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Private Events

We are saddened to announce that all retreats at Isabella Freedman through the end of 2020 will be cancelled. However, we are hard at work trying to ensure that other programs can still take place here. Thank you for your loving support, now and always. Read the announcement for more information.
Isabella Freedman is a home away from home that contributes to a sustainable and just world. The atmosphere makes you want to give back to their beautiful space and their professional and warm staff.
—Ruth Messinger, American Jewish World Service
 
The weekend was magical and transformative. Not only did we have an amazing time, but the retreat had a real and lasting impact on how the students thought about themselves, spirituality, and their relationship to Judaism.
—Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Tufts University Hillel
 
 

Whether you are planning a special celebration, organizational retreat, family reunion, lifecycle event or community gathering, Isabella Freedman’s beautiful setting, comfortable accommodations, delicious food, onsite activities, and dynamic staff are sure to nourish the hearts and souls of all who attend.

We have years of experience in planning and implementing programs. You can hire our Jewish, Outdoor, Food, and Environmental Educators to lead a hike, give a farm tour, or run a pickling class. Or simply rent our site for your own self-sufficient program or special occasion.

 

Inquiries

For more information and availability of dates, please email outreach@hazon.org.

Celebrating at Isabella Freedman

Try a different kind of celebration – one where family and friends come together for an entire weekend to celebrate your wedding, your son’s or daughter’s bar or bat mitzvah, or your family reunion.
Take advantage of all that Isabella Freedman has to offer all year round: our beautiful glass-walled synagogue, reception area complete with fireplace, boating, swimming, private marked hiking trails and of course our amazing organic farm and barnyard.

Our on-site Retreat Coordinators will help you with all the logistics of planning your event here at Isabella Freedman.

learn more about weddings at isabella freedman

Organizational Retreats

Since 2005 I have been convening retreats for rabbinical students from across the denominational spectrum at Isabella Freedman. The facilities, food, and commitment of the staff to meet the needs of their guests have made the stays a pleasure. But there is also a spiritual quality to the entire space that goes beyond the physical; one feels it from the moment one enters the grounds. I know that alumni of our retreats – future rabbis – will be coming back to Isabella Freedman time and again.
—Rabbi Sid Schwarz, Senior Fellow, Clal: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership
 

Dedicated to ecological awareness, vibrant Jewish spirituality, and social justice, Isabella Freedman is the perfect gathering place for your community, friends, family, and colleagues.

We serve the spiritual, educational, and social needs of individuals, groups and non-profit organizations who seek a place that is conducive to study, personal or group development, or quiet reflection.

Located in Connecticut’s Berkshire Mountains, our 400-acre lakeside campus is easy to get to from New York City, Boston, or Hartford, and far enough away to inspire new ideas and refresh the soul.

Our professional staff is here to help you create a memorable event for up to 150 people. We offer a variety of accommodations, homemade glatt-kosher meals (farm-to-table menu when in season), a glass-walled synagogue, a shomer Shabbat-friendly locale, farm tours, hikes, and other on-site activities.

Isabella Freedman has been the ideal location for our annual Dorot Fellowship Shabbaton. The site is beautiful, the staff is perfectly attentive and the ethos of the entire operation regularly produces just the right atmosphere for an uplifting communal experience.
—Steve Jacobson, Dorot Foundation
 

Amenities

Click here for more information about our facility and amenities.


Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming, and Environmental Education (JOFEE) Programming:

download our JOFEE offerings flyer Isabella Freedman is home to a number of hiking trails. Our experienced guides will lead you through our forest and to a new appreciation of the natural outdoors.
  1. Overlook Hike: Steep at times, always rewarding. 1–1.5 hrs.
  2. Long Hike: Overlook hike plus blue trail with boulders. 1.5–2 hrs.
  3. Night Hike: Relax your vision and expand the reach of your other senses. 1–1.5 hrs.
Be part of the production of your food. Experience eating in a new way with these educational and hands-on experiences:
  1. Pickling: Learn about the science of lacto-fermentation, and make your own pickled seasonal vegetables that you can take home! 1 hr.
  2. Challah Braiding: Make a special blessing and delicious braided challah. 1 hr.
  3. Capriccinos: Up early? Watch our Adamah farmers milk the goats. Plus, bring your coffee for a fresh goat milk cappuccino. 45 min. (Begins at 7:00am)
Learn about farming, how we do it, and why it matters.
  1. Farm Tour: Heirloom vegetables, permaculture orchard, herbs, compost & chickens – the Kaplan Family Farm is just a short walk from the Isabella Freedman campus. 1 hr.
  2. Comparative Agriculture: Behind the Labels. How do different farms work? What’s the meaning of all those different labels? Become informed about what you are consuming. 1 hr.
  3. Meet the Goats: Take a tour of our barnyard. Meet, pet, play with, and learn about our goat friends. 45 min.
Dive deep into the intersection of Jewish tradition and care for the planet we all live on. Our farmers live these ideals every day and can share them with you in an unforgettable lecture.
  1. Adam/Adamah: Creation Stories and Finding Home 1 hr.
  2. Farming: Blessing or Curse? 1 hr.
  3. Job: The Voice from the Whirlwind – Job's Ecological Vision 1 hr.
  4. Blessing: Sources and Tributaries 1 hr.
Welcome Table Add-Ons
  1. Bike Blender: Put the pedal to the metal and blend a smoothie with your exercise. It’s the ultimate expression of human power!
  2. Microgreen Planting: Get your green thumb! Plant your own microgreens that you’ll be able to eat in a few weeks’ time.
Additional Programming
  1. Camp Teva & Gan Adamah: Our very own kids’ program! Drop your kids off with our educators who will create a fun day of activities for the children in your group.
  2. Swimming & Waterfront Activities: During summer months, we have boating and lake swimming options.
  3. Yoga: We can furnish a list of local instructors you can hire to help your weekend be more balanced.
At Isabella Freedman we pride ourselves on offering fun and educational programming. Please note that these programs must be planned in advance and are based on availability. Costs are calculated based on the group size and length of the program.