Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program (ECAMP II)
Facilitated by Norman Fischer and Rabbis Joanna
Katz, Alan Lew and Jeff Roth
You can still join this program for the remaining two retreats!
For almost 10 years the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality (ECCJS)
has been the home for Jewish silent meditation training programs.
The Program
The ECCJS is delighted to announce the next cycle of its popular
two-year meditation training program, which began June 10, 2007. You can still join this program for the remaining two retreats! The two-year
comprehensive curriculum includes four seven-day retreats and has built-in
mechanisms for sustaining practice in day-to-day life.
Between retreats
each participant will have two to three scheduled phone communications with
a teacher and be paired up with another student (chevruta) to discuss
suggested topics, learn from a reading list and receive community support in
the practice. Throughout the two years, ideas and questions are also communicated
on our secure online website.
Alumni of past two-year meditation programs (MLT, JMAT, & ECAMP) are welcome
to attend any of the ECAMP retreats for a $300 program
fee plus room and board.
The ECAMP Practice
Contemplative practice is a powerful method for awakening
spiritually in one’s
life. Our minds can be preoccupied with spiraling thoughts and stories about
identity, memories of our past, and hopes or fears for the future; the Jewish
sages called this mochin de’katnut, or small mind. From the place
of small mind, we get caught up in our selfish needs; act unwisely and unkindly
to ourselves and to those around us.
Mindfulness practices taught in the ECAMP program help you to navigate small
mind reality and to gain access to an expanded awareness or mochin
de’gadlut (big mind). From this mind state, which is a natural capacity for all human
beings, one can experience the holy interconnected reality that underlies all
of being. This experience, called devekut by Jewish mystics, brings with it
profound wisdom and opens the heart of compassion, providing us with the motivation
to make a real difference in the world (tikkun olam). The program aims to apply
and integrate teachings into the everyday aspects of our lives.
Retreat Curriculum
The four retreats are all seven days in length. The first
retreat of the cycle focused on developing a deep concentration practice.
We stay in communal silence except for prayer and teaching. Basic practices
include sitting, walking and eating meditation. There is contemplative
davening (prayer) every morning using a combination of kavvanot (intentions),
chants and silence. Walking practice is both a group activity and a solitary
practice to intensify your experience.
The themes of the next three retreats reflect a threefold set of life practices:
the contemplative study of Torah and sacred texts; the deepening of our connection
to prayer and for opening the heart of compassion; and gemilut
hasadim (acts
of kindness), the ways in which these practices impact our conduct in all aspects
of our lives, whether as parents, partners, workers, activists, etc. Each
retreat will introduce small group discussions and study focusing on the theme
of that particular retreat.
Program Requirements
The program is open to anyone who has already sat at least one
weeklong retreat in silence. Others will
need to apply and receive the consent of the instructors. Please contact Rabbi
Jeff Roth with any questions you might have about participation in the program.
Register now:
Facilitators
Norman Fischer is
a Zen priest, teacher, poet and former co-abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center.
He is also the co-founder of Makor Or, a Jewish meditation center in San Francisco. He
leads Jewish meditation sessions around the country. He is an author and the
founder of the Everyday Zen Foundation.
Rabbi
Joanna Katz, co-founder of Elat Chayyim, has been teaching meditation
for the past seven years. She is a graduate of Spirit Rock's
Dedicated Practitioner Program and a longtime student of Sylvia Boorstein.
She is the Jewish Chaplain at Taconic Correctional Facility and a student of
the 50/50 work, a spiritual helpership modality. Her current spiritual work
is focused on the Practice of Freedom in daily householder life.
Rabbi Alan Lew is the founder and director of Makor Or, a center for Jewish Meditation.
He is the author of One God Clapping; The Spiritual Path
of a Zen Rabbi and
This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days
of Awe as a Journey of Transformation.
Rabbi Jeff Roth is co-founder of Elat Chayyim where he served as Executive
Director and Spiritual Director for 13 years. He is an experienced meditation
teacher and the facilitator of over 60 Jewish meditation retreats. He
has led six two-year training programs in meditation.
Registration Information
Program Fees
Alumni of past two-year meditation programs (MLT, JMAT, & ECAMP) are welcome to attend any of the ECAMP retreats for a $300 program fee per week. This does not include the cost of Room and Board. 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, Shabbat services, 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 15 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 |
Week-long
Meditation Retreats |
| Single Occupancy |
1,690 |
| Double Occupancy |
915 |
| Triple Occupancy |
645 |
Plus rooms
Plus rooms have private bathrooms. A limited number of queen-sized beds are available for a $15/night surcharge, please call for availability.
| Plus Rooms |
Week-long
Meditation Retreats |
| Single Occupancy |
1,385 |
| Double Occupancy |
845 |
| Triple Occupancy |
575 |
Standard rooms
Standard rooms share a bathroom with one other room. A limited number of queen-sized beds are available for a $15/night surcharge, please call for availability.
| Standard Rooms |
Week-long
Meditation Retreats |
| Single Occupancy |
1150 |
| Double Occupancy |
710 |
Economy rooms
Economy rooms have twin beds with the bathroom in the hall.
| Standard Rooms |
Week-long
Meditation Retreats |
| Single Occupancy |
880 |
| Double Occupancy |
540 |
Dormitory rooms
Dormitory rooms are either triple or quadruple occupancy with bunk beds and bathrooms on the hall. Campers supply their own tents and equipment. 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.
| Dormitory Rooms |
Week-long
Meditation Retreats |
| Dormitory |
475 |
| Camper |
405 |
| Commuter |
305 |
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.
Student Aid Provided by The Lasko Foundations
Up to 50% scholarship is available for graduate students in rabbinical school, cantorial school or in Master’s degree programs in Jewish Studies. To apply for this scholarship, please complete the Lasko Scholarship form. Lasko awards may not be combined with any other financial aid provided through Isabella Freedman.
Financial Aid for the Jewish Arts Institute
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.
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.
