Overview
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Hazon’s home in the Berkshires has hosted retreats for hundreds of organizations that work with all sectors of the Jewish community. Isabella Freedman – located on 400 acres of lake, farm and woodland with kosher, farm-to-table food – is the perfect place to host your organization’s retreat. Isabella Freedman has always been a beautiful site, and this year we’re investing to upgrade our facilities and improve the retreat experience for all participants.
Our 2018 calendar is quickly filling up and we have a limited number of weekday and weekend openings in 2018 available.
Contact us now to book your retreat. We can work with you to create an experience that is unique to your organization’s needs – including our signature JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education) program modules.
So whether you want to plan for the upcoming year, have a board retreat offsite, or offer your staff professional development opportunities, Hazon is your ideal partner in this work. We would be honored to host you and enrich your life with the magic of Isabella Freedman.
For more information or to book a retreat, please email outreach@hazon.org.
We’ve hosted events for the following organizations:
- Base Hillel
- The Beis Community
- B’nai Jeshurun
- The Bronfman Youth Fellowships
- CBST
- Dorot Foundation
- JDC Entwine
- Moishe House
- Romemu
- UJA-Federation of New York
- 100 Resilient Cities
Programs
Isabella Freedman offers a wide variety of activities from which to choose. Our talented and dynamic staff can custom tailor any program for your retreat or special event. Sample programs are listed below. (Prices vary depending on the program, number of participants and length of activity.)
Isabella Freedman Green Tour. From bamboo flooring to lightbulbs, from low flow toilets to solar panels, Isabella Freedman is a leading example of a green Jewish institution. Find out what we are doing (and what you can do) to lessen your carbon footprint.
Farm Tour. Bring your group down to the Sadeh, our five-acre vegetable field, to see where the vegetables begin! We can arrange a tour of the farm with our young Jewish farmers, who will introduce you to the wild and magical world of growing food in a Jewish context.
Barnyard Tour. We honor the traditions of the biblical shepherds by teaching about the importance of preventing cruelty to animals (tzar ba’alei chayim) in our organic goat dairy!
Guided tour of our unique Jewish garden. Take a walk through our very own gan eden (Garden of Eden) with a naturalist who will explain the meaning and design of our special Jewish seed-saving garden.
Jewish Permaculture Tour. The Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from the Isabella Freedman campus. As you tour our organic fruit orchards, berry hedgerows, vegetable fields and compost-yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we “till and tend” the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come. Includes a special compost demonstration: Psalms teaches that “the stone that the builders overlooked will be the cornerstone of the third Temple.” We are turning waste into valuable fertilizer for our fields — something you can learn to do in your own garden.
Service learning on the farm. Deepen your understanding of our food system and put your ecological values to action as you spend half a day lending a hand on our organic vegetable farm. Jewish tradition teaches us that we must work to repair the world: learn how we do this on our farm by using ecologically-restorative farming methods and cultivating a sense of awe and gratitude towards the natural world. No prior farm experience necessary.
Pickle-making 101. At Isabella Freedman, we make organic kosher lacto-fermented products, including pickles and sauerkraut. Learn about the magic of fermentation as you follow the steps from cucumber to pickle. Participants will harvest and ferment their own jar of kosher dills (seasonal).
Adamah Lectures. Many of the classes that are regularly taught in the Adamah Fellowship can be adapted for visiting groups. 90-minute lectures include topics such as Jewish learning, Ecology, Sustainable Agriculture, Permaculture, Eating Locally, Composting, Global Warming, Seed Saving, Food Preservation, Cheese Making, Cobb Oven, Bee Keeping, Leadership and Group Building, Meeting Facilitation, Active Listening and Non-Violent Communication.
Jewish Programming. Adjunct rabbis and other Jewish educators may be available to lead services, Torah discussions and other Jewish rituals. Please check for availability.
Childcare. Please inquire about options for childcare and shmira (cabin night watch) for groups.
Children’s Activities Programs. We can create a children’s program for any length of time — from an entire weekend to just a few hours.
Custom Designed Nature/Adventure Program. The Berkshires is one of nature’s greatest playgrounds. We can arrange rock climbing, backpacking, caving, kayaking, tubing and ski trips at nearby locations.
Song Sessions. For those who love to sing but can’t remember all of the words or want musical accompaniment, we can lead your group in spirited and fun song sessions and singing at meals. We also offer indoor and outdoor campfire sing-alongs.
Specialized Entertainment and Lectures. We can arrange for professional singers, comedians, storytellers and lecturers to entertain and educate your group.
Swimming. We can provide a lifeguard for your group to use the pool or lake.
Other Programs. Let us know your interests. We may be able to accommodate them.
