Shabbat, the Earth and Ruach Ha'Olam

Prayer, Torah and Action to Heal our Planet

July 13 - 19, 2009
Afternoon Class

Here! That day is at hand, burning like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be straw, and the day that is coming will set them on fire. But for you who revere My name a sun of justice will rise with healing in its wings/rays . . . Here! I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of that great and awesome day of YH [Yahh, the Breath of Life]. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents, lest the earth be utterly destroyed . . .
—Malachi 3:19 - 24

What do Shabbat, the Song of Songs and the Prophet Malachi have in common? They are all strands of Torah that can teach us how to shape our work to protect God's "ruach"—air, wind, spirit—and prevent global scorching.

In this course, we will examine how this most urgent of contemporary mitzvot can shape Jewish prayer and the celebration of festivals and life-cycle events.

Learn how to draw on Jewish practice for public action to heal the earth, following the example of Abraham Joshua Heschel by “praying with our legs.”

Teachers

Rabbi Arthur Waskow a creator and leader of Jewish renewal since 1969, founded The Shalom Center in 1983, a prophetic voice in Jewish, multi-religious and American life that works for justice, peace and the healing of the Earth. A pioneer of eco-Judaism, he directs the Green Menorah Covenant campaign and is the author of Torah of the Earth Volumes 1 & 2 and Trees, Earth and Torah: A Tu B'Shvat Anthology.

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Registration Information

The program fee for this class is $375. 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 Aid, please see below.

You will receive a confirmation email once you have registered and made a payment online or by phone. If you do not receive this email within 24 hours of registering, please call us at (800) 398-2630 ext. 4.

Room and Board

Room and board includes housing, meals, evening activities, 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. Children's rates apply to ages 4 - 17. 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.

Economy Rooms: Daisy, Elm and Kaufman

Economy rooms have twin-sized beds and a shared bathroom in the hall.

Economy Rooms	Six Nights
Triple Occupancy	430
Double Occupancy	510
Single Occupancy	864

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Standard Rooms: May, Scheuer, Pine, Cedar, Maple, Blue Heron

Our standard rooms have either a private bathroom or a shared bathroom with one other room. Most standard rooms have twin-sized beds; queen-sized beds may be available on a limited basis.

Standard Rooms	Six Nights
Triple Occupancy with Private Bath	660
Double Occupancy with Shared Bath	660
Double Occupancy with Private Bath	810
Single Occupancy with Shared Bath	1080
Single Occupancy with Private Bath	1320

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Standard Plus Rooms: Weinberg

Our standard plus rooms have private bathrooms and queen-sized beds.

Standard Plus Rooms	Six Nights
Double Occupancy	900
Single Occupancy	1542

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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 meditation, yoga or non-holiday prayer.

Camping Rates	Six Nights
Each Camper	390

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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 such as meditation, yoga or non-holiday prayer.

Commuter Rates	Six Nights
Each Commuter	270

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Children's Rates

There is no charge for infants and children ages 3 and under. Children ages 4 – 17 must share a room with at least one parent or guardian. Young adults ages 18 and above must pay the regular rates.

Children's Rates	Six Nights
Each Child	270

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Financial Assistance

We strive to make our programs affordable to everyone. We provide limited financial aid of up to 50% off Room and Board fees. This financial support is only available for dormitory rooms with hall baths and economy rooms for couples and families. If you would like to request financial support, please complete the Application for Financial Aid. In your request, please consider that we have a limited pool of resources. We are committed to helping you in any we can, and we ask you to help us help others by limiting your request to your genuine need.

All requests must be received at least three weeks prior to the retreat.

Please note that we are not able to make any refunds in order to grant an aid request. If you choose to register prior to being awarded aid, and your remaining balance is less than the aid award, you will forfeit any award in excess of your outstanding balance.

Cancellation Policy

Payments made will be refunded in full (less a $50 processing fee) if you cancel more than 14 days prior to your arrival. If you cancel between 13 days and 72 hours prior to a retreat for which you have registered, a non-refundable credit (less a $50 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 within 72 hours of a retreat or on the retreat 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.

Inclement Weather: Isabella Freedman reserves the right to cancel a retreat due to inclement weather if, in its judgment, it will be unable to operate safely. In the event of such a cancellation, a full refund will be made to all registrants. In the event that the retreat proceeds as scheduled, no refund or credit will be available.

Shuttle and Transportation Fees: A full transportation refund is available if you cancel a transportation reservation at least 3 days (72 hours) in advance. No refund is available if less than 3 days notice is given.

Training Institutes: If you are participating in a two-year training institute and you miss or cancel one of the weeklong retreat sessions, 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 refund on your program fee for any remaining pre-paid retreats.

Travel Insurance: We recommend you contact your travel agent to purchase travel insurance in the event that you need to cancel or change your travel plans.

Exceptions: Exceptions to these policies may be available in the event of severe weather emergencies or the death of a close family member. To request a non-transferable credit for one of these reasons, please submit a written request to registrar@isabellafreedman.org no more than three days after the start of the event.