Fifth Annual Carlebach Conference
The Way of the Baal Shem Tov
November 28 - 30, 2008
Co-sponsored by the Carlebach Shul
Join Rabbi Citron and other leading teachers from the worldwide Carlebach community for wisdom teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism. Explore and engage in the Baal Shem Tov’s philosophy and practices of meditation, song, story telling and joyful Shabbat services.
Yehuda Green will be featured in a special concert on Motzei Shabbat.
A special children's program will be led by Levi Welton and friends.
Teachers
Rabbi Naftali Citron is the rabbi of The Carlebach Shul, a center for thousands of people worldwide where he continues the Carlebach tradition of deep Torah learning combined with psychological insights. Rabbi Citron was ordained by the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn and has had the privilege of studying Talmud and Jewish Mysticism with some of the greatest teachers of the late 20th century. With expertise in Kabbalah and Chassidut, he has a unique ability to make complex mystical concepts relevant to our lives today. Reb Naftali's approach to Judaism is infused with a joyful spirituality in the service of G-d inspired by the legacy of his late grandfather, Reb Eli Chaim Carlebach, z”l, and his late great-uncle, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z”l.
Rabbi Nehemia Polen is Professor of Jewish Thought and the Director of the Hasidic Text institute at Boston's Hebrew College. He has authored several books including The Holy Fire: The Teachings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto and Filling Words with Light: Hasidic and Mystical Perspectives on Jewish Prayer (co-authored with Lawrence Kushner). Rabbi Polen is an exceptional teacher, blending academic scholarship with spiritual practice.
Rabbi Avraham Sutton teaches Torah, Kabbalah, Talmud, Midrash, Chassidut, prayer and meditation. He has translated, edited and/or authored over 15 major works on the significance of Torah for our age, including Innerspace: Introduction to Kabbalah Meditation and Prophecy from the transcripts of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, z”l. Rabbi Sutton spent many years studying under some of Jerusalem's finest teachers and is appreciated for the intense d'veikus (spiritual yearnings) that permeate his presentations.
Rabbi Sholom Brodt, a Judaic studies teacher, storyteller and student of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, z”l, has been teaching in diverse Jewish communities for thirty years. Sholom is a visiting rabbi to the Jewish community in Montpelier, VT and a teacher at the Conference of Rural Judaism, where he leads workshops, tells Chassidic stories and conducts services. Sholom is committed to working for the unity of the Jewish people, believing it is vital that we share, study Torah and celebrate together.
Ruchama King Feuerman is an acclaimed writer and teacher who studied and taught Torah to women in Israel for ten years. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Hamodia, and Midstream. Her acclaimed novel, Seven Blessings, which tells the story of singles seeking romantic and spiritual connections in Jerusalem, was hailed in The New York Times for its depiction of "The Revolution in Women's Learning Among Ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Yehuda Green, the chazan at The Carlebach Shul, recently released his debut album Land of our Soul. Yehuda performs to sold out audiences and is shaking up the Jewish Music world with his sweet and enthusiastic style. Yehudah received his first exposure to the music of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z”l, at the age of five. Rather than imitate Reb Shlomo's soulfulness, Yehuda's youthful innocence and exuberance enabled him to absorb its essence into his "musical DNA" and ultimately into his signature performance style.
Rachel Ravitz and Mattisyahu Brown were married soon after they started their first musical collaboration. Fourteen years later, they continue to harmonize, compose and perform new Jewish melodies. They are currently recording a CD of original Jewish music. Rachel is a singer and storyteller in the Chasidic tradition of Reb Shlomo. Mattisyahu is an editor of Jewish books, and a Ba'al Tefillah for various congregations, including the Soho Synagogue.
Registration Information
The program fee for this class is $125. Fees are per person, and do not include the cost of Room and Board (below). We strive to make our programs affordable to everyone. For information about Financial Assistance, please see below.
Room and Board
Room and board includes housing, meals, evening activities, hot tub, yoga, meditation, and full use of our facility. All rooms are air-conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. Adults fees apply to ages 18 and higher. Rates are per person, and include all meals. For double or triple occupancy, you may either request a roommate, or be matched with one by our staff.
Deluxe rooms
Deluxe rooms have private bathrooms. Single and double occupancy are provided with queen-sized beds, triple occupancy has twin beds. Handicap accessibility available, please call (800) 398-2630 x307.
| Deluxe Rooms |
Two
Nights |
| Single Occupancy |
560 |
| Double Occupancy |
340 |
| Triple Occupancy |
230 |
Plus rooms
Plus rooms have private bathrooms.
| Plus Rooms |
Two
Nights |
| Single Occupancy |
480 |
| Double Occupancy |
290 |
| Triple Occupancy |
190 |
Standard rooms
Standard rooms share a bathroom with one other room.
| Standard Rooms |
Two
Nights |
| Single Occupancy |
400 |
| Double Occupancy |
240 |
Economy rooms
Economy rooms have twin beds with the bathroom in the hall.
| Economy Rooms |
Two
Nights |
| Single Occupancy |
310 |
| Double Occupancy |
190 |
Dormitory rooms
Dormitory rooms are either triple or quadruple occupancy with bunk beds and bathrooms on the hall.
Camping
Campers supply their own tents and equipment and have access to bathrooms and showers. Camping fee includes all meals and snacks, use of the facility and its amenities, and participation in any open programming provided, such as prayer, meditation, or yoga.
Commuter
The commuter fee includes all meals and snacks, use of the facility and its amenities, and participation in any open programming provided, such as prayer, meditation, or yoga.
Children's Rates
Infants and toddlers under three are complimentary. Children aged 3-17 are welcome to share the room with at least one parent or guardian per room.
| Children's Rates |
Two
Nights |
| Children |
90 |
Financial Assistance
Financial Aid for Room and Board
We provide limited scholarship funding to reduce room and board fees for those in extreme financial need. Financial aid is only available for dormitory rooms with hall baths for single adults and economy rooms for couples and families. If you would like to request financial aid, please complete the financial aid form. Please note financial aid requests must be received at least three weeks prior to the retreat.
Financial Aid for the Jewish Arts Institute
Register for the Jewish Arts Institute by December 12 and come for as little as $500 total! A grant from the Mazer Family Fund of UJA-New York covers up to 50% of the program fee for the Jewish Arts Institute. To apply for this grant, please complete the financial aid form.
The Harold Grinspoon Foundation's
Jewish Experience Fund for Adults
Thanks to a generous grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, adults 21 years of age or older who are residents of Western Massachusetts and want to participate in a program at Isabella Freedman are eligible to apply for up to a 50% subsidy of the total cost of the program to a maximum of $500 per program. This funding can be applied to Program Fees and Room and Board Fees. To apply for this grant, please contact The Harold Grinspoon Foundation directly.
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Cancellation Policy
Payments made will be refunded in full (less a $75 processing fee) if you cancel more than 10 days prior to a retreat for which you are registered. If you cancel within 10 days or less, 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 prior to 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 the event of such cancellation, you will be given a complete refund. A full transportation refund is available if you cancel at least 3 days (72 hours) in advance. No transportation refund is available with less than 3 days notice.
If you are participating in a Training Institute and you miss or cancel one retreat session, your Room and Board Fee will be refunded according to the policy above, but the program fee for a missed or cancelled retreat session is still due. Withdrawal is permitted only after the first retreat session. If you withdraw from a Training Institute after the first retreat session, or if you are asked by faculty to leave the institute, you will receive a full Program Fee refund for any remaining pre-paid retreats.
