Registration is now closed for the 2022 Community Retreat. If have not yet registered and you wish to attend the retreat, write to elle@kehillasynagogue.org with (importantly!!) the subject line “Registration Inquiry”.

If you have registered, please expect to see an email to the person who registered your party by Thursday evening with more details about arrival, including maps, items to bring, and more! If you have questions, please write to Elle at elle@kehillasynaogue.org (and please anticipate delayed response times, as it is a very busy time).

We look forward to joining together at Bort Meadow in Oakland’s Anthony Chabot Regional Park on Saturday, July 9 for Shabbat under the Redwoods! The retreat includes optional (and ever-so-fun!) camping on Friday and Saturday nights at the meadow. We are also thrilled to be featuring catering from Jesse Bloom’s Sacred Kitchen company for Saturday’s lunch and dinner. More details, including regarding our afternoon ‘playshops’  (a.k.a. workshops with a fun twist), will be coming soon!

See the full retreat schedule below.

REGISTRATION TIERS

Adults
$100 – Register and Help Someone Else Attend
$65 – Kehilla Member
$75 – General Public
$36 – Low Cost / Student Option

Youth
$30 – Kehilla youth (under age 12)
$35 – Non-member youth

Camping at Bort Meadow is available (and highly recommended!) for Friday and/or Saturday nights. There’s a separate box to confirm your camping plans below, after the registration box. Adult camping is $20 per night and youth under age 12 camping is $10 per night. Breakfast is included.

Registration costs are structured to cover retreat expenses only. The community retreat is open to all regardless of ability to pay. Please contact elle@kehillasynagogue.org for info on financial assistance.

COVID Protocols
We are following Kehilla’s Public Health Protocols (read them here). In addition, we ask that all attendees take a COVID-19 antigen test within 2 hours before arriving at the retreat site. If you have a positive antigen test or If you are exhibiting ANY symptoms of potential contagious illness, you should stay home (you will be missed!).

Childcare
Childcare will be available from 10:15am to 4:30pm for children from ages 2-6. Please register your child as soon as you can so we can have a complete picture of how many little ones to expect. 🙂

Youth Programs
Our youth programming is designed for children ages 7-12. During Shabbat morning services, Rabbi Gray, our Rabbi Educator, will be leading a Shabbat program for kids from ages 7-12. Our afternoon playshops take place following lunch and each session (there are two) will feature a child-friendly option: an art session and a nature walk. In-between, outside and beyond these programs, “nature is the childcare” as Rabbi Dev puts it! In the past, children have perhaps most enjoyed the ability to run around and explore the meadow together.

Accessibility
Bort Meadow has fully accessible bathrooms and a drop-off point that is located right near the part of the meadow in which we hold activities. We are being loaned accessibility mats which will connect the drop-off point to our picnic tables and gathering space (a length of about 20-30 feet). The Retreat area is otherwise relatively flat, though there are no paved areas beyond the drop-off point. Some wheelchairs and scooters can navigate the meadow terrain. If you have concerns about attending the retreat, we want to hear them. Please email us at elle@kehillasynagogue.org as soon as you can. Our registration form below also has space for requesting accommodations.

Tentative Retreat Schedule

Friday, July 8 – Programming for Campers ONLY

• Arrival at Bort Meadow between 4:30 – 6pm
• Potluck Dinner
• Kabbalat Shabbat Service

• Breakfast (for campers only)
• Shabbat Service in the Redwoods at 10am – including a ritual to celebrate the wedding of Rabbi SAM Luckey and Kendra Froshman!
• Children’s activities begin with Rabbi Gray
• Lunch at 12:30pm – Catered by Jesse Bloom’s Sacred Kitchen
• Activities from 2:00pm-4:30pm: Playshop descriptions will be shared soon! Featuring music, Kehilla committees, art-making, games (!), and nature exploration; we will also have children’s activities!
• Dinner at 5:30pm – Catered by Jesse Bloom’s Sacred Kitchen
• The Amazing, Amusing Kehilla Talent Show concluding with Havdallah at 6:45pm
• Campfire, S’mores and Camp Songs at Sunset!

• Breakfast (for campers only)
• Closing Circle
• Departure circa 11am