RETREAT CENTER INFORMATION

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

116 Johnson Road, Falls Village, CT 06031

Tel: (860) 824-5991 Fax: (860) 824-7228 Emergency Ph: (860) 824-3068

E-mail: [email protected]

DIRECTIONS:

By car: Visit our website: http://isabellafreedman.org/guest/directions

By bus:

PETER PAN / BONANZA BUS LINES offers daily bus service to Canaan, CT from New York City and points throughout New England. Call (888) 751-8800 for a schedule. This is a 3-hour trip from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Third-party taxi service is available from the Canaan bus station to Isabella Freedman. You must call in advance for a reservation. Lakeville Taxi: (860) 435 8000.

By train:

Take the Metro North train to Wassaic. The trip is approximately 2 hours from Grand Central. Call 1-800-METRO-INFO or visit http://www.mta.info/ for an updated schedule. The drive from Wassaic to Isabella Freedman is about 30 minutes.

Third-party taxi service is available from the Wassaic train station to Isabella Freedman.You must call in advance for a reservation. Lakeville Taxi: (860) 435 8000.

On some occasions and for an additional fee, we are able to provide an Isabella Freedman shuttle from the Wassaic train station to the retreat center. Times and availability vary. Please inform Nehirim of your need for a shuttle at least 10 days prior to your scheduled arrival date.

By plane:

Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT is located 1¼ hours from the retreat center. We can recommend third-party taxi and limousine services from the airport to Isabella Freedman.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE:

All retreat participants must check in upon arrival. This includes making or receiving a name tag to wear throughout the program. Check-in typically begins at 4:00 pm on your arrival day. Early arrivals are welcome to wait in the Lounge if the departing group is no longer in that space. Guest rooms, however, may not be available until 4:00 pm.

All members of the group must check out of their rooms by 9:00 am on the scheduled day of departure. If you have not checked out of your room by 9:00 am, an additional $25 per person late fee will be charged. Departure from the retreat site is usually no later than 2.00 p.m.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Cots and cribs may be added to certain rooms but not to others so please let us know well in advance and we will be glad to help you with these requests. Please notify Nehirim if you have a physical challenge that requires you to be close to the main building or in a wheelchair accessible room.

All beds are twins, unless otherwise noted. Each room has a bureau or closet, chair, lamp and one alarm clock. We also provide towels and soap. A small refrigerator can be rented for a $ 25 fee. All cottages are fully winterized and air conditioners are provided in warmer months. None of our units have doors that may be locked from the outside. Valuables may be stored in the office safe. Rooms do not have telephones or television sets. Each cottage has one phone in a common hallway or porch space.

During cooler months, we keep rooms heated to a comfortable 68°. Where thermostats are accessible to participants, we ask that you follow instructions on accompanying signage to ensure that they and their neighbors are comfortable and to conserve energy. Where thermostats are not accessible, please ask a site coordinator for assistance.

FACILITIES:

The terrain at Isabella Freedman includes a mix of gravel and paved roads, gentle inclines and grassy areas. We have several hiking trails, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, as well as a lake that is ideal for fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. Please feel free to bring sporting equipment to take advantage of any of these activities. Swimming and boating are available from Memorial Day to Labor Day, based on weather and staff availability. A lifeguard may be on duty during your stay. Swimming is not available without an Isabella Freedman lifeguard.

PHONES & INTERNET:

Since we are located in a remote wooded area many cell phones will have poor or spotty reception. There are phones available for use in the main building and you may buy a calling card in the Bookstore to make long-distance calls. Free wireless internet is available in the Main Building and there are two public-access computers located in the Lounge.

MEALS:

Isabella Freedman is committed to providing you with Glatt kosher, wholesome food that is sustainably grown and locally produced when possible, while also providing a distinctly Jewish culinary experience. We make every effort to serve the produce that is grown on our own six-acre organic farm. All meals are served buffet style and are strictly kosher. For this reason, no food from the outside may be brought into the Main Building. Any questions about this maybe directed to the Mashgichim (Kosher Kitchen Supervisors). We will make every effort to accommodate special food needs as long as they are communicated to Nehirim at least three weeks prior to your arrival.

We have a Mashgiach/Masgichah on site at all times and we are under the supervision of, and are certified by, the Hartford Kashrut Commission. Please direct all Kashrut questions to: Rabbi Adler of the Hartford Kashrut Commission at (860) 236-1241.

PACKING:

The following is a suggested list of what to bring with you:

• Comfortable shoes for walking and hiking

• Seasonally appropriate layers: even in summer, nights can be chilly

• Toys for children

• Sports equipment

• Raincoat or umbrella

• Washcloth

• Toiletries: toothpaste, bath soap, shampoo, bug spray and sunscreen

• Flashlight

GREENING

Being Green at Isabella Freedman is an underlying value by which we run our organization. We have redesigned many elements of our facility to be as energy efficient as possible, including installing a 6.8 KW photovoltaic solar panel to provide energy for our main office, harvesting rainwater for landscape irrigation and installing furnaces with AFUE ratings of 90 or higher. By taking concrete and meaningful steps to prepare and serve food with our environment in mind, reduce waste, limit our use of toxic chemicals and conserve energy and water, we are able to model environmental sustainability for the thousands of participants that visit us each year.

We encourage all our participants to join this effort in the following areas:

• Water — Please bring a reusable water bottle. Our water is spring fed, clean, pure and delicious, so there is no need to bring bottled water. Fill from any tap on campus. Water bottles are also available for purchase in our Bookstore.

• Lighting — Within the bounds of your religious observance, please turn off lights when you leave your own room or are last to leave a public space at night.

• Heat — As noted earlier, please follow signage accompanying thermostats on campus regarding thermostat adjustment. We try to ensure everyone’s comfort, however heat in some rooms cannot be adjusted independently. Also, when the heat is on, please keep doors and windows closed. If you are still uncomfortable, let the site coordinator know.

• Waste — We provide receptacles for recycling and compost in the Guest Services Suite and Dining Room, respectively. Please deposit your waste appropriately.

• Feedback — Feel free to ask our staff about our practices and offer your comments about improvements.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Parking is permitted in designated areas ONLY! Please be advised that no parking or driving is allowed on grassy areas because of possible damage to water pipes, septic tanks, etc. Any damages will be the responsibility of the participant at fault.

Boating and swimming are ONLY allowed when a lifeguard is on duty.

Smoking is NOT permitted inside any of the retreat center buildings. Smoking is permitted outside ONLY at the fire circle. Please deposit butts in designated receptacles.

Check-out time. If any member checks out late, there will be an additional fee. Checking out on time allows our staff to adequately prepare for our next group.

When leaving your room we ask that you strip the sheets and pillowcases from your beds and stuff them all into one pillowcase. This should NOT include the mattress pad, blankets, comforters or towels. Leave used towels on the floor of your room.

NO pets are permitted at the retreat center.

Isabella Freedman is located in a part of the country with a higher than normal incidence of ticks carrying Lyme disease. The best prevention against Lyme Disease is to check yourself for ticks after engaging in outdoor activities. Check your entire body, especially along hairlines and in protected or creased areas, such as the back of the knee, groin, navel, armpit, ears, or nape of the neck. Also, when hiking in our woods, we recommend tucking your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks to restrict tick access to your body. There are tick removal instructions and tools in all the first aid boxes on campus. Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics when caught within a few months of the tick bite.