Divorce & Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat

Attending an adult retreat can feel intimidating. All participants will be assigned to a Havurah Group … think of this as your retreat friendship group. You will meet daily to have a chance to get to know one another in a small facilitated group, process the day’s activities, share experiences and serve as each other’s anchors while at camp.

Your friends and family may be tired of talking about your divorce, and, furthermore, may not know how to support you. Divorce Open Space Meetings are an evening salon-style program for retreat participants to discuss topics of interest related to divorce and healing including managing finances, parenting through divorce and more. Participants will gain peer insights and support through the grief, bewilderment and loss associated with divorce.

Through the sacred act of Jewish ritual, we will honor, process and offer you a path to move through whatever stage of the divorce journey you are in:

• Opening Up –  Morning is a time of great hope and opening. We will offer elective morning shacharit (Hebrew for “dawn”) services at our “Freedom Forest.”
• Celebration – We will celebrate Shabbat in community, reciting prayers, sharing a meal, dancing and singing. Later this evening, a musical Kabbalat Shabbat service will invite participants to feel the joy in Judaism.
• Connectedness & Joy – We know that when we sing in community, we feel interconnected and joyful. On Saturday morning, we will gather for a Torah Service in Tawonga’s outdoor sanctuary amidst the trees called “Makom Shalom,” which means Place of Peace or Wholeness. We will hear the Torah portion interpreted through a divorce lens and those who want can experiment by standing Kaddish for the ending of their marriage.
• Separate & Heal – Havdalah means separation. It is the ritual that distinguishes between the sacred time of Shabbat and the ordinary time of the rest of the week. We will use our Camp Havdalah ceremony to help people separate both Shabbat from the rest of the week, as well as their married selves from their non-married selves.
• Ritual Mourning – Sitting Shiva is the Jewish way to mourn the death of a beloved. Those who are interested will have the opportunity to sit in community, in a facilitated circle, to mourn the death of their marriage.
• Letting Go – Tashlich is the ritual associated with Rosh Hashanah of throwing bread crumbs in a body of water to symbolically release the things we want to let go. During the retreat, partake in this healing ritual as we throw small stones into the Tuolumne River and recite individual and communal prayers of letting go.

Professional experts and religious and spiritual leaders will help you find a path back to wholeness. From rabbis, therapists and healers to divorce coaches, yoga instructors and challenge course facilitators, our team of guides is here to support you:

• Rabbis and Jewish Educators – These spiritual leaders will be the backbone of the weekend’s Jewish learning and engagement. They will lead workshops, Jewish rituals and art-focused activities to help facilitate healing.
  
• Therapists – Therapists (along with our faculty) will help facilitate the Havurah Groups and be available in the afternoons to check in with participants who sign up to meet with them.
  
• Certified Divorce Coaches – To provide expert, empathic listening and suggestions for specific approaches and activities for people going through the early phases of divorce.
• Massage Therapists – Two massage therapists will be at camp during the retreat offering hour-long massage sessions, for an additional fee. Body work can be both healing and comforting.
• Yoga & Challenge Course Instructors – Physical movement helps us to be in sync with our bodies and tap into newfound strength. Our yoga instructor will support participants to still the mind, feel grounded in the body and connected to the breath. Challenge Course facilitators will empower participants through overcoming physical and mental obstacles.
  

In addition to specialized programming, we will offer all of our classic weekend program activities, including yoga, arts and crafts, the challenge course, hiking, campfires, boating on the lake, stargazing and more!

Tawonga will serve tasty and nutritious meals to participants with vegetarian and vegan alternatives at every meal.. Free-flowing Peet’s coffee is available daily.

For this retreat, all participants will stay in our rustic cabins with electric outlets and a heater. These cabins are in very close proximity to a bathroom, and most participants will either have a room to themselves or share with only one or two other people.

Camp Tawonga’s beautiful 160-acre property is situated on the doorstep of Yosemite National Park, on the middle fork of the Tuolumne River. Our rustic, serene wilderness location offers authentic, immersive experiences in nature. Read more about Tawonga’s location and facilities here.

This retreat will support people who feel broken and in pain following a separation from a close romantic partner. You do not need to have been married to attend, nor do you need to have officially divorced. If you aren’t sure if the program is right for you, reach Rabbi Deborah Newbrun to discuss at deborah@tawonga.org.

While you don’t have to be Jewish to attend, anyone who joins should have an open mind and an interest in Judaism. A major focus of the retreat will be engaging in Jewish rituals and practices as a way to process and heal from divorce. We expect all types of Jews and Jew adjacent folks to attend.

If you have made the decision to no longer be with your life partner, and want to experience healing through Jewish ritual, then this is the right program for you. If you’re not sure, please contact Rabbi Deborah Newbrun at deborah@tawonga.org. She will be happy to discuss with you.

Yes. The pain and suffering caused by divorce can stay with us for a very long time. This retreat will still have much value for you, no matter how many years have passed since your divorce.

Yes! Participants from last year are welcome to join again. The program will feel familiar and at the same time offer continued healing and growth.

You don’t have to be an avid camper to appreciate this retreat or Tawonga’s beautiful location on the Tuolumne River! Those who are interested will be able to partake in river dips, hikes and nature exploration throughout our 160-acre property.

We can’t be sure who will sign up, but Camp Tawonga is nationally known for our leadership in LGBTQ inclusion and celebration. We anticipate having LGBTQ as well as straight participants and welcome everyone.

Check out our general FAQs for weekend programs here. If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to Deborah Newbrun with questions relating specifically to the retreat at deborah@divorceanddiscovery.org For registration, housing, or other logistical questions, please reach out to info@tawonga.org or 415.543.2267. A member of our team will be happy to support you.