Between Song & Silence: Rosh Chodesh Meditation Retreat
We warmly invite you to a 3-night retreat that weaves together Jewish singing traditions with Buddhist-inspired meditation. In loving community, we will explore sacred silent practice interspersed with soulful song. We will honor Shabbat as well as Rosh Chodesh Shevat, the new moon of rising sap that leads us toward Tu B’Shvat—a mystical tree festival. There will be open time for personal practice, rest, and enjoying the hot tub and mountain land.
Spiritual Practice & Teachings
We will draw on Buddhist traditions, especially Theravada and Zen Buddhism, as well as somatics, Jewish contemplative practice, the wisdom of the land, and our own intuition to inform the meditation teachings on this retreat.
We will explore singing together as a Jewish ancestral technology of resilience and embodied spirituality. All voices are sacred in this space, and listening is always welcome. We will dive into nigunim (primarily wordless melodies), Hebrew chants, and ancient liturgy for Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. There will be translation and transliteration available.
No prior experience with meditation, Jewish tradition, or singing is required to participate. We are all welcome, with all of our uncertainties, resistance, yearning, and curiosity. We would be delighted for you to join us. Please reach out directly to renabranson@gmail.com with any questions.
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is intended as a space for Jews / folks with Jewish heritage along with their partners and families of any backgrounds. No prior knowledge of Jewish traditions is needed. Jews by choice and all those with any amount of Jewish ancestry (including distant ancestry) are welcome. If you are wondering if this includes you, please feel free to reach out. This will primarily be a retreat for adults, but teenagers over 16 are warmly welcome.
Location: About 90 minutes from downtown Asheville, in a gorgeous log cabin in Franklin, NC, with a hot tub, mountain views, fire pit, and surrounding forests.
Dates & Time: January 16th-19th
Check-in Time: 4:30-6pm on January 16
Departure time: 10am on January 19
Food:
Simple, nourishing meals will be provided from Friday dinner through Monday lunch. Folks are welcome to bring potluck contributions for Shabbat dinner on the first night.
Rates:
Approximately $360-$450 depending on room, see below. We are offering one work-trade option for a reduced rate in exchange for some on-site support (e.g., helping coordinate volunteers for meal prep and clean-up).
Your Facilitators:
Rena Branson (she/they) is a Jewish composer, ritual leader, and educator who uplifts personal and collective healing through song. She offers heart-opening song circles and prayer services in diverse Jewish communities across the US, supporting people to move through feelings of grief, rage, and alienation into greater connection and hope. Rena has recorded dozens of Hasidic melodies as well as two original albums, Love Is the Ground and In Doing & In Dreaming. Rena also offers 1:1 Jewish Studies lessons, supporting folks to heal and deepen their relationships with Jewish lineage and traditions on their own terms. Learn more at renabranson.com.
Elah Zakarin (he/they) is devoted to healing personal, ancestral and collective wounds and helping create a more just, beautiful world. He offers ancestral lineage healing and Internal Family Systems (IFS) sessions for clients around the world. Elah has been a dedicated practitioner of Zen, Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism for over a decade, including spending eight months at a residential Zen monastery. He is currently training in Judaism Unbound’s unique model of transformative Jewish leadership and is preparing to lead ancestral lineage healing retreats. Elah’s grounded, dynamic and heart-centered approach rests on a fundamental trust in our innate wholeness. His beloved ancestors are Ashkenazi Jews most recently from Poland, Russia and France. Learn more at elahzakarin.com