Jewish Learning Retreats

Many of us find creating things with our own hands to be a wholesome and cathartic process - from tying lanyards at summer camp to designing your own furniture or creating your own makers space. Some of the questions we will explore on this retreat include: How and why does art and crafting bring us joy? What is distinctively ‘Jewish art’? How do I blend my passion for art and my love for Jewish community? You will leave this retreat with ideas for how to blend these two passions. If you have a craft that you love, we encourage you to bring it and share with others on the retreat!

Retreatology is the premier training in the art of Jewish Retreat-Making. Participants (or “Retreatologists”) learn how to create a Jewish gathering for their friends and community from start to finish. From goal-setting to venue selection to experience design, we cover it all. We are looking for community builders, creatives, and people who dream big! Retreatologists are eligible for a grant of up to $5,000 to plan and execute the Jewish learning retreat they have always dreamed of creating. Whether it’s creative writing, Jewish mindfulness, Jewish food or Torah yoga, Retreatology and Moishe House are here to make it possible.

Passover is the most celebrated Jewish holiday around the world. We encounter one of the greatest stories ever told and are challenged to see ourselves as if we were slaves from Egypt, but how do we actually do that? On this retreat,you will see with new eyes and discover your own story of freedom. You will leave this retreat with inspiration and newfound skills to enhance and host your own Passover Seder in 2020 and for years to come!

Retreatology is the premier training in the art of Jewish Retreat-Making. Participants (or “Retreatologists”) learn how to create a Jewish gathering for their friends and community from start to finish. From goal-setting to venue selection to experience design, we cover it all. We are looking for community builders, creatives, and people who dream big! Retreatologists are eligible for a grant of up to $5,000 to plan and execute the Jewish learning retreat they have always dreamed of creating. Whether it’s creative writing, Jewish mindfulness, Jewish food or Torah yoga, Retreatology and Moishe House are here to make it possible.

The North American Jewish experience is often told from the perspective of Jews whose ancestors come from Eastern Europe (Ashkenazi). This retreat will highlight other Jewish historical narratives, in particular the Mizrahi (Middle Eastern Jews) and Sephardi (Southern European) communities. We will grapple with these questions and more: What is Ashkenormativity? How can we create more culturally inclusive Jewish spaces? Together we’ll uncover ritual and program ideas from the diverse Jewish experience and you will leave this retreat with a greater understanding of non-Ashkenazi Jewish narratives.

The Exodus is one of the Jewish’s people foundational stories - and it has also been a story that has inspired countless people and movements in their march to freedom. Together in Barcelona, we’ll learn the big Story and the smaller ones, the ancient and the newer, the ritual of seder and the funky twists. We’ll learn how the Pessach story and themes can inspire us all-year-round to emancipate ourselves from narrow places. We’ll connect together during a beautiful shabbat, learn with amazing Jewish educators and relax with other Moishe House people from across Europe. You will leave the retreat with a plan on how to create a great seder experience for you and your peers!

Mindfulness -- the practice of living in the present moment -- is a kind of meditation that comes with mental, emotional and psychological benefits for those who dedicate time to developing a practice. Judaism can inform and enhance the evolution of your mindfulness practice, whether you are developing one for the first time or whether you are already advanced. On this retreat we will explore what Judaism has to say about mindfulness, what distinctly Jewish ideas and rituals are also mindful ones, and how the intersection of Judaism and mindfulness can enhance your well-being. You will leave this retreat refreshed and eager to further develop your mindfulness routine at home and with others in your community.

Have you ever wanted to spend Shabbat under the stars? This is your chance! With professional outdoor guides, we will venture into the wilderness of Rocky Mountain National Park for an amazing weekend of hiking, rock climbing, and exploring the Colorado Rockies. We will also explore the intersection of Judaism and the environment at this critical juncture in the health of our planet. Join us for an incredible Shabbat of a shared outdoor experience that you won't forget.

Coalition building is the process by which parties form a temporary alliance or partnering of groups in order to achieve a common purpose or to engage in joint activity. According to Jewish text, participating and making an impact on one’s community is not an option but a religious obligation. Going beyond the Jewish community and building relationships and partnerships is an important step to make the world a more just and peaceful place. Take a weekend to explore coalition building in order to build partnerships when you return home.

Sukkot is the most underappreciated holiday! The Jewish harvest festival compels us to have dinner parties with our friends outside and celebrate!l & With practices to eat and sleep in the sukkah, how do we elevate the conversation and creative harvest rituals to make our Sukkot (or “huts)week-long community centers. You will leave this retreat inspired to create stellar Sukkot programming to end your High Holy Days on a high note, while also learning practical skills such as how to build and design your own sukkah.

Have you ever wanted to spend Shabbat under the stars? This is your chance! With professional outdoor guides, we will venture into the wilderness of the Nantahala National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for an amazing weekend of hiking, river rafting, and exploring the Smoky Mountains. We will also explore the intersection of Judaism and the environment at this critical juncture in the health of our planet. Join us for an incredible Shabbat of a shared outdoor experience that you won't forget.

How can we better include communities that are underrepresented in Jewish spaces? These communities include but are not limited to people with disabilities, Jews of Color, Jews from one-Jewish-parent households, LGBTQ folks, those with differing religious observance or political views than ourselves, and the list goes on. We will explore the questions: Is it possible to create a truly pluralistic space, for all of these groups? What work has already been done in the Jewish community on including these groups, and how can we build off of it in the next decade and beyond? You will leave this retreat with actionable skills to make your community a more open space for all.

Shabbat: the most frequent holiday on the Jewish calendar. For many of us, Shabbat is also an opportunity to decompress/disconnect from our regular life: work, family, social and financial responsibilities, the list goes on. How do we balance the need to create community on Shabbat though meals, song and celebration with our simultaneous need to decompress? Using Marie Kondo’s philosophy of “Spark Joy” we will examine our own Shabbat practices and share ideas for enhancing them back in our home communities!

Retreatology is the premier training in the art of Jewish Retreat-Making. Participants (or “Retreatologists”) learn how to create a Jewish gathering for their friends and community from start to finish. From goal-setting to venue selection to experience design, we cover it all. We are looking for community builders, creatives, and people who dream big! Retreatologists are eligible for a grant of up to $5,000 to plan and execute the Jewish learning retreat they have always dreamed of creating. Whether it’s creative writing, Jewish mindfulness, Jewish food or Torah yoga, Retreatology and Moishe House are here to make it possible.

We exist in a precarious time for our environment and planet. What does Judaism say about our role as caretakers for our planet? Together we’ll use the models of environmentalism and permaculture as lenses through which we can make everyday decisions about our role in consumption culture, our carbon footprint, and our Jewish responsibility to heal and care for the planet. You’ll come home from this retreat with new and innovative ideas to bring your community together and get them outside!