiddish on One Foot) Naftali Ejdelman Naftali’s unique approach to Beginner’s Yiddish draws on the inherent knowledge of native English speakers to speed up the process of learning a new language. Within one lesson, you’ll construct Yiddish sentences, and by the end of the course, you’ll be having simple Yiddish conversations! Together we’ll enjoy Yiddish song, theater games, reading and writing, and use various learning methods to appeal to visual, aural and kinesthetic learners. Includes a fieldtrip to the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. By no means required, knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet is helpful. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/yiddish Naftali Ejdelman has taught Yiddish—his first language—in synagogues, community settings and private classes. Former president of the Brandeis Yiddish Club, he helped organize two conferences for young Yiddish enthusiasts. He loves teaching beginners and is excited to share his passion for this wonderful language with new people.

As Long As You’re Breathing, You Might As Well Laugh: Ten Jewish Jokes to Live By

Yoga and Embodied Prayer

Art as a Mirror to the Soul

Jodi Falk

Nancy Katz

Rabbi Moshe Waldoks

Re-jew-venate your body, mind and spirit! In this class, we will focus on Iyengar-style yoga and authentic movement as ways to align our bodies toward gratitude, praise, listening and joy. Where is that holy intersection of body awareness and connection to the Divine? We will explore the answers to this question by stretching and strengthening our bodies and examining ways to incorporate more movement and physical awareness into the Jewish morning prayer service.

Theories about why people laugh go back thousands of years, but all we really know is that laughing is simply good for us. At the essence of Jewish humor is the notion that everything—including self-criticism—can be funny. Some put Jewish humor in the same category as Jewish prophecy. This course will explore the use of humor as a path to Jewish spirituality. Ten classic jokes will guide us through issues of community, faith, the afterlife, pride and self-esteem, family, and more—all within a context of expanding consciousness and perspective, the essential functions of Jewish humor. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/jokes Reb Moshe Waldoks is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Zion, an independent Jewish congregation in Brookline, MA. He is the co-editor of The Big Book of Jewish Humor, now in its 25th anniversary edition. Reb Moshe completed his doctorate in Jewish Intellectual History at Brandeis University and was granted s’micha by Rabbis Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Arthur Green and Everett Gendler.

Program Fee for one weeklong retreat: $375

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/embodied Jodi Falk has taught movement, yoga and embodied knowing for over twenty years worldwide. She has worked at Hebrew College, day schools, an Orthodox women’s teacher’s college in Israel and all over the globe with professional dancers as well as communities in which she uses movement as a tool for conflict resolution, curricular understanding and personal and spiritual power. www. dancingsoul.org

Redefining Diet: A Holistic Approach to Nutrition and Sustainable Weight-Loss Yiska Obadia Reconnect with a deep experience of self-acceptance and personal empowerment while spending the week in a supportive Jewish community. We invite you to explore and challenge your current relationships to food, body and self. Engage your body, mind and spirit in a process of self-discovery and healing through movement, meditation, visualizations, writing, eating and speaking in a supportive environment. You will create an individualized food plan that works for you and receive invaluable and lasting tools for leading a nourishing life in a body you love. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/nutrition Yiska Obadia is a licensed acupuncturist currently practicing in NYC. She has a background in massage therapy and received her undergraduate degree in Holistic Health Studies. A lifelong passion for nutrition and a 70 lb. personal weight-loss have inspired her work. In addition to working with individuals oneon-one, Yiska leads Transformative Nutrition Groups in NYC. www.povacupuncture.com

Jewish tradition encourages us to be God’s partners in the ongoing process of Creation. This class will provide the space, time and materials to do just that. Using oil pastels, a variety of papers and personal mirror frames, we will explore Jewish themes and express ourselves in a safe and playful environment. We will also design and prepare a painted silk banner to be painted with and for the larger Elat Chayyim/Isabella Freedman community. Relax. Reflect. Create. Art phobics welcome! For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/artasmirror Nancy Katz is a nationally recognized artist whose work is in the permanent collections of the Israel Museum, the Oakland Museum and the Magnes Museum. Her often collaboratively created work can be found throughout the United States and Israel. Nancy has extensive experience facilitating individual and communal artmaking experiences. She is profiled in Judaic Artisans Today. www.nkatzart.com

Additional Program Fee for a second course during the same week: $150 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47 26

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality august 10 – 16 | Morning Classes

august 10 – 16 | Afternoon Classes

Eyn Od Milvado: How to See God as Everything and Remain Sane Rabbi Moshe Aharon (Miles Krassen) The great consolation of the Torah in the Book of Deuteronomy is offered in the verse: “It has been made evident to you how to know that there is nothing but YHVH.” What do we need to know in order to see the world and all that it entails as nothing other than the Ultimate Reality? We will examine the concepts of self, world and God that may presently impede our recognition of this ultimately consoling view. Drawing on wisdom from Hasidic and kabbalistic sources, we will encounter a saner understanding of who we are and for what purpose we are here. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/godiseverything

Yoga Intensive for All Levels Ida Unger Yoga is a universal art that provides exercise and relaxation, plus a connection between body, mind and spirit. During this Iyengar practicebased course, we will also explore the connections between yoga and core Jewish concepts such as Torah, the Aleph-Bet, the Sefirot and Shabbat. Come celebrate your Jewish body and your Jewish soul. For all levels.

Rabbi Moshe Aharon (aka Miles Krassen) is rabbi of Gishmey Brachah: An Evolving Jewish Circle for Integrating Body, Mind and Heart as well as a Professor of Religious Studies at Naropa University. A founding member of the Va’ad (academic board) of the ALEPH Rabbinic Program, Reb Moshe Aharon currently serves on ALEPH’s Spiritual Advisory Council.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/yogaintensive Ida Unger, MEd and certified Iyengar Yoga instructor, started with a strong Jewish identity and a yeshiva education and then connected her Jewish roots with her spiritual wings in yoga. She taught yoga for over a decade at Santa Monica College as well as at her own former studio, Yoga Garden Studios. Ida has taught Yoga and Judaism to hundreds of people at synagogues, rabbinical schools, museums and retreat centers. www.yogagardenstudios.com

Program Fee for one weeklong retreat: $375 Additional Program Fee for a second course during the same week: $150 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47

Diving in the Sea of Soul: A Spiritual Journey for the Rational Mind

The Art and Passion of Hebrew Kirtan: Opening Your Heart through Call-And-Response Chant

Mitchell Chefitz

Kirtan—call-and-response chant developed in India for devotional meditation and prayer—is at once contemplative, ecstatic and simply fun. Join Kirtan Rabbi Andrew Hahn and percussionist Shoshana Jedwab for an immersion experience in this cutting-edge Jewish practice. We will chant a lot. And we’ll learn to create and lead chants, do chant-related breathing and meditation exercises, and study texts about the history of Jewish chant. At least one session will be dedicated to kirtan percussion techniques. You do not need to know any Hebrew, be Jewish or even be a singer to enjoy this workshop.

The model of Kabbalah currently in vogue is still anchored in the 16th century. Each age—from Ezekiel to Akiva to Luria—has seen a development of spiritual discipline in sync with both our cultural needs and advances in our scientific comprehension of the universe. Physics and metaphysics progress hand-in-hand: it’s time for a post-Hubble, post-Holocaust expansion of our spiritual framework. This course will review briefly the frameworks of prior ages and then begin the expansion. The combination of rational explication and meditation will, hopefully, bring us deep enough into the spiritual domain so we might gain as much insight as our creative abilities allow. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/seaofsoul

MORE PROGRAMS Taste of ADAMAH August 10 – 16, 2009 Rabbi Jill Hammer and Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh

Mitchell Chefitz is scholar-inresidence at Temple Israel of Greater Miami. He is the author of the best-selling novel The Seventh Telling and The Curse of Blessings, a collection of stories which has been translated into German, Korean and Chinese. Diving in the Sea of Soul is his current work in progress.

Rabbi Andrew Hahn with Shoshana Jedwab

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/kirtan Rabbi Andrew Hahn—known as both the Kirtan Rabbi and the Tai Ch’i Rabbi—has helped bring kirtan to the Jewish world. He leads call-and-response chant and meditation seminars around the country, leads monthly Hebrew Interfaith Kirtan in Greenwich Village and is a Resident Scholar at CLAL. Andrew was ordained at HUC-JIR and holds a PhD in Jewish Thought from the Jewish Theological Seminary. His new CD, Kirtan Rabbi: Live!, has received rave reviews. www.kirtanrabbi.com Shoshana Jedwab is an award-winning Jewish educator and “primal percussionist” who facilitates Jewish-oriented drum circles nationwide. She drums for the Kirtan Rabbi, Kehilat Romemu, Chana Rothman, earth-based celebrations, healing circles, retreats and synagogues. Shoshana has taught Jewish Studies for more than twenty years at the Heschel School in New York, where she serves as the Middle School Jewish Studies Coordinator. She co-creates ritual experience and embodied prayer for Kohenet, Nehirim and Storahtelling. www.shoshanajedwab.com

Taste of ADAMAH is also a program of the Center for Environment and Sustainability. Classes take place in both mornings and afternoons. For more information about Taste of ADAMAH, see page 42.

Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality Programs for teens and families

fall and winter retreats

Rosh Hashanah Retreat Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Simcha Zevit September 18 – 21, 2009 Welcome the New Year with inspiring services and deep Torah discussions. Participate in yoga and meditation, guided nature walks, farm tours, late night song sessions and much more. Program Fees: Adults: $175 Children: $85 For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/roshhashana

Yom Kippur Retreat photo by: Ayla Grafstein

Bnai Mitzvah Family Camp Rabbi Goldie Milgram August 10 – 16, 2009 Advance the excitement, meaning and relevance of the bar/bat mitzvah experience for the whole family. Reb Goldie will teach parents and children how to create your own “BMAP”—Bar/Bat Mitzvah Action Plan, as well as how to help lead a prayer service and deliver a speech. This joyful, deep and dynamic program features family, child and adultcentered activities that will help settle you into an emotionally satisfying, intellectually fascinating, spiritually connected and logistically excellent bar/bat mitzvah process. Bar/bat mitzvah candidates ages eleven and above are welcome and must attend sessions with at least one adult. Mature siblings and grandparents are also welcome. Program Fees: Adults: $250 Children: $125

Yitziah: Teen Backpacking and Canoeing Trip August 10 – 16, 2009 Inspired by yitziat mitzraim—the Exodus from Egypt—Yitziah means “going out” and is an invitation to an adventure that is both physical and spiritual. This program is for high school students who will spend a week together hiking the Appalachian trail and paddling the scenic Housatonic River, carrying by backpack everything needed for the round-trip journey. They will learn wilderness and survival skills, prepare their own meals, live in tents and share responsibility for all aspects of outdoor communal living. Yitziah is also a program of the Center for Environment and Sustainability.

For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/bnaimitzvah Rabbi Dr. Goldie Milgram is the director of ReclaimingJudaism.org and a Covenant Award finalist for excellence as an experiential Jewish educator. Reb Goldie is the editor of the Living Judaism column in the Philadelphia Jewish Voice and she is the author of Make Your Own Bar/ Bat Mitzvah: A Personal Approach to Creating a Meaningful Rite of Passage and Living Jewish Life Cycle: How to Create Meaningful Jewish Rites of Passage at Every Stage of Life

For more information about this program, see page 44.

Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Simcha Zevit September 27 – 29, 2009 Honor the Day of Atonement in a peaceful and contemplative environment. Prayer services will follow the traditional structure of the liturgy, but will also include meditation, chanting and musical instruments. Restorative yoga will also be offered. Program Fees: Adults: $110 Children: $50 For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/yomkippur

Fourth Annual Sukkahfest October 2 – 5, 2009

Eighteenth Annual Jewish Men’s Retreat October 23 – 25, 2009 This annual retreat celebrates men joining together in sacred community-building through dynamic and engaging Shabbat prayer, contemplative practice, small discussion groups, Jewish learning, music, dance and humor. Join an intergenerational group of men from across the spectrum of ritual observance, Jewish background and sexual orientation. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/mens

Awakening To What Is: Winter Meditation Retreat Rabbi David Cooper, Shoshana Cooper and Eliezer Sobel December 20 – 27, 2009 Whether you are a beginning or advanced student of meditation, deepen your momentto-moment awareness in the “friendly” silence at this longtime popular retreat. Enjoy peace of mind and awaken to the boundless nature of “being present” through silent sitting, chanting, walking meditations, insight dialogue and inquiry, and wisdom teachings from Zoharic, Hasidic, Zen and Dzogchen sources. Program Fee: By Donation Only For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/cooopers

Sukkahfest is a program of the Center for Jewish Life and Learning. For more information about this retreat, see page 35.

For more information about Rabbi David Cooper, Shoshana Cooper and Eliezer Sobel, see page 15.

MORE FAMILY PROGRAMS For more programs for teens and families, see pages 42 – 44.

Center for Jewish Life and Learning: Drawing Upon and Building Community Nehirim Women’s Retreat March 20 – 22, 2009

Jewish Life and Learning programs reflect the diversity of the American Jewish community, exploring a wide range of cultural, artistic, intellectual, spiritual and religious topics that are designed by and for Jewish people of all ages and backgrounds.

The Women’s Retreat is an inaugural opportunity for LBTQ Jewish women and their partners and allies to be part of an inclusive community of women of diverse identities and experiences. Stimulating workshops are designed to rejuvenate mind, body and spirit with top-notch faculty including Miryam Kabakov, Dr. Mara Benjamin and others. There will be children’s programming for all ages with Camp JRF’s Shulamit Izen and music with ShirLaLa. All self-identified women are welcome to enjoy supportive social activities, prayer, study, music and more. Sponsored by Nehirim. For more information and to register, visit www.nehirim.org.

Spirituality, Social Justice and the Rabbinate: An Interdenominational Rabbinical Student Retreat

Jewish Multiracial Network (JMN) 12th Annual Retreat June 5 – 7, 2009 Join dozens of other Jewish multiracial and multicultural families, couples and singles for an inclusive Shabbat experience that will celebrate the diversity of our community. The weekend includes exciting adult discussions and workshops, youth and teen programming, childcare, multi-generational family programming and time to relax and enjoy all that Isabella Freedman and JMN have to offer. For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 Limited scholarship assistance available For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/jmnretreat

Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, Rabbi Dov Linzer and Claudia Horwitz April 2 – 5, 2009 Participation is by nomination only. An interdenominational group of nominated rabbinical students will explore how the principles of chesed and tzedek can shape our respective rabbinates and how we might convey these values to the people we serve. How do we fulfill our professional duties while “walking the talk” of prophetic Judaism, especially when the two might come into conflict? Is it possible to engage with some of the most controversial issues of our time without causing conflict in our congregations? Sponsored by Panim: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values. For more information, contact Rafi Glazer at rafig@panim.org or (301) 770-5070 ext. 223.

Nehirim East: Spiritual GLBT Retreat May 15 – 17, 2009 The Nehirim spiritual retreat is a soulful, heartful gathering where you can connect with your community, relax and refresh, and explore your spiritual path, forming connections that last a lifetime. There will be a wide range of spiritual options—from traditional shabbat davening to meditation, yoga, and dance— and opportunities to connect with GLBT Jews of all ages, religious affiliations and walks of life. Workshops and seminars will be led by a wide range of teachers, including Cantor David Berger, Daniel Max, Rabbi Jacob J. Staub, John Stasio and Jay Michaelson.

Justice, Abundance and Connection: The Torah of the Environment June 15 – 18, 2009 An Oraita Retreat for Rabbis with Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed, Rabbi Natan Margalit and Rabbi Steve Greenberg A worldwide consensus is emerging that as humans we are in real danger. We’ve brought on an environmental crisis that can’t be ignored. What is our response as Jews? Is there a Jewish language of sustainability? We’ll study texts from Tanakh to Zohar and from midrash to modern thought as we explore these and other questions. Application Deadline May 1, 2009. Sponsored by Oraita: Institute for Continuing Rabbinic Education of Hebrew College. For more information, including program fees, visit www.hebrewcollege.edu/oraita or contact Rabbi Natan Margalit at nmargalit@hebrewcollege.edu or (617) 559-8617.

Sponsored by Nehirim. For more information and to register, visit www.nehirim.org.

photo by: Shir Feinstein-Feit

Center for Jewish Life and Learning

Celebration of the Talmud June 15 – 18, 2009 Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz with Arthur Kurzweil and others Co-sponsored by The Aleph Society Join us for a special convocation of Talmud experts, enthusiasts, teachers and students. Recognized as one of the leading rabbis of our time, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz has authored a monumental translation of and commentary on the Talmud. After over 45 years of work, this historic project will be completed in 2010. Be a part of the momentous celebration of the beginning of the end of this amazing feat. You’ll enjoy a rare opportunity to study with Rabbi Steinsaltz, who will lead an evening lecture and master class. You’ll also connect with other students, scholars and rabbis for workshops, lectures and chevruta (paired) study of the Talmud, with a special emphasis on Steinsaltz teachings. Program Fee: $300 For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/steinsaltz Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, hailed by Time Magazine as “a once in a millennium scholar,” is widely acknowledged as a genius, a world-renowned author— he has written some 60 books—a gifted teacher, and a man of great practical wisdom who confers with world leaders including Vatican officials and Supreme Court Justices. Working through the Aleph Society, Rabbi Steinsaltz heads leading elementary, high school, and hesder yeshivas in Israel, and also runs a network of Jewish educational and publishing initiatives in the Former Soviet Union.

Moses the Man: Mirrors and Shadows

Fourth Annual Sukkahfest

May 11 – 14, 2009 Dr. Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg

October 2 – 5, 2009

Using midrashic, psychoanalytic and literary material, we will explore the powerful and enigmatic figure of Moses. Through his words and his silences, Moses is revealed in confrontation with others. Women and men play with mirrors, while Moses rages; Korach rebels and retreats into a silence that both mirrors and contrasts with Moses’ language disability; Job’s struggle with the problem of suffering counterpoints Moses’ most intimate history; and God, refusing Moses’ deepest desire, releases in him a new passion. Not a man of words, Moses in the end discovers a new, poetic force of language. Program Fee: $300 For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/zornberg Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg is the author of Genesis: The Beginning of Desire (for which she won the National Jewish Book Award) and The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus. She holds a PhD in English Literature from Cambridge University. For the past 20 years, she has taught Torah in Jerusalem at MaTaN, Pardes and the Jerusalem College for Adults. She travels widely, lecturing in Jewish and academic settings in the U.S. and the UK.

For people in their 20s and 30s and the young at heart. Surround yourself with fall foliage and friends during this glorious harvest festival! Dine, celebrate and sing in our lakeside sukkah, open your heart with yoga and meditation or simply relax in the hot tub. Take a tour of our beautiful organic farm, hike the hills of our 380-acre forested land or enjoy boating on our lake. There will be a range of davenning options as well as opportunities to learn with cutting edge rabbis, scholars and visionaries. Program Fee: $125 For Room and Board Fees, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/sukkahfest

Sixth Annual Carlebach Conference November 27 – 29, 2009 Co-sponsored by The Carlebach Shul Join leading rabbis and teachers from the worldwide Carlebach community for a weekend of meditation, song, storytelling and joyful Shabbat services. Program Fee: $125 For Room and Board Fees, see page 47

photo by: Erik Tischler

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/carlebach

Center for Jewish Life and Learning Programs for senior adults

programs for senior adults

Isabella Freedman is proud to continue its half-century tradition of serving the spiritual and communal needs of senior adults ages 55 and older. Come to a beautiful natural setting where you can enjoy world-class theater and musical performances, engaging activities, creative arts projects, bridge and stimulating discussions.

Senior Summer Camp August 17 – 28, 2009 Stroll along the lake. Listen to the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood. Celebrate Shabbat as the sun sets over the Berkshire mountains. Explore your creative side with arts and crafts. Enjoy stimulating courses with renowned teachers. Enjoy live entertainment at night. Or simply relax with friends for games in the lounge and conversations in the gazebo. Summer Camp at Isabella Freedman promises fun, connection and a whole lot more. There is never a dull moment at Isabella Freedman. On any given day, there are dozens of ways to spend your time. Join us this summer and enjoy:

Passover Retreat April 8 – 17, 2009 Why cook, clean and kasher? We invite you to focus instead on celebration! Enjoy a rich, Kosher-for-Passover program in a community of peers age 55 and older. In addition to our wonderful Seders, enjoy fabulous activities, lectures, performances by local and nationally renowned entertainers, Israeli dancing, and boating on our lake. During your stay, you may also participate in field trips to local points of interest like Ventfort Hall, the Museum of the Gilded Age and the Norman Rockwell Museum. PASSOVER ROOM AND BOARD rates

– Trips to Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Music Mountain, the Norman Rockwell Museum and other cultural attractions – Seminars on stimulating Jewish topics – Live entertainment, folk dancing, arts and crafts, computer classes and bridge lessons – Recreation room, computers, game room and TV lounge – Traditional egalitarian Shabbat services and Jewish learning experiences in our glass-walled synagogue – Fitness center, tennis courts, exercise classes and water aerobics – Boating and fishing in our private lake and swimming in our heated pool – Getting to know other guests, faculty and staff in a warm and welcoming environment – Fully air-conditioned lodging facilities – Delicious glatt kosher homemade meals that emphasize low-salt, low-cholesterol and low-fat cuisine. Senior Summer Camp Room and Board Rates Prices include everything except optional trips to local destinations and transportation to and from Isabella Freedman.

Prices include all glatt Kosher-for-Passover meals, a $50 gratuity per person and round-trip bus transportation from points in New York City. Standard

Semi-Private

Private

Deluxe

Premium

Daisy, Elm, Kaufman

Blue Heron, Maple, Cedar

PIne

May, Scheuer

Weinberg

Single or double occupancy with shared baths in the hallway.

Single or double occupancy. Two rooms share a bathroom located between them.

Single or double occupancy with private baths. Reached by walking up a slight incline.

Both have private baths. May was renovated in 2005, is located furthest from main building and is the reached by walking up a slight unpaved incline.

Private baths. Newest and most luxurious rooms, located closest to the main building.

Double Occupancy

$1,045

$1,190

$1,450

$1,599

$1,699

Single Occupancy

$1,345

$1,650

$1,850

Not Available

To register by phone using a credit card, or to request a registration form by mail, call (800) 398-2630. A non-refundable deposit of $75 must be received by March 1, 2009 in order to ensure a space in the program.

Standard

Semi-Private

Private

Deluxe

Premium

Daisy, Elm, Kaufman

Blue Heron, Maple, Cedar

PIne

May, Scheuer

Weinberg

Single or double occupancy with shared baths in the hallway.

Single or double occupancy. Two rooms share a bathroom located between them.

Single or double occupancy with private baths. Reached by walking up a slight incline.

Both have private baths. May was renovated in 2005, is located furthest from the main building and is reached by walking up a slight unpaved incline.

Private baths. Newest and most luxurious rooms, located closest to the main building.

Double Occupancy

$900

$960

$1,135

$1,260

$1,525

Single Occupancy

$1,035

$1,205

$1,555

$1,955

$2,295

To register by phone using a credit card, or to request a registration form by mail, call (800) 398-2630. A non-refundable deposit of $100 must be received by July 1, 2009 in order to ensure a space in the program. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/senior-adults/summervacations or call (800) 398-2630.

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/senior-adults/passover or call (800) 398-2630.

Center for Jewish Life and Learning elderhostels Take an exciting journey into Jewish learning and culture by attending one of Elderhostel’s dynamic and stimulating programs in a beautiful New England country setting. Elderhostels at Isabella Freedman cover a range of topics including Humor, Music, Literature, Film, Mysticism and Jewish History. Programs are kept small (30 – 60 people) so you can develop warm and personal relationships with the lecturers and other participants. When you’re not attending a lecture, you can enjoy Isabella Freedman’s beautiful grounds and activities or visit the Berkshires’ numerous cultural and natural attractions. A varied program of professional entertainment is also offered each evening. All-inclusive double-occupancy rates (3 – 5 nights) range from $450 to $895 per person. We offer a single occupancy upgrade for an additional $125 per Elderhostel. All rooms have private bathrooms either in or right outside the room. Prices do not include transportation to Isabella Freedman.

elderhostels

Jewish Poets of Broadway, Kabbalah in the Arts, Jewish Genealogy Course #17508

Jewish Family in American Theater, Gershwin, Jewish Humor Course #17785

May 17 – 22, 2009

July 6 – 10, 2009

Musical Theatre’s Legendary Jewish Lyricists

The Jewish Family in American Theatre’s Golden Age

with Bonnie Weiss

with Betsy Shevey

Kabbalah in Music, Art, Literature and Film

By George, It’s Gershwin

with Laura Wetzler

Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History

Jewish Humor: Laugh ‘til You Cry

Preserving the Harvest: Pickles and Jams Course #18000

with Arthur Kurzweil

with Tom Friedmann

September 7 – 11, 2009

Double-occupancy for this five-night course costs $749.

Double-occupancy for this four-night course costs $599.

Birding in the Berkshires Course #17481

Broadway Belters, Jewish Poetry, Jewish Humor Course #17832

May 17 – 22, 2009

August 31 – September 4, 2009

Broadway Belters and Torch Mamas

In this new course, be inspired by young Jewish farmers who are changing the world one pickle at a time. Gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to transform organic fresh produce into delicious pickles and preserves. Learn how to make live-culture lacto-fermented pickles. Dig into the soil and into the Jewish tradition of stewardship for the earth. Come home with jars filled with nutritious kosher dills, dilly beans and fruit preserves you’ve made yourself.

Poetry: The Soul of the Jewish People

Double-occupancy for this new four-night course costs $599.

Home to a stunning array of 151 winged species, springtime in the Berkshires promises to be a birder’s paradise. Visit the Sharon Audubon Center where naturalists will provide illuminating instruction. Experience the waterfalls, hills and forests of northwestern Connecticut during peak springtime birding season! Double-occupancy for this five-night course costs $749.

To register, contact Elderhostel directly by going to their website at www.elderhostel.org or by calling Elderhostel at (877) 426-8056. Please refer to the appropriate course number when registering.

with Dick Smolens

with Laura Wetzler

with Dr. Abe Gittelson

The History of Jewish Humor with Tom Friedmann

Torah, Tanglewood and Tikkun Olam Course #17854 June 28 – July 3, 2009 Enjoy the best of the Berkshires! Attend a performance at Tanglewood and a private concert at Music Mountain, home of the country’s oldest summer chamber music festival. Visit the Norman Rockwell Museum and Chesterwood in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Explore Torah in music, dance, art and film with renowned lecturer and singer Laura Werzler. Learn about environmental sustainability as an act of Tikkun Olam— healing the planet. Double-occupancy for this new five-night course costs $895.

Double-occupancy for this four-night course costs $599.

Jewish Musicals, Current Jewish Issues, Kabbalah for Dummies Course #17856 September 7 – 11, 2009

The Jewish Musicals of Broadway with Laura Wetzler

As the Jewish World Churns: Current Issues in Jewish Life with Dr. Abe Gittelson

Kabbalah for Dummies

Celebrating the Feminine in Judaism: A Women’s Retreat Snapshot Course #18085 Rabbi Jill Hammer September 29 – October 2, 2009

Jewish Women in Jewish Song with Laura Wetzler

Listen to Her Voice: Women of the Hebrew Bible with Miki Raver

Natural Rhythms of the Jewish Calendar with Rabbi Jill Hammer Double-occupancy for this new women-only three-night course costs $450.

with Arthur Kurzweil

Double-occupancy for this four-night course costs $599.

Center for Environment and Sustainability Providing the Inspiration and the Tools to be Agents for Tikkun Olam ADAMAH Summer Session: May 24 – September 7, 2009 Fall Session: September 13 – December 13, 2009 Now in its seventh successful year, ADAMAH: The Jewish Environmental Fellowship is a three-month leadership training program for Jewish young adults in their 20s that integrates organic farming, sustainable living, Jewish learning, community building and contemplative spiritual practice. Where else can you say a blessing while using recycled vegetable oil to fuel a truck that is filled with organic produce and naturally fermented kosher pickles?

photo by: Ahron Lerman A new 6.8 KW photovoltaic solar array nestled among the fruit trees in Isabella Freedman’s orchard.

At Isabella Freedman, we believe that environmental stewardship is a primary ethical obligation. With our planet’s ability to support life diminishing, a great change in our stewardship of the earth is required more now than ever before. Yet in the face of overwhelming need, we often feel helpless to make a difference. At Isabella Freedman, we remind ourselves that our actions matter, and we offer retreat programs that give participants the knowledge, the skills and the confidence to be active agents for tikkun olam (healing the world) inside and outside the Jewish community. All of our environmental programs are deeply rooted in Judaism, a tradition intricately connected to nature’s rhythms and grounded in the value that all life is sacred.

Adamah fellows spend their days working on our six-acre farm, in our commercial kitchen and on our goat pasture, helping to create a sustainable business that models ecological design, financial viability and social responsibility. Evenings are spent learning about Judaism and sustainability, building community and cultivating leadership skills. Come listen to and follow your soul’s yearning for ecological and spiritual wholeness, recraft a Jewish identity that sings to you, and build relationships and skills that will sustain you for the rest of your life. Applications for 2009 ADAMAH fellowships are accepted on a rolling basis. The 2009 program can accommodate 14 summer fellows and 14 fall fellows. The fee for the fellowship is $500 per season. Scholarship funding is available. To lean more about ADAMAH and to download an application, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/adamah or contact ADAMAH Director Shamu Sadeh at shamu@isabellafreedman.org.

photo by: Elana Havusha

Center for Environment and Sustainability

Taste of ADAMAH July 20 – 26, 2009 Ronit Ziv-Kreger and Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh August 10 – 16, 2009 Rabbi Jill Hammer and Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh Spend seven days digging in the Jewish tradition and in the soil. Milk goats, make cheese and study our ancestral agricultural and earth-based heritage. Fuel up our veggie oil farm truck, grow organic vegetables on our six-acre farm and learn the art of lacto-fermentation. Participants will join Isabella Freedman’s ADAMAH Fellows in prayer, in the field and in study sessions. The week of July 20 – 26 will include special opportunities for parents and teachers to learn how to integrate Jewish learning with a love of nature that children can enjoy in the classroom and at home. The week of August 10 – 16 will include interactive study sessions on Judaism’s earth-based practices, calendar, rituals and blessings. Program Fees: Adults: $450 Children: $125 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47 For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/tasteadamah Taste of ADAMAH is also a program of the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality. Classes take place in both mornings and afternoons.

photo by: Risa Alyson Strauss

Shabbat, the Earth and Ruach Ha’Olam: Prayer, Torah and Action to Heal our Planet July 13 – 19, 2009 Rabbi Arthur Waskow This retreat is also a program of the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality. For information, see page 17.

Dr. Ronit Ziv-Kreger is a Jewish educator who works with parents of young children and their teachers. She is a graduate of The Pardes Educator’s program and serves as the Judaic Studies Consultant to the MetroWest Jewish Day School. Ronit authored the curriculum Soul Food: Jewish Values from a Gastronomic Perspective and founded an Israeli school program for Arab and Jewish students to create and share their own environmental solutions. Rabbi Jill Hammer is a writer, educator, ritualist and midrashist. She is the author of The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons and Sisters at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women. Rabbi Hammer is the director of Tel Shemesh, a website and community celebrating earth-based Jewish traditions, and the co-founder of Kohenet. She serves as an instructor at the Academy of Jewish Religion, the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan and CLAL. Dr. Shamu Sadeh is the ADAMAH Fellowship Program Director, an environmental studies instructor, Jewish educator, writer, organic farmer and wilderness guide. He has taught environmental studies, ecology and Judaic Studies at Portland State University, Berkshire Community College, Southern Vermont College and the Wild Rockies Field Institute.

Planning and Planting the Garden of Eden: An Introduction to Permaculture April 28 – 30, 2009 Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh Join Shamu Fenyvesi Sadeh and the Adamah community in bringing ecological farm design to life on our newly acquired farmland. Applying ecological principles to landscape design offers the potential to gather our sustenance with minimal maintenance while regenerating healthy ecosystems. In this workshop you will learn how to design and establish a “forest garden” of fruits, nuts, berries, perennial and annual vegetables, herbs and mushrooms by helping design and plant Isabella Freedman’s “Garden of Eden.”

Family Farm Day Sunday, August 9, 2009 ADAMAH Staff and Fellows Bring your family to the farm! Spend a day learning and playing with the young Jewish farmers of the Adamah community. We’ll harvest organic vegetables, pet the goats, collect fresh eggs, make pickles and go swimming in the lake or pool. You’ll get to taste fresh goat cheese and go home with your own jar of Adamah Dill Pickles. Parents with children of all ages are welcome! Lunch included.

Program Fee: $150 For Room and Board Rates, see page 47

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/permaculture

Program Fees: Adults: $65 Children: $25

Freedman Community Day

For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/farmday

Sunday, July 26, 2009 ADAMAH Staff and Fellows We welcome members of the local community and the ADAMAH CSA to join us for an afternoon of outdoor fun. Learn our secret pickle recipe and take home a jar of your own, squeeze the chickens, chase the goats, and tour our new farm on Beebe Hill. We’ll teach you about our new solar panel installation and vegetable oil farm truck and give your kids rickshaw rides around the camp. Take a tour of our gardens, explore the hiking trails, fish and canoe in the lake, swim in the pool and play basketball and volleyball. We’ll also have a Farmer’s Market. 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm For local northwestern Connecticut community and CSA members only. There is no fee for this program. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/communityday

MORE PROGRAMS Justice, Abundance and Connection: The Torah of the Environment June 15 – 18, 2009 For more information about this Oraita Retreat for Rabbis, see page 33.

Center for Environment and Sustainability

The Teva Learning Center exists to renew the ecological wisdom inherent in Judaism and to provide a unique Jewish lens through which to view some of the crucial environmental issues in our world today. Isabella Freeman has been Teva’s fall home since its founding in 1994. Since then, over 16,000 students from Jewish day schools, synagogues and Hebrew schools throughout New England, New York and New Jersey have participated in its dynamic experiential programs, which combine ecology, Jewish environmental ethics, community building and environmental activism. To learn more about the Teva Learning Center or to book a program for your next school, synagogue, youth group, scholar in-residence program or family retreat, please contact Teva at (212) 807-6376 or visit www.tevacenter.org.

Teva Learning Center Professional Development Seminar June 1 – 4, 2009 at Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, New York If you’re interested in Jewish education, environmental sustainability, camping, gardening or just plain having fun, take advantage of this innovative professional development opportunity. Leading Torah scholars, scientists, educators and activists will teach you the skills you need to bring excitement and vibrancy to a myriad of formal and informal Jewish educational settings. Choose from one of our four diverse tracks: Ethics & Texts, Congregational Education, Camp & Wilderness, and Organic Agriculture & Educational Gardening. No previous environmental knowledge is necessary. For more information, visit www.tevacenter.org/seminar. To register, please contact the Teva Learning Center directly at (212) 807-6376 or by email at seminar@tevacenter.org.

Yitziah: Teen Backpacking and Canoeing Trip August 10 – 16, 2009

In Joy shall you go out, and in peace shall you be led. The mountains shall burst before you into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Hazon works to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community as a step toward building a healthier and more sustainable world for all. For more information, visit www.hazon.org.

—isaiah 55:12 Inspired by Yitziat Mitzraim—the Exodus from Egypt— Yitziah means “going out” and is an invitation to an adventure that is both physical and spiritual. A group of teens will spend a week together hiking the Appalachian trail and paddling the scenic Housatonic River, carrying by backpack everything needed for the round-trip journey. They will learn wilderness and survival skills, prepare their own meals, live in tents and share responsibility for all aspects of outdoor communal living. This program is for high school students and is appropriate for advanced and beginner hikers who can carry weight on their backs. The group will be guided by master educators from The Teva Learning Center, which has been running outdoor programs for Jewish teens that integrate Judaism and the natural world in a pluralistic and welcoming environment since 1997. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. Due to the nature of this retreat, full payment is due May 10, 2009, or the date of registration, whichever is later. No refunds or credits will be granted after May 15, 2009. Program Fee: $850 per person. Food and equipment is included, but participants must bring their own sleeping bags. Yitziah: Teen Backpacking and Canoeing Trip is also a program of the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality. For more information, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/yitziah

Hazon New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride

Fourth Annual Hazon Food Conference

September 4 – 7, 2009 at Camp Kinder Ring in Hopewell Junction, New York

December 24 – 27, 2009 at the Asilomar Retreat Center on the Monterey Peninsula in California

The ninth annual Hazon Bike Ride begins with a memorable Shabbat retreat at Camp Kinder Ring in Hopewell Junction, New York. Join ADAMAH fellows, Teva Learning Center educators and staff from Isabella Freedman during this extraordinary weekend of learning, hiking, yoga and discussions about current environmental challenges. More than 300 riders then make the 80 – 150 mile, two-day journey to New York City. The weekend and the Ride bring together Jews and non-Jews of all ages, from across the denominational spectrum to study, play and celebrate together. The Ride also raises thousands of dollars for environmental projects in the United States and Israel.

Join the thinkers and doers of the new Jewish Food Movement—where contemporary conversations about food meet Jewish traditions. The fourth annual Hazon Food Conference is the only place in the world where farmers and rabbis, nutritionists and chefs, and vegans and omnivores come together to explore the dynamic interplay of food, Jewish tradition and contemporary life. Enjoy four days of expert cooking sessions, kids and family activities, thought-provoking lectures and discussions, a joyous Shabbat celebration, and of course, delicious, consciously prepared food.

For more information and to register, call (212) 644-2332, email nyride@hazon.org or visit www.hazon.org.

For more information and to register, email judith@hazon.org, call (212) 644-2332, or visit www.hazon.org.

Guest Information

2009 ROOM AND BOARD RATES Rates are for all programs except Passover, Elderhostels and Senior Summer Camp. Rates are per person, and include all meals, prayer services, meditation, and use of all of our facilities during your stay. For double or triple occupancy, you may request a roommate or be matched with one by our staff. Pre-registration is required for all visits.

To register for all programs, please visit www.isabellafreedman.org or call (800) 398-2630. The information below applies to registration for all Isabella Freedman retreats except programs for senior adults. For senior adult program registration information, see pages 36 – 39.

Accommodations and Rates

Meals

To calculate the cost of your stay, add the program fee (indicated with course description) and your room and board rate (see chart on right.) We offer a variety of housing accommodations that enable individuals with a wide range of financial capabilities to participate in our programs.

Meals begin with dinner upon your arrival through brunch or lunch on the last day of your program. Arrival dinner is usually held at 6 pm for weekday retreats, and at 7:30 pm or 8 pm on Shabbat. Late arrivals may want to eat on the way, as there are limited local food options. Isabella Freedman serves a variety of healthy, delicious Glatt Kosher meals that are prepared with the highest-quality ingredients. During the harvest season (June through October) much of our produce comes from our six-acre organic farm. All meals have vegetarian and vegan options.

Rooms are available as single, double, or triple occupancy, with private, shared, or hall bathrooms. Bed options include queen, twin or bunk beds and many rooms have beautiful lake views. All rooms are simply decorated in country-style without modern multimedia distractions. Tenting is another overnight option, but you must provide your own equipment. Showers and bathrooms will be available for tenters. Commuters who live in the area and will not be sleeping at the retreat center pay a daily commuter’s fee, which covers meals and full access to site amenities during your program.

Arrival and Departure Check-in is generally between 4 pm and 7 pm on the first day of your retreat. The exact check-in times for your retreat will be included in your confirmation letter. Please do not arrive earlier than your scheduled check-in time, as rooms are not guaranteed to be ready. If you are unable to arrive during check-in time, instructions will be left for you. Guest orientation sessions are held either before or after dinner. We request that all departing guests vacate their rooms by 9 am on the final day of each retreat. We will provide a place for you to leave your bags from 9 am until you depart. Programs are typically over between 11 am and 2 pm on the final day, and include either a lunch or brunch. Specific details and times will be included in your confirmation letter.

Children’s Program During select retreats, special programming is available for children ages 4 – 14. Our children’s program typically includes creative learning, arts, environmental and organic farming education, sports and outdoor activities. For more information and to find out when the children’s program is offered, visit www.isabellafreedman.org/jewish-retreats/ family.

Babysitting Daytime and evening babysitting is available for children of all ages for $15/hour for one child and $20/hour for two or more children. Advance reservations are required. Please call (800) 398-2630 at least one week in advance of the first day of your retreat to reserve babysitting.

Teens In general, our programs are open to guests 18 years of age and older. Teenagers ages 15 – 17 may attend programs if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian participating in the same program. Please call (800) 398-2630 to make arrangements or to inquire about other options for teens.

Deluxe rooms have private bathrooms and entrances. Single and double occupancy rooms have queen-sized beds and triple occupancy rooms have twin beds. Handicap accessible rooms are available. Pease call for more information. Plus rooms have private bathrooms.

Six NIghts

Weeklong Meditation Retreats

Training Institutes

$750.00

$1500.00

$1690.00

$1875.00

340.00

450.00

810.00

915.00

1015.00

Triple Occupancy

230.00

315.00

570.00

645.00

715.00

Two Nights

Three Nights

Single Occupancy

$560.00

Double Occupancy

Single Occupancy

$480.00

$615.00

$1230.00

$1385.00

$1540.00

Double Occupancy

290.00

375.00

750.00

845.00

940.00

Triple Occupancy

190.00

255.00

510.00

575.00

640.00

Single Occupancy

$400.00

$510.00

$1020.00

$1150.00

$1275.00

Double Occupancy

240.00

315.00

630.00

710.00

790.00

Single Occupancy

$310.00

$390.00

$780.00

$880.00

$975.00

Double Occupancy

190.00

240.00

480.00

540.00

600.00

Dormitory or Quadruple Occupancy

$160.00

$210.00

$420.00

$475.00

$525.00

Campers supply their own tents and equipment.

Camping

$140.00

$195.00

$360.00

$405.00

$450.00

Commuter rates include all meals and snacks, use of the facility and its amenities, and participation in any open programming provided, such as prayer, meditation or yoga.

Commuter

$120.00

$165.00

$270.00

$305.00

$340.00

Infants, Children and Young Adults: There is no charge for infants and children ages 3 and under. Children ages 4 – 17 must share a room with at least one parent or guardian. Young adults ages 18 and above must pay the regular rates.

Children ages 4 – 17

$90.00

$120.00

$240.00

$280.00

Standard rooms share a bathroom with one other room. Economy rooms have twin beds and a shared bathroom in the hall. Dormitory rooms with bunk beds are either triple or quadruple occupancy with shared bathrooms in the hall.

Payment of at least 50% of the registration balance is due at the time of registration. Payment may be made by Visa or MasterCard. Any balance due will be automatically charged to your credit card on file four business days prior to the start of the retreat. To pay by personal check or money orders (U.S. dollars), please call (800) 398-2630; full payment must be received before your registration can be guaranteed. There is a $25 service charge for checks returned for insufficient funds.

Guest Information

Renting Isabella Freedman

Getting Here

Emergency Messages

We are approximately two hours by car from New York City and three hours from Boston. For select retreats, we offer limited shuttles to and from the Wassaic Train Station in Wassaic, CT and Bradley Airport in Hartford, CT. Shuttle reservations must be made at least two weeks prior to the start of your program and are not confirmed until payment is received. For more information call (800) 398-2630 or visit www.isabellafreedman.org/guest/directions.

After business hours, emergency messages may be left for you at (800) 398-3068. Please use this number for emergencies only.

Car Seat Policy for Shuttles Adults traveling with children must bring and hook up their own car seat or booster seat for any child under the age of 7 years or under the weight of 60 pounds. Due to state and federal regulations, any child who arrives at Wassaic Train Station or Bradley Airport without the appropriate car seat or booster seat will not be permitted to ride in a Freedman vehicle.

What to bring We provide alarm clocks, bedding, soap and towels, though you might want to bring a beach towel if you plan to use the hot tub or swim in the pool or lake (in season only). Bathing suits are required at all times. We provide cushions for meditation; however, we suggest that during meditation retreats you bring your own cushion or backrest. We recommend packing hiking footwear, comfortable yoga clothing, a flashlight and inclement weather gear for all seasons. Ritual wear for services (kippot, tallisim, tefillin, etc.) is optional. Many people wear white on Shabbat and holidays. Prayer books are provided, though you may choose to bring your own.

Bookstore Our bookstore offers a full line of Judaica, including art, music, literature, jewelry, clothing, ritual objects, kippot and tallitot. Our book selection spans the spectrum of Jewish subjects, including kabbalah, hasidism, sacred texts, gender studies, contemporary thought and spiritual practice. We also sell eco-products, including pickles and preserved foods made on-site by our ADAMAH Fellowship. Visit us online at store.isabellafreedman.org. Send questions to bookstore@ isabellafreedman.org or call (860) 824-3007.

Internet and Phone Access Wireless internet access is available in our main building. Phone service is provided, but calling cards are required. Most cell phones do not work in our area. Please come with your own calling card or purchase one in our bookstore.

Cancellation Policy Payments made will be refunded in full (less a $50 processing fee) if you cancel more than 14 days prior to your arrival. If you cancel between 13 days and 72 hours prior to a retreat for which you have registered, a non-refundable credit (less a $50 processing fee) will be held for one year from the date of issue. This credit is non-transferable. No credit or refund is available if you cancel within 72 hours of a retreat or on the retreat arrival day, if you do not show up, or if you leave a retreat early for any reason. If you are participating in a two-year training institute and you miss or cancel one of the weeklong retreat sessions, your room and board fee will be refunded according to the policy above, but the program fee for a missed or cancelled retreat session is still due. Withdrawal is permitted only after the first retreat session. If you withdraw from a training institute after the first retreat session, or if you are asked by faculty to leave the institute, you will receive a full refund on your program fee for any remaining pre-paid retreats. Isabella Freedman reserves the right to cancel any program at any time. In the event of such cancellation, you will be given a complete refund. A full transportation refund is available if you cancel a transportation reservation at least 3 days (72 hours) in advance. No refund is available if less than 3 days notice is given.

Financial Aid We strive to make our programs affordable to everyone. We provide limited scholarship funding of up to 40% of room and board fees for those in extreme financial need. Financial aid is only available for dormitory rooms with hall baths and economy rooms for couples and families. Financial aid is available by application at www.isabellafreedman.org/ financialaid. In requesting aid, please consider that we have a limited pool of resources. We are committed to helping you in any we can, and we ask you to help us help others by limiting your request to your genuine need. Financial aid requests must be received at least three weeks prior to the retreat.

Silence We practice silence from wakeup through breakfast during some retreats and at ALL times during meditation retreats.

Scent-free Environment Some of our guests are sensitive and/or allergic to scented products. Please use unscented products while on retreat.

Looking for a place to host your organizational retreat or personal affair? Let Isabella Freedman be your host and enjoy all that our facility has to offer (see pages 4 – 5). As an additional service, our retreat coordinator can help you create your ideal retreat program by taking advantage of our network of specialists, educators, entertainers and rabbis. Let us enhance your retreat through arts, music, environmental education, a ropes course, yoga or meditation, text study, prayer services and much more. For a complete list of program options, please visit our website at www.isabellafreedman.org/rentals. For rates and availability, email rentals@isabellafreedman.org. The following organizations have held retreats at Isabella Freedman in recent years: American Jewish World Service Anshe Chesed Bais Chana International B’nai Jeshurun Board of Jewish Education The Bronfman Youth Fellowship Congregation Agudath Sholom, Stamford, CT Congregation Beth Simchat Torah Congregation B’Nai Jeshurun Congregation Dorshei Tzedek Dorot Foundation Hebrew High School of New England Hebrew High School of West Hartford Hillel of New York Isralight Jewish Funds for Justice Jewish Multiracial Network Jewish Theological Seminary Kane Street Synagogue Maimonides School, Brookline, MA

Mayanot The Meaningful Life Center New Hyde Park Synagogue Orangetown Jewish Center Ramaz School Reconstructionist Federation of New England Sid Jacobson JCC Society for the Advancement of Judaism Solomon Schechter High School, NY, NY The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life Temple Emunah Temple Israel of Great Neck Youth House United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Upper West Side JCC UJA Federation of New York YCT Rabbinical School Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Young Israel of New Hyde Park 92nd Street Y

Board of Directors Peter Bregman President Roni Posner Vice President Sara Nathan Vice President Michael Salzhauer Secretary Rachel Schneider Treasurer

Adina Allen Avruhm Addison Shari Cohen Enid Fisher Marty Friedman Lynne Iser Saul Kaiserman Ira Pierce Laura Rothschild

Mark Russo, Executive Member Helen Samuels Nigel Savage Richard Shuster Sharon Strassfeld, Past President Neil Zeller

cover photograph by:

Ahron Lerman photography by:

Shir Feinstein-Feit, Paul Golin, Ayla Grafstein, Renna Khuner-Haber, Elana Havusha, Kate Russell Jones, Zachary Mastoon, Suzannah Sosman, Jonah Chanan Steinberg, Risa Alyson Strauss, Erik Tischler catalog design by:

Andrea Stranger catalog production by:

Amy Hannes

photo by: Kate Russell Jones

We thank the following individuals and foundations for their generous support during the 2008 calendar year.

Isabella Freedman partnering with the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan

All gifts of $1,000 and above are acknowledged below.

Spring 2009 at the JCC in Manattan

For more information about these and other exciting classes, special events and free community-wide programs at the JCC in Manhattan, visit www.jccmanhattan.org or call 646.505.5708.

Daily Instructed Meditation photo by: Shir Feinstein-Feit

PILLAR - $400,000 and Above Myron Kaplan and Annette Hollander UJA Federation of New York DIRECTOR: $25,000 to $99,000 Alice Gottesman and Laurence Zuckerman Dorot Foundatoin Lisa and Maury Friedman Harold Grinspoon Foundation Hazon Rabbi Fred and Trisha Margulies Nathan Cummings Foundation Robert Schloss and Emily Sack LEADER: $10,000 to $24,000 Elizabeth and Blair Axel Rita and Aaron Berman Adam Berman Peter and Eleanor Harrison Bregman Dana and Warren Cohn CT Department of Agriculture Judith S. Dack Dorian Goldman and Marvin Israelow Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation Lasko Joint Investments Steven Price Saal Family Foundation Amanda and Michael Salzhauer Michelle Ores and Chip Schorin Richard and Betsy Shuster Katja Goldman and Michael Sonnenfeldt Francine Weaver

50 Register online www.isabellafreedman.org

CORNERSTONE: $5,000 - $9,999 David Berman Chuck Goldman Family Foundation David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation, Inc. Paul and Joanne Egerman Enid and Alexander Fisher Goldberg/Nash Family Foundation Rita Poretsky Foundation Laura and Peter Rothschild Mark and Kimberly Russo S.S. Fisher Foundation Inc. Mara and Ricky Sandler Richard and Margaret Santulli Mathew Shuster Sharon Strassfeld Sally Gottesman and Rachel Tiven BENEFACTOR: $2,500 - $4,999 Neal Borovitz and Ann Appelbaum Rachel Cowan Saul Kaiserman and Elizabeth Freirich Sarah Allen and Marty Friedman Nancy and Jay Handwerger Flo and Andy Hannes Gabriel and Ana Joanes Carol Joseph Linda Gerstel and Ed Joyce Adina Allen and Jeffrey Kasowitz Jake and Linda Kriger Mr. and Mrs. Lynn and Jules Kroll Harold and Shari Levy Rachel Schneider and Ben Marks Joel Kazis and Sara Nathan Judith Stern Peck Tides Foundation Vasca

SUPPORTER: $1,000 - $2,499 Nigel Austin Shari and Joel Beckman Anna Maria Begemann Roni Posner and Jeri Berc Joshua Berman Sara and David Berman Marcelo Bronstein Judy Bernstein and Nick Brunzl Beth Cohen Paul Zeitz and Mindi Cohen Alisa and Daniel Doctoroff Tamar and William Earnest Judith Edelstein Ms. Susan and Julie Eisen Eli and Bess Cohen Foundation Cindy and Chip Elitzer Barbara Epstein Greg Feldman Janet Penn and Mark Finkelstein Adriaan and Sam Finnerman Stanely and Dena Forster Susan and Evan Friedman Janie Frieman Marcie Gilsio-Spatz Goldberg/Nash Family Foundation Phyllis and Gerry Golden Denne Goldstein Michelle and Paul Grobman Helen and Nathaniel Wisch Family Foundation Jimena Martinez and Michael Hirschhorn David Ingber Alan and Elizabeth Jaffe Elizabeth Scheuer and Peter Joseph Shayndel and Cliff Kahn Liz Freirich and Saul Kaiserman Margot Stein and Myriam Klotz Dr. Michael and Carolyn Levine

Larry Schwartz and Shelley Levine Shari and Harold Levy Lynne Iser and Mordechai Liebling Andrea and Matt Lustig Jennifer and Greg Lyss Kathy and Joe Mele Linda Blum and Jeremy Merrin New City Jewish Center Mr. and Mrs. Robert Newman Kara and Ray Niederhoffer Foster and Mickey Padway Kathleen Peratis Mitchell Udell and Patricia Pickman Penny and Claudio Pincus Anita and Stuart Plotkin Marcia Riklis Karen and Charlie Roemer Dale Atkins and Rob Rosen Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Ross Steven and Robin Rotter Helen and David Samuels Steven Samuels Nigel Savage Rhonda Rosenhock and Jonathan Schachter Jeffrey Cahn and Lili Schad Ms. Terri Schuster Schwarz Family Foundation Trust Jonathan and Gail Schorsch Greg Feldman and Melanie Shorin Terri Schuster Andrew Seidman David and Patricia Silvers Julie Smith Sergio Stern Roberta Tisch Joan and Saul Wachtler Sharon Goldman and Ari Wallach Reggie and Avi Yoskowitz Neil Zeller

With Jon Aaron, Rachel Cowan, Shalom Gorewitz, Sheila Lewis, Sheldon Lewis, Jay Moses, Jonathan Slater, Linda Thal, Bernice Todres and others Monday through Friday from 7:30 – 8:30 am Monday through Thursday from 5:45 – 6:45 pm (No class March 9 – 10, April 8 – 10, April 15 – 16) Free for members and nonmembers. No registration necessary.

Service of Healing With singer/songwriter Debbie Friedman, Rabbi Joy Levitt and guests. 2 Wednesdays, March 4 and April 1 at 7:30 pm Through prayer, song and community, come together to transform what hurts into a form of healing.

The Mind-Body Connection: Intro to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Techniques Thursday, March 19 from 7 – 9 pm Spiritual Preparation for Passover and the Omer

Passover: Journey to Freedom with Rabbi DovBer Pinson Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 pm

49 Days: Counting the Omer with Rabbi Simon Jacobson Monday, March 30 at 7:30 pm

Lecha Dodi: Your Gateway to the Kabbalah

Avivah Zornberg Returns!

6 Thursdays, February 19 – March 26 at 7 pm

Wednesday, April 22 at 7 pm

The JCC Drum Circle

Scholar, author, and teacher Aviva Zornberg will speak on “Letter from an Unknown Woman: Joseph’s Dream.” Her new book is The Murmuring Deep: Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious.

With Shoshana Jedwab February 26, March 26 and April 23 at 8 pm

Tikkun Leil Shavuot Jewish Tradition and the Cycle of Life 6 Mondays, March 2 – April 20 at 7 pm (No class March 9 and 23)

Contemplative Writing With Sheila Lewis 3 Wednesdays, March 4 – 18 from 7:30 – 9 pm

Thursday May 28 Doors open at 9:30 pm Learn, laugh and nosh your way through an evening of music, film, dance, traditional (and not-so-traditional) study along with coffee, cheese cake and more! Educators and artists from New York and Israel will present engaging programs until sunrise in a contemporary twist on the age-old tradition of Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Free and open to everyone at every level of Jewish observance or knowledge.

Avivah Zornberg

Danny Matt

116 Johnson Road Falls Village, CT 06031 (800) 398-2630

Art Green

Boston

Phyllis Berman

395

Worcester

Reb Zalman

Springfield

Rhode Island

Laura Wetzler

Hartford

Miles Krassen

7 Massachusetts Connecticut

Shefa Gold

Bridgeport

New York

New York City

Back by popular demand:

Elat Chayyim Weeklong Retreats!

Isabella Freedman is located just two hours from New York City, three hours from Boston and one hour from the Bradley International Airport in Hartford. Shuttle service is available from the airport and from the Wassaic train station, the last stop on the Metro-North Harlem Line from New York City. Please visit our website for driving directions: www.isabellafreedman.org.

Adin Steinsaltz

Poughkeepsie

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Sylvia Boorstein

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Mt. Vernon

Taconic Sta r Hudson Rive

This catalog is printed on FSC-certified paper.