Congregation Kol Ami Adult Retreat Weekend
Desmond Hotel in Malvern, PA
October 13-15, 2023
(Friday dinner on 10/13/23 through noon on Sunday 10/15/23)

Our first Adult Retreat Weekend offers a great opportunity to socialize with fellow congregants, learn from leaders in the Jewish world, and connect with our clergy. Our tentative program includes:

• A Friday night dinner and Kabbalat Shabbat tableside service led by Rabbi David and Cantor Hochman, followed by a presentation from one of our keynote speakers, Rabbi Danny Schiff, Ph.D., author of “Judaism in a Digital Age.”
• A Shabbat morning experience, led by Rabbi Address, including some worship elements, along with a look at “Birkat Chochma” –new rituals acknowledging the wisdom we gain as we age.
• Two Saturday afternoon sessions feature choices of topics including Jewish humor, Judaism and the environment, the future of liberal Judaism in America, Progressive Judaism in present-day Israel, and “A Taste of Mussar.” (Rabbi Eron will lead the session on Mussar.)
• Saturday afternoon nature walk.
• Saturday night following dinner, a showing of the award-winning documentary “How Saba Kept Singing,” the moving story of a Holocaust survivor, the grandfather of local musician Avi Wisnia, who will introduce the film and lead a discussion following of how he and his Saba revisited Auschwitz and came to terms with the people and events of his past.
• On Sunday morning, a learning session with Rabbi Frenkel will be followed by our closing activity.
• Cantor Schnitzer will be with us for part of the weekend.

Room reservations will be made directly with the hotel (HERE) and cost approximately $352 (including all taxes) for the two nights. (The cost is per room, whether occupied by one or two people.)

Weekend Registration is required (below). The weekend’s modest registration fee includes five meals at the hotel and all other costs of the weekend. The early-bird fee is $90 per person for those registering by July 31.

Please join us as we celebrate the opportunity to study together in a lovely setting with friends old and new.

Funding for the weekend has been provided by grants from the Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Sacred Aging and Congregation Kol Ami. We are grateful for their support. Any questions? Contact Mark Pinzur at AdultEd@kolaminj.org.