Sixth Annual Carlebach Conference
Increasing our Kavanah
Thanksgiving Weekend: November 27 – 29, 2009
Join Rabbi Naftali Citron from the Carlebach Shul as well as rabbis, teachers and performing artists from the worldwide Carlebach Community for a weekend of meditation, song, storytelling and joyful Shabbat services. The theme of this year's conference is
kavanah: spiritual intention. We will focus on creating tools for deeper spiritual experiences of prayer, Torah study and mitzvot.
A special children's program will be led by Levi Welton and friends.
Enjoy the highest Carlebach davening, opportunities for meditation and a Saturday night Kumzits.
Workshops include:
- The P-R-A-Y approach to achieving intense and meaningful davening
- Developing a unique spiritual identity based on the writings
of the Piasesner Rebbe
- Maggid: The Power of Storytelling
- CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY: Experiencing kavanah as a Group
- Awakening kavanah through your voice
- Practical spiritual practice
- Reflections on Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z”l, and the depth of his music
Please note that registrations received after November 23 will be subject to an administrative late fee of $50. Check-in for this retreat will be held between 2:00 - 4:00 pm on Friday, November 27.
Teachers
Rabbi Naftali Citron is the rabbi of The Carlebach Shul, a center for thousands of people worldwide where he continues the Carlebach tradition of deep Torah learning combined with psychological insights. Rabbi Citron was ordained by the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn and has had the privilege of studying Talmud and Jewish Mysticism with some of the greatest teachers of the late 20th century. With expertise in Kabbalah and Chassidut, he has a unique ability to make complex mystical concepts relevant to our lives today. Reb Naftali's approach to Judaism is infused with a joyful spirituality in the service of G-d inspired by the legacy of his late grandfather, Reb Eli Chaim Carlebach, z”l, and his late great-uncle, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z”l.
Neshama Carlebach is continuing the tradition her father began. Her talent and charisma captivate and endear her to people of all ages, as she performs in cities all over the world. Together with producer/pianist David Morgan and her incredible band, she continues to both deeply move and entertain as she sings her father's incomparable melodies and original compositions.
Yitzhak Buxbaum is a leading author and authority on Hasidic mysticism and stories, and has smicha as a maggid (inspirational speaker and storyteller) from Reb Shlomo. He has taught at synagogues across the U.S. and Canada, and at The New School and 92nd Street Y in NYC. As director of the Jewish Spirit Maggid Training Program he has ordained 21 graduates. Among Yitzhak’s ten books are Jewish Spiritual Practices, which Reb Zalman gave as a gift to the Dalai Lama; Jewish Tales of Holy Women; and The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov. Visit JewishSpirit.com and sign up for "The Daily Maggid," a daily Hasidic teaching or anecdote.
Rabbi Nehemia Polen is Professor of Jewish Thought and the Director of the Hasidic Text institute at Boston's Hebrew College. He has authored several books including The Holy Fire: The Teachings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto and Filling Words with Light: Hasidic and Mystical Perspectives on Jewish Prayer (co-authored with Lawrence Kushner). Rabbi Polen is an exceptional teacher, blending academic scholarship with spiritual practice.
Yehuda Green, the chazan at The Carlebach Shul, recently released his debut album Land of our Soul. Yehuda performs to sold out audiences and is shaking up the Jewish Music world with his sweet and enthusiastic style. Yehudah received his first exposure to the music of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z”l, at the age of five. Rather than imitate Reb Shlomo's soulfulness, Yehuda's youthful innocence and exuberance enabled him to absorb its essence into his "musical DNA" and ultimately into his signature performance style.
Rabbi Nossen and Rebbetzin Channah Schafer are soul teachers, healers and soulmates. Rabbi Nossen Schafer received smicha from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in 1976. He is a chaplain in prisons, nursing homes and hospitals. Rebbetzin Channah Schafer is a psychotherapist and Jewish healer. She has a private practice in Sharon, MA. She teaches Jewish healing, meditation, chassidus, intuition and holistic health care.
Rachel Ravitz and Mattisyahu Brown were married soon after they started their first musical collaboration. Fourteen years later, they continue to harmonize, compose and perform new Jewish melodies. They are currently recording a CD of original Jewish music. Rachel is a singer and storyteller in the Chasidic tradition of Reb Shlomo. Mattisyahu is an editor of Jewish books and a Ba'al Tefillah for various congregations, including the Soho Synagogue.
Registration Information
The program fee for this class is $150 per adult and $50 per child. 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 Assistance, 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) 389-2630 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 |
Two
Nights |
| Triple Occupancy |
160 |
| Double Occupancy |
205 |
| Single Occupancy |
323 |
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 |
Two
Nights |
Triple Occupancy
with Private Bath |
255 |
Double Occupancy
with Shared Bath |
255 |
Double Occupancy
with Private Bath |
305 |
Single Occupancy
with Shared Bath |
420 |
Single Occupancy
with Private Bath |
495 |
Standard Plus Rooms: Weinberg
Our standard plus rooms have private bathrooms and queen-sized beds.
| Standard Plus Rooms |
Two
Nights |
| Double Occupancy |
350 |
| Single Occupancy |
575 |
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 |
Two
Nights |
| Each Camper |
145 |
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 |
Two
Nights |
| Each Commuter |
125 |
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 |
Two
Nights |
| Each Child |
125 |
Financial Assistance
Financial Aid for Room and Board
We strive to make our programs affordable to everyone. We provide limited scholarship funding of up to 30% of room and board fees for those in extreme financial need. Financial aid is only available for dormitory rooms with hall baths and economy rooms for couples and families. If you would like to request financial aid, please complete the financial aid form. In requesting aid, 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. Financial aid requests must be received at least three weeks prior to the retreat.
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.
