Retreat - 2006

A High Altitude Spiritual Get-A-Way

We began the weekend driving thousands of feet into the dazzling Rocky Mountains to the beautiful Keystone lodge, and by the end of the retreat our spirits were in the heavens. The air may have been thin but the ruach (ambience) was plentiful as Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser, Rabbi Mordechai Becher and the TJE staff led over 200 people from across the spectrum of Jewish affiliations on a delightful journey of Jewish discovery.

The inspiration was more than a convergence of Jews in a dazzling environment; it was also the combination of teaching styles of the two keynote speakers. Rabbi Becher repeatedly amazed us with his vast breadth of knowledge, both secular and Judaic. His encyclopedic lectures were intellectual, comprehensive and laced with his signature dry Australian wit. Rabbi Glaser, a Californian chassid who now lives in Jerusalem, touched the crowd in a very heartfelt way with his pre-Shabbos ruach, his eclectic teaching style and his hour-long musical Havdalah service.

For many, the weekend opened the door to a whole new world of Jewish exploration and Shabbos celebration. One participant commented, “We are electric from the weekend. We have talked and talked about all we saw and learned. We transformed from ‘What are we doing here... we don't belong,’ on Friday afternoon to, ‘We are part of an amazing world and community,’ on Sunday.”

“A huge amount of effort goes into making our retreats such powerfully inspiring experiences,” said TJE Director Rabbi Ahron Wasserman, whose incredible attention to detail and concern for every one of his guests is well-known. “But the number of people that tell us how deeply they are affected makes it all worthwhile.”

The classes covered a wide range of topics such as “Practical Spirituality”, “Too Many Mitzvot: Why is Judaism so Nitpicky?”, “Kabbalah”, and “Can You Know There is a G-d?”. On Shabbat afternoon, a panel for women entitled “Women in Judaism: Myths and Facts” was presented by Aliza Bulow, Ita Leban, Ellyn Hutt and Hadassah Wasserman. A special mini-camp for children kept the little ones entertained and involved while their parents attended the sessions.

The Jewish Experience is a dynamic outreach group building Jewish community in Denver with exciting social and educational programs, based in the JCC. We cater to all Jews, regardless of background or affiliation, offering sophisticated and enjoyable learning opportunities that are open to all.