Divorce & Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat

October 17th-20th, 2024, Sukkot Weekend at BB Camp

A long weekend of immersive Jewish healing, community building, and self-discovery in the stunning beauty of BB Camp in the PNW. Traverse one of life’s great challenges with the support and guidance of Jewish ritual, wisdom, and community offered to anyone who has ever navigated the multi-faceted challenges of divorce or the end of a long-term relationship. Adults of all ages are welcome.

Judaism offers guidance for many milestones right – birth, marriage, death – with prayers and traditional customs to honor life’s rites of passage. But when it comes to divorce, Jewish tradition historically only offers a Get (a divorce contract). This retreat seeks to fill that void by helping people who may feel broken, guilty, ashamed, or in pain find their way back to wholeness – guided by Jewish healing rituals, communal support, and professional expertise.

Lodging, Food, Activities, and Facilities

Experience all that BB Camp has to offer: campfires, song sessions, Shabbat, boating on the lake, swimming in the heated pool, arts and crafts, the challenge course, yoga, early morning beach walks, stargazing, and delicious food! Our serene lakefront location just two miles from the shores of the beautiful Pacific Ocean, offers authentic, immersive experiences in nature. Read more about BB Camp’s location and facilities here.

Vision of Program

Divorce & Discovery seeks to create a sea of change in how the contemporary Jewish community responds to divorce. Visioned and founded by Rabbi Deborah Newbrun (renowned Tawonga Camp Director Emeritus and Covenant Award Recipient) and developed along with Wendy Kesser (Certified Divorce Coach and Wexner Heritage Fellow), every aspect of Divorce & Discovery intentionally leads you on a journey to let go of hurt, anger, guilt, and resentment within a supportive Jewish community. To learn more about this unique and groundbreaking program, visit https://www.divorceanddiscovery.org/.

Highlights

Havurah: Your Retreat Friends

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.

Professional Experts and Religious and Spiritual Leaders

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. Bodywork 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 connect to their breathing. Challenge Course facilitators will empower participants by overcoming physical and mental obstacles.

Celebrating Sukkot

The timing of our Retreat was mindfully planned to fall inside the Festival of Sukkot. Our Sukat Shalom (Canopy of Peace) will be a shelter for healing, discovering, celebrating, and embracing all that we are, in times of both our stormy and our star-filled skies.

Activities, Meals, and Housing

Activities- In addition to Divorce Healing programming, we will offer our classic weekend activities, including yoga, swimming in the heated pool, arts and crafts, the challenge course, hiking, campfires, boating on the lake, stargazing, and more!

Meals- BB Camp will serve tasty and nutritious kosher-style meals to participants, with vegetarian and vegan alternatives as well as food sensitivity options at every meal.

Housing- For this retreat, all participants will stay in our spacious ADA-accessible cabins with a bathroom, electric outlets, and temperature control. Most participants will share with just a few other people. Upon special request, the possibility of private housing may be available with an additional fee.

Divorce and Discovery FAQs

How do I register?

Registration for Divorce & Discovery is open to all! This is an adults-only retreat. Sign up by clicking here. If you joined last year at Camp Tawonga’s location, you’re welcome to come again.

What is the fee?

The fee of $640 covers all expenses of a 4 day/ 3 night retreat, including professional, expert-led programming, access to a therapist or certified divorce coach, lodging, meals, snacks, bar and coffee service, and more. Financial aid is available.

Do you have to be divorced to attend?

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 out to Kim Schneiderman at kschneiderman@bbcamp.org.

Do you have to be Jewish to attend?

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.

I am in the process of separating/getting a divorce. Can I still join?

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

I got divorced many years ago. Can I still attend?

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.

I joined Divorce & Discovery last year. Can I join again this year?

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.

I’m not a huge “camp person.” Is this the right program for me?

You don’t have to be an avid camper to appreciate this retreat at our beautiful BB Camp location off of the Oregon Coast! Those who are interested will be able to partake in hikes, beach walks, lake activities, and exploration both on and surrounding the grounds of BB Camp.

I was in an LGBTQ relationship, will I be the only one with that identity?

We can’t be sure who will sign up, but BB Camp takes pride in our leadership with LGBTQ inclusion and celebration. We anticipate having LGBTQ as well as straight participants. We welcome everyone of all genders and identities.

Reviews from Past Participants

“It turns out, what I really needed for full closure and to move into my future with hope and optimism was healing in my own language, in my own culture.”

“The Divorce and Discovery weekend at Camp exceeded all expectations. The rituals created by the incredible leaders felt so natural, as if Judaism was always meant to support the (unfortunate) life-cycle event of divorce.”

“A friend asked me how the retreat was, and my response was ‘life changing.’”

Divorce and Discovery in the News:

The Covenant Foundation about a new grant for the program: “Divorce and Discovery Expansion”
“Jewish divorce retreat creates room to grieve and heal at Camp Tawonga” in the J. Weekly here.
“This rabbi is innovating rituals for Jews who have gotten divorced” from the Jerusalem Post here.
“Healing from Divorce, at Camp” in the Times of Israel here.
“How the Jewish community can do divorce better”, written by Rabbi Deborah Newbrun about why she developed Divorce & Discovery.
“New Jewish rituals for divorce find creative uses for tradition” from Plus 61J Media here.
Listen to Divorce & Discovery founder Rabbi Deborah Newbrun share the vision and origin story of this retreat on the “Judaism Unbound” podcast.

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