Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center Catalog 2007

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center 2007 program catalog

New Programs for 2007 Jewish Arts Institute With Danny Maseng

page 9

page 22

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Retreat Re-imagining an ancient rite page 23 The ADAMAH Fellowship

Growing organic produce, Jewishly page 28

Senior Adult Vacation Center Back for its 50th year page 30

www.IsabellaFreedman.org

(800) 398–2630

Why Come to Isabella Freedman?

World-class teachers • Connection to nature Relaxation • Spiritual renewal • Time for yourself Engaging Jewish learning • Healthy, delicious, kosher food Community • Meditation • Family programs • Fun Yoga • Massage • Friendship

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Table of Contents Program Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7 Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality . . 9 Spring Retreats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Summer Retreats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Meditation Retreats and ECAMP. . . . . . 16 Yoga Training Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Jewish Arts Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Adventure . . . . . 23 Summer Registration & Guest Info . . . . . 25 Neshamah Summer Internship . . . . . . . 27 High Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

ADAMAH: The Jewish Environmental Fellowship 28 Senior Adult Vacation Center . . . . . . . . . . 30 Teva Learning Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Partner Organization Retreats. . . . . . . . . . 33 Renting Isabella Freedman . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

“Before I came to Isabella Freedman I thought my Jewish journey was over.

Now I know that it has just begun.”

—Sabrina Malach, Age 26, ADAMAH Fellow 2005 register by phone 800.398.2630

Message from the Directors Dear friends, To this end, it is our pleasure to share with you our 2007 Program Catalog, our most exciting and comprehensive calendar in our 113-year history, representing the largest selection of Jewish retreat programs in one place anywhere in the world. Our current retreat listings reflect recent significant programmatic growth and our merger with Elat Chayyim, the Jewish spiritual retreat center formerly located in Accord, New York. Our calendar also mirrors At Isabella Freedman, all of our programs are inspired by a the diversity and richness of the larger Jewish community. desire to cultivate the evolution of human consciousness.

We are proud that people from all walks of life — from This impulse is eloquently captured by the Jewish mystic nearly every Jewish background, sexual orientation, age Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook who in one of his many essays group, race and denominational affiliation — today call on spirituality wrote: Isabella Freedman home.

There is one who sings the song of one’s own life, Whether you are new to Isabella Freedman or have been and in it, finds full spiritual satisfaction.... coming here for years, we hope that you will find our retreat center a homecoming for body, mind and soul. We There is another who sings a song of his people. look forward to seeing you soon.

He leaves the circle of his own individual self because he finds it without sufficient breadth.... b’Shalom, There is another who reaches toward the more distant realms, going beyond the boundary of Israel to sing the song of humanity....

For over a century the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center has served as a place of restoration, connection and renewal for the Jewish community of North America. Tens of thousands have come to our campus in the Connecticut Berkshires to deepen and reinvent their relationship to Jewish tradition, to be part of a warm, open community, and to nurture their body, mind and spirit.

Then there is one who rises towards the wider horizons, until she links herself with all existence, with all God’s creatures....

Our highest hope is that your visit with us will enable you to hear your song more clearly, to sing it more often and to deepen its reach in the four worlds of self, community, humanity and creation.

Adam Berman Ari Weller Executive Director Associate Director, and

Director of the Elat Chayyim

Center for Jewish Spirituality

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Our Home Location

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. For questions about our dining services, please email: dining@ isabellafreedman.org.

Isabella Freedman is located near the small New England town of Falls Village, Connecticut, approximately two hours north of New York City and three hours west of 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, 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.

The Isabella Freedman kitchen is glatt kosher and under the strict supervision of the Hartford Kashrut Commission. An onsite mashgiach is present in the kitchen at all times. For kashrut questions, please email: kashrut@isabellafreedman.org.

Accommodations

Amenities

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 eleven 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. Rooms for people with disabilities are also available upon request.

Dining

We serve gourmet whole-foods 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, nearly all of our produce is grown on our own organic farm. High-quality vegetarian

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Kashrut

During your stay you can enjoy: • Hiking trails that connect to the Appalachian Trail • Our organic gardens and four-acre farm • Outdoor lake swimming and boating with lifeguard, in season • Outdoor pool with lifeguard, in season • Hot tub, open 24 hours a day, year-round • Tennis, volleyball and basketball courts • Indoor fitness room • Private massage and body work • Wi-Fi high-speed Internet access • Arts and crafts center • Fire circle for evening bonfire programs • Low elements ropes course for teambuilding 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

Surrounding Area

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, Connecticut, Isabella Freedman is only a short distance from the world-renowned cultural, historic and natural attractions of the beautiful Berkshires.

Commitment to Sustainability

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 our environment in mind. Non-toxic paints, cleaning products and finishes are used throughout the facility. Renewable energy technologies such as biodiesel (use and manufacturing), solar hot water and a small-scale hydroelectric turbine are utilized on the site. For an updated list of environmental projects and policies, please visit our website.

Isabella Freedman Program Calendar 2007 April 2–April 11, 2007

p. 30

Senior Passover Program

April 12–15, 2007

Spring Shabbaton

p.11

The Heart’s Wisdom: A Training in Sage-ing

p. 33

PANIM Retreat for Rabbis and Rabbinical Students

April 13–15

May 28–June 1

p. 10

Rabbi Shaya Isenberg, Lynne Iser and Bahira Sugarman featuring Rabbi Zalman SchachterShalomi via teleconference

Raziel and Efraim Eisen

May 28–June 1

p. 31

Elderhostel (Course #14740) Ken Libo

A World of Jewish Music

Rabbi David Zeller and Hannah Sara Zeller

Using and Misusing Jewish Jokes

June 18–24

Tom Friedmann

June 1–3, 2007 p. 31

Elderhostel (Course #14782)

Untold Stories in Jewish History Andree Brooks

Great American Songmakers: Blues, Ragtime and Tin Pan Alley Laura Wetzler

Into the Mystic: Uncovering the World of Jewish Mystical Thought

p. 10

Nehirim: GLBT Spiritual Retreat Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Jay Michaelson, Rabbi Jill Hammer, and many others

p. 12

Pathways to an Authentic Relationship with God MORNING CLASSES Dis-ease, Healing and Wholeness: Falling and Rising Higher

p. 11

Shavuot 5767/2007: Receiving the Torah of Today Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Eve Ilsen, with Rabbi David Ingber

May 27– August 28

p. 27

Neshamah Summer Internship

May 27–September 3

p. 28

ADAMAH Summer Fellowship

Contemplative Practice Week Two

Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher Training Institute: Week 1 Rabbi Miriam Klotz and Diane Bloomfield

Open Meditation Program: Awakening through Jewish Meditation Rabbis Alan Lew and Jeff Roth

The “I” of “I AM”: Radical Unity with the Divine in the Jewish Experience Rabbi David Ingber

Seeking Presence Through Movement and Prayer Julie Leavitt

May 20–25

p. 17

A NEW four-week Training Institute!

Rabbi David Zeller

Rabbi David Ingber

May 18–20

p. 33

Jewish Multiracial Network 10th Annual Retreat

June 4–10

Norman Fischer, Rabbi Joanna Katz, Rabbi Alan Lew and Rabbi Jeff Roth

Meditation, Movement and Creativity Retreat: Traditional and Innovative Practices in Silence

Rabbi Natan Margalit, Minna Bromberg, Lee Moore and Akiva Wharton

April 15–April 20

Contemplative Practice Week One A NEW four-week Training Institute!

Laura Wetzler

Walking to Sinai: Spiritual Practices to Get Us Up the Mountain

p. 16

Advanced Meditation Program (ECAMP): Week 1

Life on the Lower East Side

Aligning the Desires of Your Heart A Workshop for Couples

June 11–17

AFTERNOON CLASSES Facing the Living God: Developing an Authentic Relationship to Spirit Rabbi Tirzah Firestone and K’vod Wieder

Holy Closeness: Songs from the Well of Jewish Sacred World Music

2007 Senior Summer Vacations p.30 Trip One: Trip Two: Trip Three:

June 25 – July 8, 2007 July 9 – July 22, 2007 July 23 – Aug. 5, 2007

August 6–12

p. 18

MORNING CLASS Uniting Spirituality and Social Change: Learning from Heschel on Prayer, Pyramids and Politics Rabbi Arthur Waskow with Professor Susannah Heschel

Cantor Richard Kaplan

Taste and See that God Is Good: A Jewish Cleanse Workshop Ilana Fleisher-Margalit and Rabbi Natan Margalit

Discovering the Aleph-Bet: An Introduction to the Hebrew Language

AFTERNOON CLASS Liberty in the Land for All Her Inhabitants: Justice, Ecology, Sustainability and Human Rights Rabbi David Seidenberg

Deena Aranoff

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August 6–12

Training Institutes In-Progress

p. 18

Rabbi Jill Hammer and Holly Taya Shere

Jewish Shamanic Healing

The Jewish Arts Institute

Davennen’ Leadership Training Rabbi Marcia Prager, Cantor Jack Kessler and Rabbi Shawn Zevit

Kol Zimra Rabbi Shefa Gold, Rachmiel O’Regan and Phyllis Berman

p. 19

Sacred Earth Experiences A Taste of ADAMAH

Fall 2007 The Teva Learning Center

Torah Trek: A Five-Day Jewish Wilderness Experience

p. 24

MORNING CLASSES Making Parenting a Spiritual Practice

p. 20

Masters of Contemporary Kabbalah MORNING CLASSES The Spirit of Prophecy David Friedman

The Future of Judaism and the Evolution of Consciousness

Rabbi Howard Avruhm Addison and Dr. Barbara Eve Breitman

AFTERNOON CLASSES Exploring the Zohar Daniel and Hana Matt

Everything Is God, So What?

The Texts and Practices of Nondual Judaism Jay Michaelson

October 19–21 p. 30

The Influence of Yiddish Humor on American Popular Culture Ken Libo

Societal Issues as Seen in Jewish Wisdom

The Kabbalah of Peacemaking Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb

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The 16 Annual Jewish Men’s Retreat

October 25–28, 2007

p. 33

PANIM Retreats for Rabbis and Rabbinical Students

p. 33

Hazon Food Conference

Laura Wetzler

p. 33

Hazon NY Jewish Environmental Bike Ride Kickoff Weekend

p. 30

Elderhostel (Course #15085) Kabbalah in Music, Art, Literature and Film Laura Wetzler

The Making of the Modern Jew

Bernard Raab

p. 27

Shabbat Chanukah

Fabulous Showbiz Divas

The Jews of India and China

p. 27

th

December 6–9, 2007

Abraham Gittelson

Abraham Gittelson

p. 27

Rabbi Shefa Gold, Rabbi DovBer Pinson, Jodi Falk, Rabbi Daivd Ingber, Raziel and Efraim Eisen, and others

Elderhostel (Course #15082)

September 2– 7

September 21–23

SukkahFest 2007: For adults ages 21–39

with Chazzan Robert Esformes

Aug 31–Sept 1, 2007

Rabbi David Ingber and the Isabella Freedman Community

September 26–30

Voice of the Heart

Rabbi Moshe Aharon (Miles) Krassen

Listening for the “Torah Within”: An Introduction to Spiritual Direction

p. 27

Rosh Hashanah & Shabbat Shuvah

Rabbi David Ingber and the Isabella Freedman Community

Rabbis Nadya and Victor Gross

August 27– 31

September 12–16

Yom Kippur

Nancy Katz

Rabbi Mike Comins

p. 32

High Holiday Retreats

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Rabbi David Ingber, Andrew Stempel and Amelie Davidson

August 20–26

p. 28

ADAMAH Autumn Fellowship

Danny Maseng and others

AFTERNOON CLASS Art as a Mirror to the Soul

Rabbi Jill Hammer, Shamu Sadeh and Adam Berman

Sept. 9 – Dec. 16

A NEW four-week Training Institute!

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Retreat

Rabbi Gershon Winkler and Miriam Maron

August 13–19

p. 22

Music and Creative Writing: Week 1

Kohenet

August 13–19

August 20–26

December 17–23

p. 17

Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher Training Institute: Week 2 Rabbi Miriam Klotz and Diane Bloomfield

December 23-30 Open Meditation Retreat Rabbi David and Shoshana Cooper

December 30, 2007 – January 6, 2008

p. 16

Advanced Meditation Program (ECAMP): Week 2 Norman Fischer, Rabbi Joanna Katz, Rabbi Alan Lew and Rabbi Jeff Roth

“The meditation retreat I participated in radically changed my relationship to Judaism. For the first time, I experienced an approach to Judaism that felt alive and relevant to my life.”

—Simon Greer, Age 37, Executive Director, Jewish Funds for Justice

Photo and facing page: Shir-Yaakov Feinstein-Feit

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New Home, Same Vision The Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality is a living laboratory for the development and renewal of contemporary Jewish spiritual life. Elat Chayyim retreats are both grounded in tradition and responsive to the evolving spiritual needs of Jews today. The Center teaches experiential approaches to Jewish learning, ritual and prayer that help participants in their search to cultivate the awareness of the Divine presence in all aspects of life.

Elat Chayyim’s retreats welcome people from all backgrounds, including individuals with limited or no Jewish education, seekers who have walked other spiritual and religious paths and those who are traditionally observant.

Our faculty includes today’s most respected and innovative thinkers, authors, teachers, cantors and rabbis from across the Jewish denominational spectrum. Our 2007 program calendar features weekend and week-long workshops, professional training institutes, meditation retreats and holiday programs.

Photo: Jonathan Schachter

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A typical day on an Elat Chayyim retreat 6:30 am 7:00

8:00 9:00 Noon 2:00 pm 5:00

6:00 7:30

8:30

OPTIONAL MEDITATION OPTIONAL YOGA -or- MORNING PRAYER SERVICE BREAKFAST MORNING CLASS LUNCH AFTERNOON CLASS OPTIONAL YOGA -or- CONTEMPLATIVE HIKE DINNER MISHPACHA GROUPS (Facilitated small group discussions) EVENING PROGRAM (Music, lectures, bonfires, open mic, theatre & more)

Guests are welcome to take full advantage of site amenities during their stay (see p. 5 for a complete list).

Prayer on Elat Chayyim retreats is designed to provide an experience that opens the heart and facilitates connection to our deepest truths, to community and to the Divine.

Prayer services 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 provided. In the summer of 2007, we will also offer traditional egalitarian services during some weeks. Please contact the office for details.

April 13–15, 2007

Spring Shabbaton

co-sponsored by Hebrew College and Basherte

Aligning the Desires of Your Heart A Workshop for Couples Raziel and Efraim Eisen This course offers couples in committed relationships an opportunity to strengthen their connection to one another. In the supportive presence of other likeminded couples, you will learn new strategies for how to deepen your love, heighten your senses and expand your capacity for joy.

During the weekend, we will create a safe and intimate environment that allows you to focus on sharing with your partner. Communication processes and texts will be integrated with loving partner rituals, yoga, Shabbat magic and more. You will also explore the qualities of a successful relationship and the power of blessings. Aligning the Desires of Your Heart will help you feel renewed and uplifted, and more aligned in your commitment, passion and compassion as a couple.

Program fee: $225 per couple Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/couples

Walking to Sinai: Spiritual Practices to Get Us Up the Mountain Rabbi Natan Margalit, Minna Bromberg, Lee Moore and Akiva Wharton “Free yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds....” So sang Bob Marley, but it could have been a description of the period between Passover and Shavuot.

After leaving Egypt on Passover, we now are invited to take an inner journey to truly free our inner selves before we can receive our own Torah on the holiday of Shavuot, 50 days after Passover. This class will explore the depth of the ancient practice of counting the Omer and how we can use each day of the Omer as an opportunity for tikkun — repairing one aspect of our souls and personalities.

Join us for a weekend of ecstatic prayer, music and study of sacred texts to help free ourselves from whatever may hold us back from opening up to our purpose, our joy and our creativity.

Program fee: $150 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/walkingtosinai 10

May 18–20, 2007

Nehirim: GLBT Spiritual Retreat

Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Jay Michaelson Rabbi Jill Hammer, and many others The Nehirim Spiritual Retreat for GLBT Jews is a soulful, heartful gathering where you can relax and refresh, open your heart and explore your spiritual path in a welcoming, diverse and accepting community. For four years Nehirim has inspired a community of GLBT Jews of all ages, backgrounds and levels of observance to claim and celebrate their heritage.

This year’s retreat features a wide range of spiritual options from traditional Shabbat davening to meditation, yoga, drumming, hiking and dance. Workshops will be offered by Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Rabbi Jill Hammer, Jay Michaelson, Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ken Page, Judith Miller, Susan Bash, Shoshana Jedwab, David Berger and many more.

Program fee: $85 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/nehirim register online www.isabellafreedman.org

May 20–25, 2007

May 28–June 1, 2007

Shavuot 5767/2007: Receiving the Torah of Today

The Heart’s Wisdom: A Training in Sage-ing

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Eve Ilsen with Rabbi David Ingber

Rabbi Shaya Isenberg, Lynne Iser and Bahira Sugarman, featuring Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi via teleconference

co-sponsored by Kehilat Romemu

Children’s Program Available The holiday of Shavuot celebrates the revelation of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Jewish tradition also teaches that each generation receives its own Torah, a process that begins on Passover and culminates at Shavuot.

This year, with the need for repairing the world so great, we feel the need to receive Torah all the more urgently. During our five days together we will explore fresh perspectives of the Torah of our ancestors as well as open our minds and hearts to receive our own Torah of today. Through a combination of exercises, lectures, practices and discussion, we will prepare for and experience the Sinai of this moment.

Program fee: $350 Children’s program: $200 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/shavuot

A program of ALEPH

Traditional cultures teach that “acquiring a heart of wisdom,” as the psalm says, is the skill that is specific to eldering. This course will cultivate a paradigm shift from “age-ing” to “sage-ing,” providing skills to enable participants to embrace their elder years with anticipation and a sense of wholeness rather than with fear and denial. Learn how to transform your life’s experience into wisdom and live your days with meaning, joy and connection to the best within yourself.

This five-day workshop will include journal writing exercises, text study, interactive and individual meditations, movement and group sharing. The “sage-ing” tools practiced in this course come from Judaism, psychotherapy and contemporary integral teachings.

The course is appropriate for elders and their families, and professionals working with elders.

Program fee: $375 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/sageing

Photo: Jeremy Sparig

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Pathways to an Authentic Relationship with God June 4–10, 2007 co-sponsored by Hazon and Kehilat Romemu

MORNING CLASSES Dis-ease, Healing and Wholeness: Falling and Rising Higher Rabbi David Zeller Illness and health — falling down and rising up — are integral parts of the evolution of our life’s destiny and purpose. As we complete the mission of our soul, we may fall from our place of security, or get sick, forcing us to change our identity and direction and take on a new mission.

This class will explore Jewish mystical teachings and practices from Chassidut and Kabbalah. Through the teachings and practices of prayer, meditation and learning, we will come to a more expansive view of our own and others’ difficult life transitions. With a greater understanding and acceptance of the journey of our soul, we can meet our challenges with trust and joy.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/healing

The “I” of “I AM”: Radical Unity with the Divine in the Jewish Experience Rabbi David Ingber Many people experience the separation between humans and the Divine as a fundamental Jewish belief. The statement “I am God” could be considered at best arrogant, and at worst heretical. Amazingly, almost all esoteric traditions, including Jewish mysticism, assert that this very experience is a manifestation of the highest spiritual level one can achieve.

Through song, text and meditation we will sample different approaches to experiencing what the mystics describe as divine union, and explore sources and practices from the founder of Chabad, Reb Schneur Zalman, to the contemplative practice of Tibetan Dzogchen.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/iam

Seeking Presence Through Movement and Prayer Julie Leavitt Tired of engaging Judaism only through your head? Bring your whole self to this embodied class. Guided by the nurturing and gentle instruction of Julie Leavitt, tap into the wisdom of your body through the lens of Jewish tradition. Prepare to be surprised, healed and liberated through exploration of your own sacred vessel.

Modalities that will inform the class include dance and movement as liturgical prayer, physical expression of midrash, Authentic Movement as meditation and incorporating the body into text study.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/movement

ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF WEEK: Twice daily Open Yoga with Judith Dack Guided nature walks with Ari Weller

TAKE A SECOND CLASS FOR 50% OFF!

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register online www.isabellafreedman.org

AFTERNOON CLASSES Facing the Living God: Developing an Authentic Relationship to Spirit Rabbi Tirzah Firestone and K’vod Wieder Empowered by Abraham and Sarah’s legacy of iconoclasm, this course invites participants to break with antiquated ideologies about God and move freely toward a living experience of God. Drawing from Zohar, Chassidic masters and the work of Carl Jung, we will study the evolving image of God as expressed by the ancient Jewish tradition, as well as within our own evolving psyches.

Beginning with our earliest experiences and memories, the course will map the development of our personal God images to better understand how the divine “Urge to Wholeness” is calling us forward in our lives. Text study, active imagination and sacred theatre combine to help us hear the voice of God now, in the events of our lives, and in the life of our struggling planet, so that all of our actions might be permeated with clarity, purpose and meaning.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/living

Taste and See that God Is Good: A Jewish Cleanse Workshop Ilana Fleisher-Margalit and Rabbi Natan Margalit Learn how your daily meals can become a spiritual practice for feeding both body and soul. This workshop will integrate Jewish spiritual insights with the Heart of Nourishment CleanseTM developed by nourishment pioneer Halé Sofia Schatz.* In this supportive group experience, participants will have the opportunity to cleanse their body of toxins, cultivate holistic intentions and learn to listen to their body’s divine wisdom. Experience how good you can feel when your body is nourished with simple, whole foods in the appropriate combinations. The class will use the cleanse diet, meditation, movement, journaling and exploration of Jewish texts to help transform our relationship to food, the body, the natural environment and the Source of Life. *This cleanse is not appropriate for pregnant or nursing women or anybody with a serious illness. For more information about the Heart of Nourishment CleanseTM, visit www.heartofnourishment.com.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/tasteandsee

Holy Closeness: Songs from the Well of Discovering the Aleph-Bet: An Introduction to the Hebrew Language Jewish Sacred World Music Cantor Richard Kaplan This class will explore the rich tradition of music for d’vekut — the continual turning and returning in thought and feeling to our ultimate Source. Concentration will be on several musical meditations from the Jewish sacred music of Turkey, Salonica, Morocco, Andalusia and Eastern Europe. Studying teachings from Kabbalah and the Chassidic masters, we will contextualize these musical prayers of contemplation, devotion and surrender, ultimately allowing the music to be a powerful catalyst of spiritual connection.

All songs will be presented in their original languages, as well as in transliteration, English translation and in musical notation. The class will also share its music with the larger Isabella Freedman/Elat Chayyim community. No musical background necessary.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/sacredmusic

register by phone 800.398.2630

Deena Aranoff

Have you taken classes in Jewish studies but long for a more intensive experience? Have you discovered that despite the many hours you’ve spent at lectures and in synagogue, your connection to Judaism remains tenuous? Do you suspect that knowledge of Hebrew could deepen your relationship to Torah and the tradition?

This course will offer Hebrew language instruction of an unusual kind. Participants will spend the first part of the morning studying Hebrew with the aim of cultivating an intimate relationship with the Hebrew alphabet and its Biblical, rabbinic and mystical resonances. In the second part of the class, we will explore Talmudic, kabbalistic and modern philosophical discussions of the Hebrew language. These discussions will provide a unique entry into Jewish history and tradition. No prior Hebrew knowledge required.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/alephbet

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The Point of Jewish Meditation

by Norman Fischer Many of of us have lost touch with God. It’s normal to become distracted, lose our connection, which is why all of us — no matter who we are or how we behave — need to return. The need to return to God is not really a choice: it is built into our human make up and to our human consciousness, which can equally dread death and imagine eternity. It is also built into our human psyche — which perpetually desires and schemes and deceives — that we will constantly lose our connection to God. This is how I read the Adam and Eve story and the whole of the Torah. It is not really a question of sin and failure as we normally take it to be; rather it expresses the tragedy of the human condition. We are necessarily in a relationship with God because of what we are and we keep losing track of that relationship because of what we are. Israel means struggle.

Most people feel oppressed, understandably, by a relationship in which God seems like Big Daddy, the neurotic superego we all want to get out from under. On the deepest level this concept couldn’t be further from the truth. And this, I think, has been the purpose of the Jewish meditation movement — to bring our relationship to God, through meditation practice, to a deeper, more basic and more direct level.

At this deeper level we see that our human vulnerability, which causes us so much anxiety and fear, can only be healed by embracing a spaciousness within ourselves that includes that vulnerability yet extends beyond ourselves to reach a larger presence. Our consciousness is as God’s consciousness.

At the level of consciousness, which is being, we can meet God and be met by God, as Torah says Moses did, face to face as a friend. This is true teshuvah — to return to God face to face, to return to what we are, to bring the heart back from its inevitable wandering and lusting and wanting and scheming and worry and fear and allow it to rest in its basic nature, which is to love and be comforted by God. Meditation practice offers us a very concrete and realistic way to realize this profound and experiential truth.

When you meditate you will eventually get in touch with how much fear exists inside you. You get used to it, and sometimes you’re even willing to acknowledge it and express it. Over the years I’ve worked with people in spiritual practice I have observed this many times. People who function quite well, who live successful lives, even successful personal lives, tell me that deep down they are quite afraid. What do they fear? Life, death, failure, rejection, revealing who they really are, engaging their lives fully without holding back, loving wholeheartedly, never being able to love, never really being loved. Maybe they fear all of this or perhaps none of it, it’s hard to say. But the

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fear is quite real and it is fundamental. Fear is more than an emotion among other emotions. Where does fear come from? I think it comes from the structure of identity.

We all take for granted our sense of being someone. The body, the thoughts, feelings, desires, cherished viewpoints, relationships — all this is us. But all of it is actually pretty shaky stuff. The body ages and dies. The thoughts come and go and are most of the time boring or unreliable. The feelings are also unreliable and mostly unsatisfactory — and the ones we like we can’t produce at will, and when they do come they pass away all too quickly. Our viewpoints are mostly unexamined; it’s debatable whether we actually believe them, and our relationships are as apt to drive us crazy as make us happy. In other words, our identity is inherently dubious and entirely unstable. At the deepest levels of our psyche we know this and are afraid.

So we need to expand our identity. This is the only way to deal with our basic fear. When in meditation practice we open up through our fear and reach out to God; this is exactly what we are doing. We are saying, “Okay, my usual sense of identity works just fine to get me through the day, but in the dark of night, at the bottom of my heart, in life and death matters, which are always only a breath away, it doesn’t work.”

Here on my meditation cushion, in the stillness of my heart, what am I? I am one who is willing to admit my radical vulnerability and exactly because of it to reach out my hand to God as God’s friend and partner. I am a husband, a father, a mother, a wife, a worker, a fool maybe, a distracted person, but I am also God’s companion. I am God’s expression in this world. God alone is nothing, maybe with a capital N, but still nothing. God needs others, needs us, in order to realize God’s self. This is what Buber and Heschel have taught us: God creates a world as God’s expression. And God creates human beings in God’s image, that is, as conscious beings capable of profound mindful awareness, so that God can have someone to talk to. God talks because we are capable of listening.

That’s why the Shema is our central prayer. Listen. God is talking. Love God with all your heart and all your might and remain mindful of this everyday all day long. And God makes demands: live righteously, live profoundly, don’t forget who you are. Return over and over again to God. And we have to respond to God’s words and God’s demands. Big job.

Norman Fischer is the founder of Makor Or, the Jewish meditation center in San Francisco, and a co-facilitator of the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program, starting June 10th, p. 16

register online www.isabellafreedman.org

The purpose of Jewish meditation is to bring our relationship to God to a deeper, more basic and more direct level.

Photo: Rachel Barenblatt

register by phone 800.398.2630

15

Contemplative Practice Weeks June 11–17, 2007

Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program (ECAMP) New Training Institute beginning June 10th!

Norman Fischer, Rabbi Joanna Katz, Rabbi Alan Lew and Rabbi Jeff Roth We are delighted to announce the next cycle of our popular two-year meditation-training program beginning June 2007.

This contemplative training program includes four sevenday retreats that cultivate inner wisdom, open the heart to compassion and inspire selfreflection and personal transformation.

Each retreats is held in communal silence. Basic practice includes sitting, walking and eating meditation.

Contemplative davennen (prayer) takes place every morning and consists of a combination of kavvanot (intentions), chants and silence.

Program Dates Week 1: June 10-17, 2007 Week 2: December 30, 2007 – January 6, 2008 Week 3: June 8-15, 2008 Week 4: December 28, 2008 – January 4, 2009 How to Apply The program is open to anyone who has already sat at least one week-long retreat in silence. If you do not meet this requirement, you will need to receive the consent of the instructors. Please email ecamp@elatchayyim.org with any questions you might have about participation in the program.

Alumni of previous two-year meditation programs (MLT, JMAT and ECAMP) are welcome to attend any of the weeklong ECAMP retreats for a $300 program fee (plus room and board).

Training institute tuition: $1,700 ($1,050 deposit) Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/ecamp

June 11–17, 2007

Meditation, Movement, and Creativity: Traditional and Innovative Practices In Silence Rabbi David Zeller and Hannah Sara Zeller This seven-day silent meditation retreat will teach practices that lead to a deeper experience of the indwelling presence of God. Judaism teaches that creation flows from vision to form to substance — from God’s infinite thought to holy letters, to Torah, to our human forms and to all of life. Core techniques of this retreat will be rooted in traditional Jewish meditations using breath, mantra, guided imagery and Hebrew letters. They will also incorporate Torah-Yoga movement practices, which open and strengthen the body to receive Divine energy through the letters of the Aleph-Bet. For both beginner and advanced meditation practitioners.

Program fee: By donation Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/zeller

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register online www.isabellafreedman.org

June 18–24, 2007

Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher Training Institute

Awakening through Jewish Meditation Rabbis Alan Lew and Jeff Roth

New Training Institute beginning June 18 ! th

Rabbi Myriam Klotz and Diane Bloomfield This 18-month program provides instruction and certification for teachers to deepen and integrate their practice of hatha yoga and Judaism. The program is comprised of four seven-day intensive retreats, interim study courses and individualized programs that provide tools for integrating yoga and Jewish spirituality. Join a community of peers who seek to deepen their practice by focusing on aspects of Judaism that yoga teachers are most often called to explore: Jewish Holy Days, weekly Torah readings, Jewish prayer, Shabbat, Hebrew language and more.

Participants will spend significant time learning about middot (inner qualities) that we will want to embody as we teach. We reflect on ourselves, understanding that cultivation of the inner life and self-awareness are necessary components of becoming a Jewish spiritual teacher and leader. Those with experience teaching yoga or Jewish learning, and who are called to develop themselves as teachers of an integrated practice of both Torah and yoga, are encouraged to apply.

Graduates of this program will be able to teach their students ways to access and experience the depths of Jewish spirituality by bringing the wisdom of the body into the study of Jewish texts.

Bring awareness to the internal obstacles that impede openheartedness, and live life with more joy and compassion. This seven-day silent meditation retreat is open to both beginners and advanced practitioners and will concentrate on the practices and underpinnings of contemplative Jewish teachings informed by the four-worlds model of Jewish mysticism.

This retreat fosters a deep exploration of participants’ own lives and consciousness, bringing us to a greater experience of the Divine in our lives and in all things.

Silence is held throughout the retreat, including at meals and in the guest rooms. Practices such as mindfulness to breath and body sensations help us slow down, reconnect with ourselves and become conscious of inner states and experiences. Days are structured to include a contemplative morning prayer service, yoga, individual interviews with facilitators and evening teaching sessions. The week will culminate with a contemplative Shabbat.

Program fee: By donation Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/awakening

Program Dates Week 1: June 18-24, 2007 Week 2: December 17-23, 2007 Week 3: August 4-10, 2008 Week 4: December 15-22, 2008 Who Should Apply?

This training program encourages those called to develop themselves as teachers of an integrated practice of both Torah and yoga, and who want to connect with others who share that calling. Those with experience teaching yoga or Jewish studies should apply. Those who hope to teach in these areas will also benefit from the training. Diversity in approaches to both Judaism and yoga practice is honored. Everyone interested is encouraged to apply. Applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Training institute tuition: $1,400 ($900 deposit) Room and board options: page 25 Apply online: IsabellaFreedman.org/yoga/apply

register by phone 800.398.2630

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August 6–12, 2007

In-Progress Summer Training Institutes

Each Training Institute is a week-long retreat that is part of a four-week course taught over two years.

Kohenet Rabbi Jill Hammer and Holly Taya Shere Kohenet teaches Jewish women's spiritual leadership from an earth-honoring, feminist perspective.

IsabellaFreedman.org/ kohenet

Jewish Shamanic Healing Rabbi Gershon Winkler and Miriam Maron Explore ancient texts and oral traditions from a longneglected body of Jewish healing wisdom.

IsabellaFreedman.org/ shamanichealing

Davennen’ Leadership Training (DLTI)

A program of ALEPH Rabbi Marcia Prager and Rabbi Shawn Zevit Providing the skills to deepen the quality of communal prayer so that it activates the body, touches the heart, engages the mind and nourishes spiritual growth and insight.

Kol Zimra

A program of ALEPH Rabbi Shefa Gold, Rachmiel O’Regan and Phyllis Berman Kol Zimra is a professional chant leadership training course for rabbis, cantors, healers, ritual facilitators, lay leaders, meditation teachers and rosh chodesh leaders.

IsabellaFreedman.org/ kolzimra

IsabellaFreedman.org/dlti

August 6–12, 2007 co-sponsored by The Shalom Center Children’s program available

MORNING CLASS

AFTERNOON CLASS

Uniting Spirituality and Social Change: Liberty in the Land for All Her Inhabitants: Justice, Ecology, Learning from Heschel on Prayer, Sustainability and Human Rights Pyramids and Politics Rabbi Arthur Waskow with Professor Susannah Heschel

Rabbi David Seidenberg

This year is the centenary of the birth of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, the Polish Chassid whose spiritually rooted social action has deeply effected Jewish and Christian thought and behavior. Rabbi Heschel, who was a friend and coworker of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., taught that the prophets spoke of human suffering as God’s own suffering, prayer as the “song the universe sings to itself” and political activism as prayer. In this course, we will study how Rabbi Heschel grounded his political action in the Spirit and in the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, insisting that prayer address the God who suffers when human beings suffer.

Professor Susannah Heschel, Rabbi Heschel’s daughter and editor of a collection of his finest essays, will join the course as a visiting teacher.

This class will explore how human rights and ethics are grounded in the Torah’s concept of land rights and will look at ways to bring the integration of social justice and environmental stewardship to our work and to our communities. Sources will include Kabbalah, the Baal Shem Tov, Rebbe Nachman, the Izhbitzer, Aldo Leopold’s The Land Ethic and teachings from deep ecology and social ecology

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/liberty

ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF WEEK: Twice daily Open Yoga with Judith Dack Guided nature walks with Ari Weller

TAKE A SECOND CLASS FOR 50% OFF!

IsabellaFreedman.org/heschel 18

register online www.isabellafreedman.org

Sacred Earth Experiences

August 13–19, 2007

A Taste of ADAMAH

co-sponsored by HAZON Rabbi Jill Hammer, Shamu Sadeh and Adam Berman Join us for a taste of the ADAMAH program: five days of digging in Jewish tradition and in the soil.

The program will integrate study, working with our hands, and creative ritual aimed at restoring Jewish ecological wisdom. Learn to brew biodiesel fuel, grow organic vegetables on our five-acre farm, milk goats, make pickles and cheese and study our ancestral agricultural and Earth-based heritage.

During this week of the new moon of Elul, discover how the process of spiritual return is connected to the renewal of the ground.

Program fee: $450 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/tasteadamah

Photo: Rick Tyrseck

TorahTrek: A 5-Day Wilderness Experience Rabbi Mike Comins Join Rabbi Mike Comins for a week of inner and outer exploration in the exquisite Taconic State Park in Copake Falls, New York (pictured above). We will leave Isabella Freedman on Tuesday morning and return on Friday afternoon, spending four nights camping in the park. From the base camp we will take day hikes that explore one of New York’s most beautiful natural areas.

Shabbat will be spent camping at Isabella Freedman with the rest of the Elat Chayyim summer community.

The course will teach how to be fully present in the natural world through silent hiking, walking meditation and other mindfulness exercises on the trail. With Qigong-style moving meditation, we will learn to sense the shefa (divine energy) in God’s creation. In the heightened awareness of the sacred that wilderness evokes, we invite God’s presence through blessings, chant, Torah study, four-winds ceremony and prayer (contemplative and traditional). Each day will culminate in hitbodedut, safe and supervised alone time. There will also be time each day for personal prayer, journaling, yoga and general merry-making.

Appropriate for experienced campers and novices.

Program fee: $350 (includes food for the week) Camping and facilities fee: $300 IsabellaFreedman.org/torahtrek

register by phone 800.398.2630

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Masters of Contemporary Kabbalah August 13–19, 2007 Children’s program available

MORNING CLASSES The Spirit of Prophecy David Friedman This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Italian Kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the Ramchal). In honor of this occasion, this class will explore selected passages from some of the Ramchal’s least known Kabbalistic works. The emphasis will be on teachings about Divine Inspiration (ruach hakodesh) and prophecy. According to the Ramchal, prophecy is primarily a deep experience of connection (d’vekut) or alignment with the Divine, where one gains a clear insight into the purpose of Creation. He teaches that this prophecy is attainable by everyone.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/ramchal

Listening for the “Torah Within”: An Introduction to Spiritual Direction Rabbi Howard Avruhm Addison and Dr. Barbara Eve Breitman Psalm 40 describes our lives as sacred scrolls, with each of us personally embodying a Torah within.

Yet how might we regularly access this divine wisdom unique to each of us?

Spiritual direction (hashpa'ah) is both a traditional and an evolving Jewish practice. In individual and group settings, we will meet to explore our relationships with the Holy, expanding our awareness of the sacred dimensions that underlie both the ordinary and extraordinary events of life. Spiritual directors are companions who help seekers discern patterns, notice resistances and cultivate willingness along their spiritual journeys.

This class is an opportunity for rabbis, chaplains, psychotherapists, educators and others whose guidance is sought to glimpse this discipline and develop professional skills. Together we will examine the insights of Judaism and other traditions into spiritual guidance and explore the relationship between psychology and spirituality, contemplation and social conscience.

The Future of Judaism and The Evolution of Consciousness Rabbi Moshe Aharon (Miles) Krassen In this time of political and social turmoil, we need a way of seeing the world that allows our choices and actions to come from a high level of awareness. For Jews and Judaism to be able to respond to this necessary shift in consciousness, we need find a way to thoughtfully transcend and include the essential elements of our tradition.

In this class we will explore the transformational teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples, as well as contemporary voices speaking for a new level of consciousness. We will also explore practices that can support this evolved state of awareness and illuminate the relationship between divinity and the created world. Be prepared to soar on an adventure in thinking as we explore a new vision of Jewish tradition.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/evolution

Program Fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/levshomea 20

register online www.isabellafreedman.org

AFTERNOON CLASSES Exploring the Zohar Daniel and Hana Matt What exactly is the Zohar? Why is it considered the masterpiece of Kabbalah? How does it revolutionize Judaism? How can its deep, ancient wisdom transform us today? Daniel and Hana Matt will explore these questions with us, studying the teachings of the Zohar and engaging in spiritual practices to directly experience Divine Presence and deepen our spiritual lives.

The selections we will study are from Daniel’s groundbreaking translation and commentary—The Zohar: Pritzker Edition. Among the topics to be covered: the feminine aspect of God (Shekhinah), the mystical dimension of Torah, the radical idea that God needs us, the spiritual and psychological meaning of the ten sefirot (divine qualities), and Kabbalistic techniques of meditation.

Everything is God, So What? The Texts and Practices of Nondual Judaism Jay Michaelson You may have heard people say that “everything is God,” or that God is “Ein Sof,” without end. For many of us this offers a promise of liberation. But it also causes confusion. Does this mean God was in the gas chambers too?

And if God is everything, what’s the point of doing anything?

In this unique class, we will explore Jewish texts on nonduality, from Maimonides’ Guide to the Perplexed to the Zohar, writings of Moses Cordovero and the little-known teachings of Rabbi Aaron of Staroselse. We will compare these teachings with those of Tibetan Buddhism and Advaita.

Study will be balanced with practices of contemplation, inquiry, prayer and meditation. We will also explore a nondual approach to the mitzvot to cultivate a boundless awareness that is always available, omnipresent and, in a sense, the most obvious thing in the world — even though it’s really hard to say anything about it. If you’ve had some exposure to Kabbalah, Hasidism or nondual Buddhism, come deepen your understanding, practice and realization. Be prepared for surprise. Enlightenment is not what you think — and neither is God!

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/zohar

The Kabbalah of Peacemaking Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb This class will explore the spiritual foundations of peacemaking in ourselves and in the world through an examination of the core kabbalistic principles of hospitality, self-awakening, reconciliation and creative response to conflict. Using ritual, text study, practical kabbalah and storytelling, Rabbi Gottlieb will engage participants in a meaningful encounter with Jewish non-violence as a way of life. Open your heart and soul to becoming a Shomer Shalom (Guardian of the Peace) through the kabbalah of peacemaking.

Program fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/peacemaking

Program Fee: $300 Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/nondual

ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF WEEK: Twice daily Open Yoga with Judith Dack Guided nature walks with Ari Weller

TAKE A SECOND CLASS FOR 50% OFF! register by phone 800.398.2630

21

August 20–26, 2007 Children’s program available

NEW INSTITUTE!

The Jewish Arts Institute co-sponsored by Zeek

Directed by Danny Maseng with visiting faculty The Jewish Arts Institute (JAI) is an intensive four week program conducted over the course of two years. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and weaves together Judaism and art in all its forms including music, theatre, visual arts and creative writing.

The institute is designed to give Jewish artists and Jewish art educators ­­— working with diverse artistic media — the tools to successfully integrate their art, their Jewish identities, and spiritual journeys. The course will also offer instruction in effective, integrated teaching methodologies such as utilizing of the arts as a way to make Jewish learning compelling, relevant and fun. Each week-long retreat combines rigorous study, artistic exploration and community building.

Building a Network of Artists and Educators

Who Should Apply?

JAI is looking for open minded, intellectually curious individuals, willing to engage in a rigorous training seminar that promises to open new personal and professional pathways.

The institute is meant for Jewish artists and professionals involved in arts education, teachers and practitioners alike, who are dedicated to advancing the evolution of Jewish arts and Jewish arts education.

To apply, please complete the application available on-line at IsabellaFreedman.org/jewisharts. Space is limited and applicants must demonstrate their commitment to Jewish arts and/or Jewish arts education.

Faculty include Creative Writing: Professor Rick Chess of the University of North Carolina-Asheville and Jay Michaelson of Zeek Theatre: Aaron Davidman, Artistic Director of The Traveling Jewish Theatre, San Francisco Visual Arts: Ohad Shaltiel, Director of Special Education at the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art

Program Dates

Week 1: Music and Creative Writing Week 2: Visual Arts

Week 3: Theatre and Movement Week 4: Integration

Aug. 20–26, 2007 Jan. 7–13, 2008 Summer 2008 Winter 2009

The Jewish Art Institute's participant cohort will form a national network of leaders in the arts and arts education within the Jewish community. A list-serve, blog and other virtual community building technologies will support participant collaboration and connection between retreats and after the institute is completed.

Significant scholarship funding is available for tuition, room and board. Contact the registrar for more information.

The Jewish Arts Institute is made possible through a grant from the Mazer Family Fund of the UJA–Federation of New York.

Training institute tuition: $500 per week Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/jewisharts

Danny Maseng, JAI Director 22

register online www.isabellafreedman.org

August 20–26, 2007 Children’s Program Available

NEW PROGRAM!

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Family Retreat

co-sponsored by Moving Traditions and the Teva Learning Center Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Rabbi David Ingber, Andrew Stempel and Amelie Davidson For children (and their families) becoming bar/bat mitzvah between September 2007 and June 2009.

The B’nai Mitzvah Family Retreat (BMFR) rekindles the potency of the bar/bat mitzvah ritual as a rite of passage for adolescent Jews and their families.

This program is not a practical bar/bat mitzvah preparatory course but a spiritual journey for the entire family to develop a deeper, more personal relationship to Judaism.

Through an intensive week of programs for both teens and parents, BMFR will foster a child’s spiritual maturation during a critical time of development while helping families grow together through the shared experience of Judaism.

The Bar Mitzvah Family Retreat program is made possible through a grant from the UJA-Federation of New York.

register by phone 800.398.2630

Teens will have the opportunity to: • Deepen their understanding of bar/bat mitzvah as a rite of passage and many of the traditional components of the ritual • Explore their changing roles as they enter adolescence • Challenge themselves to push beyond their comfort zones physically and emotionally, socially and spiritually as individuals and as a group • Complete one or two creative projects that reflect their values through a Jewish lens • Experience Jewish prayer as a meaningful and relevant part of one’s expression in the world

Adults will have the opportunity to: • Become familiar with the options available to them in designing the form and content of the ritual (when applicable).

• Receive practical support in planning their ritual (when applicable).

• Explore how to best support their teens during this rite of passage while also making the bar/bat mitzvah meaningful for the parents • Explore their changing roles as their children enter adolescence.

Significant scholarship funding is available. Contact the registrar for more information.

Tuition: $195 per adult, $125 per child Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/bnaimitzvah

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Family Week August 20–26, 2007 co-sponsored by Congregation B’nai Jeshurun MORNING CLASSES

Making Parenting a Spiritual Practice Rabbis Nadya and Victor Gross Children come into this world bearing the wisdom gained in lifetimes lived before and the memory of God breathing life into them once again. Their greatest gift to us is to open our eyes to the unlimited potential and purity of the universe. Our greatest gift to them is to overcome our controlling need to shape them in our image. The spiritual practice of parenting seeks to create a safe, loving and supportive environment where these young beings can grow in conscious partnership with their Divine intention. When we learn to parent in this way, our homes are defined by love, authenticity and meaning. Come learn this practice, sourced in our rabbinic and mystical tradition, and find new joy and purpose in your relationships with your children.

Program fee: $300. Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/parenting

Voice of the Heart Cantor Robert Esformes Opening our blessed mouths to sing or chant, pray, intone or improvise, we can encounter the vast meanings and mysteries of sound — and the sacred Source from which our wisdom rises.

Through vocal games, guided practices, liturgy and love songs, this course will explore the link between sound and soulfulness, and the subtleties of the connections between the voice, the heart and the space of our expression. This workshop/playshop will deepen our personal pleasure in music-making and enhance our skills in leading public worship. Beginners and established singers are welcome.

Program fee: $300. Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/voice

AFTERNOON CLASS

Art as a Mirror to the Soul Nancy Katz Our tradition encourages us to be God’s partners in creation through our personal creative expression. This class will provide the space, time and materials for participants to visually journey and articulate their inner Spirit. Using oil pastels, collage materials and actual mirrors, we will reveal ourselves, to each other, and to ourselves in a safe and playful environment. Art phobics welcome!

Program fee: $300. Room and board options: page 25 IsabellaFreedman.org/mirror

ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF WEEK: Twice daily Open Yoga with Judith Dack Guided nature walks with Ari Weller TAKE A SECOND CLASS FOR 50% OFF!

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register online www.isabellafreedman.org

Elat Chayyim Registration and Guest Information Accommodations and Rates To calculate the cost of your stay, add the tuition (indicated with course description) and your room and meals fee (see chart). We offer a variety of housing accommodations that enable individuals with a wide range of financial capacities to participate in our programs.

Rooms are available as single, double or triple occupancy, with private, shared or hall bathrooms. Bedding 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 great overnight option. You must provide your own equipment. Showers and bathrooms are available for your use.

Commuters who live in the area and will not be sleeping at the Center pay a daily commuter’s fee, which covers meals and full access to site amenities during your program.

Non-meditation Retreats # of nights:

Meditation Retreats

Training Programs

1

2

3

4

5

6

5

7

12

6

w/ private bath & queen-sized bed

450

540

640

800

955

1,090

875

945

1,470

1,600

w/ private bath

375

465

595

700

830

965

750

795

1,270

1,450

w/ shared bath & queen-sized bed

375

465

595

700

830

965

750

795

1,270

1,450

w/ shared bath

325

375

495

550

655

725

625

695

925

925

w/ hall bath

235

275

350

425

470

545

550

595

725

750

220

280

385

460

550

610

550

720

1,045

1,025

350

410

475

535

450

595

895

925

350

410

475

535

450

595

895

925

295

395

425

495

410

525

695

725

205

295

360

425

350

475

595

700

235

310

370

430

375

495

725

725

175

265

340

410

295

395

550

650

145

200

250

300

225

300

475

550

Single Room

Double Room w/ private bath & queen-sized bed

Meals w/ private bath 195 255 Meals are included beginning with the arrival dinner through the closing w/ shared bath & 195 255 brunch or lunch. Isabella Freedman queen-sized bed serves a variety of healthy, delicious w/ shared bath 185 210 Glatt Kosher meals that are prepared only with the highest-quality ingrediw/ hall bath 135 175 ents. During the harvest season (June Triple Room to Oct.) much of the produce we use comes from our four-acre organic farm. w/ private bath 185 205 All meals have a vegetarian option, and w/ hall bath 110 150 all meat served during Elat Chayyim retreats is organic and free-range.

Tent/Commuter 75 125 Ingredients for all dishes are labeled at each meal for those with food allergies or special needs. If you have any additional questions about your dietary needs, please contact the retreat manage at (800) 398-2630 x312 well in advance of your retreat.

What’s included?

Prices include room, meals, prayer services, yoga classes, evening programs and full use of our facilities during the duration of your stay. All rates are per person. Preregistration is required for all visits.

Payment Options We have several payment options to accommodate your needs: 1. Pay the full amount at the time of registration.

2. Pay 50% upon registration and the remaining 50% within 48 hours of the first day of the retreat.

3. Pay 50% upon registration and the remaining 50% over a two- or four-month period.

Cancellation Policy Payments made will be refunded in full (less a $75 processing fee) if you cancel more than 30 days prior to retreat. If you cancel between 30 days and 1 day in advance, a non-refundable credit (less a $75 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 less than 24 hours in advance or on the workshop’s arrival day, if you do not show up, or if you leave a retreat early for any reason.

Isabella Freedman reserves the right to cancel any program at any time. In this event, you will receive a complete refund.

For transportation refunds: A full refund is available if you cancel at least three days (72 hours) in advance. No refund is available if less than three days notice is given.

register by phone 800.398.2630

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 triple rooms with hall baths for individuals, and double rooms with hall baths for couples or families. Financial aid is available by application at IsabellaFreedman.org/financialaid. Please note financial aid requests must be received at least three weeks prior to the retreat.

Student Aid Up to 50% scholarship on room and board is available for graduate students in rabbinical school, cantorial school or in Master’s degree programs in Jewish Studies.

Funding has been provided by both the Lasko and Grinspoon Foundations. To apply for this scholarship, please visit IsabellaFreedman.org/lasko.

Elat Chayyim Children’s Program Summer programs give children the gift of a joyous and engaging Jewish experience.

Our children’s program for children ages 4–14 years old provides a balance of creative learning, arts, sports and outdoor activities. Educators are trained to provide an emotionally safe environment to form a respectful and vibrant children’s community.

Depending on the number of children, two to three groups will be formed by age for the formal program. If you are interested in more information about the children’s program, please contact K’vod Wieder at kvod@isabellafreedman.org.

Children’s Program Dates for Spring/Summer 2007: May 20-25; August 6-12; August 13-19; August 20-26 Program Fee: $200 Babysitting: If you are interested in child care services for ages 1-4 years, please call (800) 398-2630 x307 at least three weeks in advance.

The fee is $12/hour for one child; $18/hour for two children.

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Arrival and Departure Check-In: Registration is between 2 pm and 5 pm on the first day of your retreat. Please do not arrive earlier than 2 pm as rooms are not guaranteed to be ready until 4 pm. Please let us know if you will be a late check-in.

High Holiday Retreats

Arrival dinner is usually held at 6 pm or 6:30 pm for weekday retreats, and at 7:30 pm or 8 pm on Shabbat.

There will be guest orientation sessions either before or after dinner and will be posted upon arrival.

Check-out: We request that all departing guests vacate their rooms by 8 am so that we may prepare for incoming participants. Programs are typically over between 11 pm and 2 pm on the final day, and include either a lunch or brunch. The specific details and times for your retreat will be included in your confirmation letter.

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, tallesim, tefillin, etc.) is optional.

Many people wear white on Shabbat and holidays.

Prayer books are provided, though you may choose to bring your own.

The Isabella Freedman Bookstore The bookstore is a resource center for the furtherance of Jewish spirituality, learning and culture. Along with books and inspirational music, you will find beautiful hand-woven kipot, tallisim, jewelry and other hand-made crafts. The store also carries a limited supply of scent-free toiletry products if you forget yours.

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.

Joyful Service Joyful service is a wonderful way to give back to our community. We are always in need of helping hands in the kitchen, dining room and housekeeping. Please sign up at the registration table when you arrive.

Emergency Messages Emergency messages may be left for you at (800) 398-2630 x303. Messages left after 10 pm will be heard the next morning at 9 am. Please use this number for emergencies only.

A Few Requests Silence: We practice silence from wakeup through breakfast during most 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. Some products are available in our bookstore.

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register online www.isabellafreedman.org

September 12–16, 2007

Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat Shuvah September 21–23, 2007

Yom Kippur

Sponsored by Romemu Rabbi David Ingber and the Isabella Freedman Community Welcome the New Year with inspiring services, deep Torah discussions and a variety of alternative programming including yoga and meditation, guided nature walks, farm tours, canoeing, late night song sessions and much more.

Rosh Hashanah, Shabbat Shuvah and Yom Kippur services and Torah study will be led by Rabbi David Ingber and will reflect his multidenominational training. Services will follow the traditional structure of the liturgy, yet will include meditation, chanting and musical instruments.

Children are welcome and there will be children’s programing available during specific times. At all other times, parents must supervise their children.

Rosh Hashanah with Shabbat Shuvah program fee: $135 Yom Kippur program fee: $110 Room and board options: page 25

September 26–30, 2007

Sukkahfest 2007: for adults ages 21-39 Sponsored by Basherte, Iyyun, Hazon, ALEPH, B'nai Jeshurun, and Romemu

Rabbi Shefa Gold, Rabbi DovBer Pinson, Jodi Falk, Rabbi David Ingber, and Raziel and Efraim Eisen (Basherte) Spend the glorious festival of Sukkot on a four-night retreat among a community of peers. Learn with leading Jewish scholars. Dine in our sukkah by the lake. Practice yoga and meditation. Soak in the hot tub. Work on our organic farm. Canoe on the Housatonic River. Hike the Appalachian Trail.

Both traditional/orthodox and renewal/contemplative services will be offered.

Program fee: $125 Weekend program fee: $100 Room and board options: page 25

October 19–21, 2007

16th Annual Jewish Men's Retreat This annual retreat will celebrate masculinity through ecstatic Shabbat prayer, contemplative practice, Jewish learning, music, and the arts. The weekend will honor the tapestry of past experiences and re-weave a way of being for the future. This retreat is made up of an intergenerational group of men, and welcomes everyone regardless of observance level or Jewish background.

Neshamah Summer Internship Program This three-month program (5/27–8/28, 2007) incorporates indepth spiritual practice, service to the retreat center, and a loving and inclusive community in which participants can experience a deeper depth of spiritual connection to Jewish tradition. In exchange for working for the center, participants take courses during the Elat Chayyim and Senior Adult Camp summer program, learn to build community, and study with leading Jewish spiritual teachers.

register by phone 800.398.2630

Interns generally range in age from 20s to 60s. They come from all over the world and from diverse backgrounds with different levels of Jewish education and practice. It is important that interested applicants are familiar and comfortable with Elat Chayyim's practices;, willingness and ability to work hard and to see work itself as a spiritual practice; a desire to create a respectful and caring community among interns and other staff.

To apply or for more information, please visit IsabellaFreedman.org/internship

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ADAMAH The Jewish Environmental Fellowship

ADAMAH is a three month leadership training program for Jewish young adults — ages 20 to 29 — that integrates organic farming, sustainable living, Jewish learning, teaching and contemplative spiritual practice. Fellows spend much of their time learning and practicing sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry on the four-acre ADAMAH farm and in small gardens throughout the retreat center. Fellows also participate in leadership training, community living and ecological and Jewish learning seminars with visiting faculty.

2007 Fellowships

Summer: May 27 to September 3 Fall: September 9 to December 16 Applications for 2007 ADAMAH fellowships are accepted on a rolling basis. The 2007 program can accommodate 14 Summer Fellows and 14 Fall Fellows. There is no cost to participate in ADAMAH. To learn more about ADAMAH and to download an application, please visit IsabellaFreedman.org/adamah or contact Shamu Sadeh at adamah@isabellafreedman.org.

ADAMAH provided the leadership, structure and community that enabled me to re-awaken to Judaism in a profound and lasting way.

—Adina Allen, Berkeley, California

The ADAMAH Fellowship is made possible through the financial support of the following individuals and foundations: UJA-Federation of New York, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Dorot Foundation, Hazon, Aaron and Rita Berman, Laura Rothschild, Lisa and Maury Friedman Foundation, Jake Kriger, David Berman and Robert Reid.

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register online www.isabellafreedman.org

Why Jewish Farming? a message from Shamu Sadeh, ADAMAH Program Director For the ADAMAH community, Jewish farming involves a three-way relationship between humans, the Earth and God. Jewish farming must be practiced in ways that honor each of these three partners. We are Jewish farmers because we donate part of our harvest to the hungry, because we give ourselves and the land rest on Shabbat, because we spray no poisons, and because we recite blessings when we eat of our harvest.

At its core, Jewish farming is informed by the essential Torah principle which teaches that humans do not own the land but rather serve as stewards of God’s earth. We strive to work the soil and tend to plants and animals in ways that acknowledge and sanctify the Source of Life, ways that protect the land, and ways that promote justice in the world.

The ADAMAH Teen Institute (ATI) In the summer of 2004, Isabella Freedman piloted the ADAMAH Teen Institute. Over 100 teens from New York City participated in this six-day program that integrates organic farming and environmental study with group building, Jewish learning, outdoor adventure and community service. Adult ADAMAH Fellows serve as the primary teaching staff for ATI. During their stay at Freedman, ATI participants live in k'far adamah, our teen village, which consists of four rustic cabins. Isabella Freedman is currently raising funds to complete construction of this village which still needs a septic system, dining facility and bath house. We hope to complete construction and re-launch this exciting program in the summer of 2008.

The spirit of the ADAMAH staff was infectious.

They, and the program itself, are role models for the values we are trying to instill in our kids. At the ADAMAH Teen Institute, our group came together in an incredibly deep way. The impact lasted all summer.

—Tamar Field nd Director, Tiyul, 92 St. Y, Pilot ATI Chaperone

The Produce of the Land Each year, the ADAMAH sadeh (field) produces over 20,000 pounds of produce. Most is consumed in the Isabella Freedman dining hall. Some is used in to make pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi and other products for sale in the Isabella Freedman bookstore. Also, at least 10% of the annual harvest of donated to local soup kitchens.

register by phone 800.398.2630

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Senior Adult Vacation Center Youthfulness is ageless when you are passionate about life!

For over 50 years our Summer Vacations, Elderhostels and Passover Retreat programs have been winning rave reviews and repeat attendance. Our vacations for senior adults, ages 55 and older, promise fun, connection, enriching Jewish experiences and a whole lot more.

Summer Vacations Stroll down a country lane. Listen to classical music under the stars at Tanglewood. Celebrate Shabbat as the sun sets over the Berkshire mountains. Explore your creative side with a range of arts during the day, and live entertainment at night.

Or simply relax with friends for games in the lounge and conversations in the gazebo.

At Isabella Freedman, there is never a dull moment. On any given day, there are dozens of options for spending your time.

Join us this summer and enjoy: • Trips to Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Music Mountain, the Norman Rockwell Museum and other cultural attractions • Seminars in Jewish history, literature, theater, music, humor and more • Shabbat services and Jewish learning experiences in our glass-walled synagogue • Live entertainment, folk dancing, arts and crafts, computer classes, bridge lessons, • Fitness center, 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

2007 Senior Summer Vacations Trip One: Trip Two: Trip Three:

June 25 to July 8, 2007 July 9 to 22, 2007 July 23 to August 5, 2007

Transportation in air-conditioned buses is provided at no cost from New York City.

Passover

April 2–11, 2007

Why cook, clean, and kasher? We invite you to focus instead on the celebration and spirituality of the festival. Enjoy a rich, Kosher for Passover program in a community of peers, all 55 or older.

Between our wonderful, traditionally-lead prayer services and seders, enjoy fabulous activities — from lectures to performances by local and nationally renowned entertainers, arts and crafts, Israeli dancing and boating on our lake.

During your stay, you may also participate in trips to local points of interest such as the charming town of Kent, Connecticut, and the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Transportation in air-conditioned buses provided at no cost from New York City.

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register online www.isabellafreedman.org

Elderhostels

Take an exciting journey into Jewish life and culture by attending an Elderhostel program. Elderhostel courses feature three different lecture series over a five- or six-day period.

You will have the opportunity to attend at least three different lectures each day. 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 any of the numerous nearby cultural and natural attractions the Berkshires have to offer. A varied program of professional entertainment is also offered each evening.

2007 Course Offerings April 15–20 (Course #14782) Untold Stories in Jewish History Andree Brooks

Great American Songmakers: Blues, Ragtime & Tin Pan Alley Laura Wetzler

Into the Mystic: Uncovering the World of Jewish Mystical Thought Rabbi David Ingber

May 28–June 1 (Course #14740) Life on the Lower East Side Ken Libo

A World of Jewish Music Laura Wetzler

Using and Misusing Jewish Jokes Tom Friedmann

August 27–31 (Course #15082) The Influence of Yiddish Humor on American Popular Culture Ken Libo

Societal Issues as Seen in Jewish Wisdom Abraham Gittelson

Fabulous Showbiz Divas Laura Wetzler

September 2–7 (Course #15085) Kabbalah in Music, Art, Literature and Film Laura Wetzler

The Making of the Modern Jew Abraham Gittelson

The Jews of India and China Bernard Raab

For More Information To request a registration form or for more information about any senior program, including prices, availability and scholarships, please contact us at (212) 242-5586, or visit us online at www.isabellafreedman.org.

To register for an Elderhostel course, call Elderhostel directly at (877) 426-8056, or visit www.elderhostel.org. Use the course numbers listed above to identify each program.

register by phone 800.398.2630

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Isabella Freedman has been the fall home of the Teva Learning Center since its founding in 1994. Since then, over 15,000 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 or family retreat, please contact Teva at (212) 807-6376 or visit www.tevacenter.org.

June 4-8, 2007 at Surprise Lake Camp

The 13th Annual Jewish Environmental Education Seminar This seminar is an innovative professional development opportunity for those interested in integrating environmental consciousness, camping or gardening into Jewish education. Through workshops with leading Torah scholars, scientists, educators and activists, you will gain the skills to bring excitement and vibrancy to myriad formal and informal Jewish educational settings. No previous environmental knowledge is necessary.

The Teva Learning Center is a program of Surprise Lake Camp.

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register online www.isabellafreedman.org

Partner Organization Retreats June 1–3, 2007

Jewish Multiracial Network 10th Annual Retreat Join dozens of other Jewish multiracial and multicultural families to celebrate Shabbat and the diversity of our community together. Join discussions, participate in rousing song sessions and perform in our family talent show. Or just relax and take advantage of all that the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center has to offer. To learn more visit: JewishMultiracialNetwork.org. To register, contact Cynthia Weinger at (212) 242-5582 or download a registration form online.

Aug 31–Sept 1, 2007

Hazon Bike Ride Kickoff Weekend The Hazon Jewish Environmental Bike Ride kicks off with an extraordinary shabbaton at Isabella Freedman. More than 200 riders then make the 120-mile, two-day trek to New York City. The weekend and the ride bring together Jews of all ages and 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. For more information, visit www.hazon.org.

April 12–15, 2007 October 25–28, 2007

PANIM Retreats for Rabbis and Rabbinical Students Twice a year, PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values sponsors a four-day retreat for rabbinical students from across the denominational spectrum. The retreats are based on two groundbreaking books authored by PANIM president, Rabbi Sid Schwarz. The spring retreat is on “Spirituality, Social Justice and the Rabbinate” and is based on Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World (Jewish Lights, 2006). The fall retreat is on “Re-imagining the American Synagogue” and is based on Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews can Transform the American Synagogue (Jewish Lights, 2000). For more information, visit www.panim.org.

Photo: Donna Foster

December 6–9, 2007 (Shabbat Chanukah)

Hazon Food Conference

Join Hazon for the 2nd annual conference on Jews, Food and Contemporary Life. Hazon is at the forefront of an emerging new Jewish food movement and this conference is quickly becoming the single best place to talk about contemporary food issues in a Jewish context. This familyfriendly conference offers a mixture of engaging speakers, panels, hands-on workshops, cooking demonstrations and opportunities for collective and individual Jewish learning and prayer. Come and celebrate Shabbat Chanukah and be inspired by the “food for Jewish thought.” For more information, visit www.hazon.org.

Fall 2007

The Teva Learning Center Isabella Freedman has been the fall home of the Teva Learning Center since the program’s founding in 1994.

Since then, over 15,000 students from Jewish day schools throughout New England and New York have participated in its dynamic experiential programs, which combine ecology, Jewish environmental ethics and environmental activism. Teva educators are also available to teach during retreat weekends.

For more information, see the facing page, or visit www.tevacenter.org.

register by phone 800.398.2630

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Organizations that have held retreats at Isabella freedman in recent years: American Jewish World Service Anshe Chesed B’nai Jeshurun Bais Chana Basherte Board of Jewish Education The Bronfman Youth Fellowship Conservative Synagogue of Jamaica Estates Dorot Foundation Dorshei Tzedek Hazon Harold Grinspoon Foundation Hebrew High School of New England Hebrew High School of West Hartford Hebrew Institute of White Plains Hillel of New York Isralight Jewish Life Network Jewish Funders Network Jewish Coalition for Service JCH of Bensonhurst Jewish Theological Seminary Kane Street Synagogue Mayanot The Meaningful Life Center Nesiya Institute New Hyde Park Synagogue 92nd Street YMCA Panim Ramaz School Reconstructionist Federation of New England Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy Society for the Advancement of Judaism Solomon Schechter of Long Island Temple Emunah United Synagogue Youth Upper West Side JCC UJA-Federation of New York Woodbury Jewish Federation Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Young Israel of New Hyde Park 34

Renting Isabella Freedman

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 page 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 web site.

For rates and availability, contact Adam Berman at (860) 824-5991 x305 or by email at rentals@isabellafreedman.org.

register online www.isabellafreedman.org

Isabella Freedman Board of Directors President: Laura Rothschild Vice President: Sharon Strassfeld Vice President: Nigel Savage Treasurer: Rachel Schneider Secretary: Michael Salzhauer Marilyn Marcus Alper Peter Bregman Enid Fisher Gene Fleishman Evan Friedman

Marty Friedman Joan Ilivicky Goldstein Lynne Iser Saul Kaiserman Ira Pierce

Roni Posner Steffie Riesel Laura Rothschild Mark Russo Michael Salzhauer

Helen Samuels Nigel Savage Rachel Schneider Ellen Sosnow Sharon Strassfeld

Isabella Freedman Staff Adam Berman Executive Director

Al Marciano Maintenance Director

Shir Yaakov Feinstein-Feit Communications Director

Ari Weller Associate Director/ Elat Chayyim Director

Cynthia Weinger Assistant Director/ Senior Programs

Ben Appelle Bookstore Manager

Michelle Ores Development Director

Olga Permitina Program Assistant

Rosalie Bouchard Chief Financial Officer

Vlastimil Valasek Retreat Manager

K'vod Wieder Program Director

Tamuz Shiran Retreat Manager Annie Gilbert Registrar

Shamu Sadeh ADAMAH Director Naftali Hanau ADAMAH Staff Josh Rosenstein ADAMAH Staff "Super" Ben Rosenthal Special Projects

The work of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center is made possible through the generosity of the following individuals and foundations. (Contributions over $1,000 since Sept. 2006) Marilyn Alper Rita Aranow Blair Axel Phyllis Bass Abraham Berkovits Aaron and Rita Berman David Berman Joshua Berman Reena Bernards Jeffrey Bolton Ezra Buchwald Joel Caplan Casey Cogut Eli & Bess Cohen Foundation Jonathan Cohen

Steven Cohn Warren and Dana Cohn Nathan Cummings Foundation David A.Cooper Mark Dorf Dorot Foundation Tamar Earnest Paul and Joanne Egerman Mark Finkelstein Enid Fisher SS Fisher Foundation Marty Friedman Kenneth Friedman

register by phone 800.398.2630

Evan Friedman Everett and Mary Gendler Gerry Golden Harold Grinspoon Richard Hirsch Joseph Hofheimer Lawson Hughes Myron and Annette Kaplan Simon Katz Barbara Katzander Paul Kiesel Jake Kriger Lasko Joint Investments Neal Lerner

Michael Levine Jeff Lewis Ruth Lindenbaum Benjamin Marks Peter May Michelle Ores Ira Pierce Anthony and Dale Piro The Rita Poretsky Foundation Roni Posner George Prussin Stephanie Riesel Rob Rosen Laura Rothschild John Ruark

Mark Russo Saal Family Foundation Ira Sahlman Michael Salzhauer Helen Samuels Nigel Savage Rachel Schneider Chip Schorin Richard Shuster Julie Smith Ellen Sosnow Juliet Spitzer Ronald Stein Sharon Strassfeld Swirnow Charitable Foundation

Elliot Taft Tides Foundation Marc Utay Charles and Judith Weinberg Jeff Weinberger Michael Weisberg Ron & Vicki Weller Westchester Reform Temple Gary Wexler Gary Yarus Michael and Leigh Ziegler Seymour Zises Audrey Zucker

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High Holiday Retreats Fill Up Weeks in Advance.

Register Today!

Rosh Hashanah September 12–16, 2007 Yom Kippur September 21–23, 2007 SukkahFest 2007 October 26–30, 2007

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New York

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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 web site for driving directions: www.isabellafreedman.org

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center 116 Johnson Road Falls Village, CT 06031–1619

Printed on 50% recycled paper with 15% post-consumer content

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