Retreats Galore and Making Friends With The Chickens

This last week featured three different programs at the Isabella Freedman- DLTI- the Davvenen, Leadership Training Institute; Kohenet; and Torah Yoga. It was a packed week with activities for the three different groups, in addition to prayers and classes the Adamahniks were invited to when not scheduled for work and programming. DLTI trains participants to lead worship and other communal events in a Jewish context; Kohenet trains women to become Jewish ritual leaders by tapping into earth-based spiritual practices that they believe precedes pre-rabbinic Judaism. Torah Yoga offers an experience of Jewish wisdom through Yengar yoga instruction together with the study of traditional and mystical Jewish texts. I had joined DLTI davening on Tuesday and Thursday, two different versions Tuesday involving mostly singing, music, and explanations, and the other more of a traditional style with some music. The various programs consist of adults of all age ranges of different backgrounds looking for a meaningful way to connect with Judaism. Though there was little time for conversation with these folks, I spoke to a girl in her 20’s part of Kohenet group who expressed her gratitude for being able to get out of the city twice a year to connect to her roots at Kohenet; a man in his 40’s or 50’s and participant of DLTI who wanted to deepen his skills, insight, and passion for Judaism and expand his circle of Jewish travelers.

Often during retreats I place myself mainly at the Isabella Freedman main campus. A lot of spirituality ensued this weekend, and it seemed whenever I had turned to leave, I was drawn back by a group singing to acknowledge the Shloshim (traditional ritual 30 days after the passing of someone) of Reb Zalman Schachter- Shalomi, the founder of the Renewal movement; or mingling with Adamah staff and members of Torah Yoga; or eating post-Shabbat ice cream while dancing to the drums that accompanied a community-wide havdalah.

A friend had asked me to cover her chore of the chickens today so she could go out this evening. I had never been assigned to doing chicken duty so I was pretty excited when she asked me to take her place. She relayed to me the requirements of the evening part of the job- go to the coop at 8pm, make sure all the chickens are inside, and then close the door, securing it with a metal bar. Since we also recently obtained ducks, I also needed to ensure the ducks were locked inside their cage. When I got to the coop just before sunset, most of the chickens had retreated inside, save two still hanging around outside. Now I understand my roommate’s pain when she said she spent 20 minutes chasing the chickens into their coop. The dark brown rooster, which we recently bought, and a beige-colored chicken played hard to get as I ran after them in my white Shabbos shirt (grateful that I changed into pants for this duty), helplessly trying to get them in so I could get back before it gets dark. Maybe asking the girl on chicken duty for a more efficient way to get the chickens in would be helpful to save me time during my assigned week on chickens.

The last couple of weeks, I had been thinking about staying at the Isabella Freedman for the coming year. The option to apply as an educator for Teva, an outdoor educational children’s program for kids in schools throughout the East Coast excited me, to the point where my job in Manhattan seemed dull and perhaps something to reconsider. I could imagine becoming a part of the Isabella Freedman community for good. After much thought and going back and forth between deciding whether I would continue apartment searching in order to be able to go to work on the Upper West Side or apply to Teva, which would save myself the trouble of looking for living arrangements for the Fall, I realized that this potential seasonal position, where I was not guaranteed hire, sufficient pay, or a job after December- at the culmination of Teva- would not be a realistic option for this year. So it’s back to planning for Gan Eden preschool and notifying staff I would be away the last week of Adamah, the week my supervisor wants me back for school prep. Teva will have to wait- but a career as a Jewish outdoor educator doesn’t sound like a bad idea… as doesn’t a visit back to the Jewish retreat center every now and then following this summer at Adamah.