A Weekend of Discovery
Running Springs, CA — This coming Labor Day weekend, people from all over the West Coast will gather together for a special weekend of learning and fellowship as Chabad’s Running Springs campus hosts the inaugural West Coast Chabad Jewish Retreat. Against the backdrop of the picturesque S. Bernardino Mountains, Retreat participants will get the chance to spend a unique long weekend with friends, old and new, as they explore and celebrate their common heritage.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for Jewish people from all over the western United States to join together and rediscover their roots,” said Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin, director of West Coast Chabad. “This retreat can touch so many lives as people embrace their Jewish identity and take this renewed commitment back to their own communities.”
“It’s a chance for people to get away from the hysteria of everyday city life and catch a breath of fresh air,” said Yossi Burston, Project Coordinator for West Coast Chabad Jewish Retreats. “It’s a place where you can come, with your family, and take part in insightful workshops and enjoy all that natural beauty and activities that Running Springs has to offer.”
The retreat on August 31 – September 2 is the first of a series that is designed to offer a unique experience focusing on personal Jewish exploration. Featuring a curriculum created in cooperation with the Jewish Learning Institute (JLI), these long weekends will give participants a wealth of program choices on Jewish living and learning. World-class scholars will instruct and inspire the participants, and fun educational programs are available for children so that entire families can join in.
In addition to the selection of seminars and workshops, participants will also have the time to relax and reflect. The rustic mountaintop campus in Running Springs offers a variety of outdoor activities for everyone. Hiking, boating and swimming in the Olympic-sized swimming pool are only a few of the many ways to unwind at this spiritual oasis.
Visitors will enjoy first-class accommodations in the beautiful main lodge. Gourmet kosher meals will be prepared by the master chef, who will create a variety of delicious dishes that blend new flavors with a taste of tradition. On Saturday nights, there is even a “kumzitz” style bonfire with musical entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
Future retreats are scheduled for the holiday weekends of Thanksgiving in 2007, and Presidents Day and Memorial Day in 2008. “We have planned these unique retreats around long three-day weekends to give people enough time to take advantage of the workshops and still have time to relax and have fun,” said Burston. “Our goal is to create a special weekend for the participants and make it an annual event for them and their families.”
“We want the people who go the retreat to be inspired to make concrete, positive changes in their lives,” said Rabbi Cunin. “Hopefully, they’ll influence their families and friends back home so that a deeper commitment to Yiddishkeit spreads throughout their communities.”
The West Coast Chabad Jewish Retreat weekends are a project of the Panikoff Center of Love and Kindness at Kiryas Schneerson. To learn more, please visit www.chabadretreats.com or contact Project Coordinator Yossi Burston at (310) 208-7511, ext. 270
Green Valley Lake provides the perfect spot for all kinds of boating. (Photo: Chabad.com)
The Running Springs campus’ shul hosts many of the educational workshops held at the West Coast Chabad Jewish Retreat. (Photo: Michael G. Levin)
A bonfire lights up the night as people gather round for Saturday night’s musical entertainment. (Photo: Chabad.com)
