Nehirim | Women’s Retreat 2012

Come join a warm community of 80–100 LGBTQ Jewish women at the fourth annual Nehirim women’s retreat. Explore your connection to Jewish spirituality and community with a diverse, welcoming group of queer Jewish women!

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Join us for a weekend of rejuvenation, community, and fun, including:

Community: The Nehirim Women’s Retreat brings together 50-100 queer Jewish women (self-identified) of a wide variety of ages, religious affiliations (Orthodox, atheist, and everyone in between), family situations (singles, couples, families) and backgrounds. Children & non-Jewish partners are welcome. Ours is a warm, diverse, inclusive community.

Program: Our program features inspiring workshops, spiritual Shabbat services, and plenty of social activities and free time. We celebrate LGBT Jewish culture, spirituality, personal growth, and making new connections. There is something for everybody at Nehirim!

Accommodation: Our site is a gorgeous, comfortable, fully winterized, and fully kosher facility 3 hours from Boston and New York. Single rooms and amenities are available.

Registration & Pricing

Prices shown below are per person and include all room & board for two nights.

Dorm triple/quad (bathroom down the hall): $250

Economy (shared bath): Double $325, Single $375

Standard (private bath): Double $400, Single $450

Deluxe: Double: $475, Single: $525

Child: $150, Children 2 and under are free

We have a generous financial aid policy.

For Financial Aid Applications

Click Here.

To offer or request a ride to the retreat, visit our Ride Board.

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Children and Families

We are excited to again be offering a full children’s program this year — see last year’s schedule for a sense of what we offer. For times without programming (particularly in the evenings) we are happy to connect you to babysitters who have worked at Isabella Freedman before — please contact us at least 1 week in advance of the retreat to arrange this service. Babysitters charge $20/hr and parents may share babysitters as well. We expect between 10–15 children, aged 5–10, in the program, plus 4 teenage assistants. Please contact us at info@nehirim.org or 212-908-2515 for more information.

Our Faculty

Chani Getter, Retreat Director

Rabbi Molly G. Kane

Michelle Critin

Penina Weinberg

Rabbi Jill Hammer

Shoshana Jedwab

Eryca Kasse

Naomi Brussel

Last Year’s Schedule

Friday

2:00–4:00 Arrival, snacks, and registration

4:00–4:30 Opening Program | Kids help with name tags
4:30–5:00 Mikva / Preparing for Shabbat
5:15–6:45 Candlelighting & Friday Night Services
— Children’s Early Dinner
7:00–8:30 Shabbat Dinner
8:45–9:45 Mishpacha Groups
10:00–11:00 Evening Program: Sacred Creation: Holy Women Weavers and the Temple in Jerusalem

11:00–12:00 Late Night Program
— Tisch: enjoy drinks, snacks, and singing around the tisch (table) with Esther Smigel
— 12-Step Meeting Gella Solomon

Shabbat
7:30–8:15 Cold Breakfast available in dining hall
8:00–9:00 Qi Gong with Barbara Siminovich-Blok
8:00–9:00 Silent Meditation space
8:30–9:15 Breakfast

9:30–11:45 Shabbat Morning Davvening (Prayer)
— Traditional Davening Participant-led
— Renewal Davening with Rabbi Jill Hammer, Shoshana Jedwab, Shira Kline & Chani Getter
— Personal Prayer Space
— [Kids] Services, Kiddush & practice parsha play

11:45–12:00 Parsha Play starring the Nehirim Kids!
12:00–1:30 Lunch

1:45–2:45 Afternoon Session 1
— The Four Elements: Exploration of The Four Elements through Guided Visualization with Lizzie Kurtz
— Race and Judaism with Alana Krivo-Kaufman & Sasha Raskin
— Talking about God: Exploring Our Own Theologies with Gella Solomon
— [Kids] Books about “Joy” with with Joy and Laura!

3:00–4:00 Afternoon Session 2
— Women, Feminists, Lesbians, Queers: Creating Jewish Women’s Community
— Jewish Healing and Traditional Chinese Medicine
— Crafting Meaningful Midrosh & Aliyot for Saturday Morning Service

4:15–5:15 Afternoon Session 3
— Why we come out: as Jews, as Queer with Chani Getter
— 12 Step meeting with Gella Solomon
— Mincha (Participant-led)
— Hike (Participant-led)
— [Kids] Multi-Generational Felt/Fabric Joy creations workshop! with Laura Evonne Steinman and Eliza

5:15–6:15 Mishpacha Groups
6:30–7:45 Seudah Shlishit (Third meal/Dinner)
8:00–8:15 Maariv (Evening Service | Participant-led)
8:15–9:00 Havdalah & Dancing with Shira Kline & Shoshana Jedwab
9:30–10:30 Talent Show and Performance with Lizzie Kurtz
10:45–11:45 Smores around the Fire

Sunday
8:00–8:45 Morning spiritual practice
— Silent meditation space
— Qi Gong with Dr. Barbara Siminovich-Blok
— Shacharit (Morning Service | Participant-led)

8:30–9:30 Breakfast
9:30–10:30 Sunday Session 1
— Writing Workshop with Temma Ehrenfeld
— Is Your Cat Queer? A Playful and Maybe Deep Conversation-Game About Jewishness, Queerness, and Spirituality with Audrey Beth Stein
— Interfaith and LGBTQ Families: Resources and Connection-Building from JOI (Jewish Outreach Institute) with Chani Getter
— [Kids] Multi-Generational Community Art Project

10:45–11:45 Sunday session 2
— Poetry Reading: Coming to Life by Joy Ladin
— Inner Wisdom & Blessings with Judith Z. Miller
— [Kids] Multi-Generational Community Art Project

12:00–1:00 Closing Circle & Final Mishpacha group
1:00–2:00 Lunch
2:00 Tzeitchem L’Shalom! (Bon Voyage!)

Location and Transportation

The retreat will be held at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, CT. For directions and transportation information, please visit the Isabella Freedman website.

Isabella Freedman is easily accessible by train from New York, and is close to the Stewart International Airport in Hartford. To offer or request a ride to the retreat, visit our Ride Board. Isabella Freedman is also accessible by train from NYC. If you need to be picked up or dropped off at the Wassaic train station (for MetroNorth service from New York City), a shuttle will be made available for a $15 charge per person each way. Details will be posted in February.

For other pickup times or locations, Lakeville Taxi, (860) 435-8000, is available. Lakeville Taxi is a reservation service; 24 hours advance notice required, and reservations are nonrefundable within 24 hours.

If you would like more information, if you would like to volunteer to teach or lead services, or if your organization would like to cosponsor the retreat, you can always email us at info[at]nehirim.org.