Pacific Northwest, Spring 2025
Lag B'Omer Retreat
May 16-18, 2025
For years we had been daydreaming about coming together for more than just a zoom experience or a rare, in-person luncheon or conference meetup. A retreat: a reprieve from obligations, worries, and everything upon our shoulders the rest of the year. Full of connection, nature, and getting the rare chance to care for ourselves as we so deeply care for others.
Well, it finally happened – the first of what we hope will be MANY a shabbaton together. The first retreat in nature and amongst friends was held May 16-18, 2025. We highlighted Jewish Joy in an experiential journey by celebrating Lag B’Omer in the Pacific Northwest. We hosted a delegation at the unique retreat center Rainbow Lodge, just a short drive from Seattle or Portland. We connected and rejuvenated with our fellow mental healthcare professionals amongst the tall pines.
In our modern times so many of us find that we crave connection. As Jewish mental healthcare providers we spend our days helping others; at times we need to fill our own cups, and collaborate as a community to find the support, empathy, and connection that we need to continue on our individual journeys. Jewish Therapist Collective (JTC) gathered for a Shabbaton in the beautiful and inspirational Pacific Northwest; finding the refuge needed to connect with community, nurture spirit, and leverage strengths to create positive impacts in daily life.
Nestled in the deep forest at the base of Mount Si, Rainbow Lodge provides a serene, secure, and refreshing environment for renewal, connection, healing, and inner-peace. One may wander one of their nature trails, warm up by one of their rock fireplaces, or sit by a bubbling stream, allowing tranquility to settle in.
Staying At:
Rainbow Lodge
46820 SE Mt Si Road
North Bend, WA 98045
Speaker honoraria offered – Apply after registering!
More Info:
- Mobility needs and observance-levels supported.
- Transportation for out-of-town guests: we will facilitate matches between guests arriving to SEA-TAC at similar times for ride share. Complementary shuttle to airport after retreat for guests who book airfare at least 8 weeks ahead and inform the JTC Team.
The JTC provided tailored an itinerary for this Shabbaton that honored the holiday of Lag Ba’Omer by celebrating Jewish Joy, renewal, and balances the needs of our unique community of healthcare providers. The weekend highlighted some of our loved and local professionals with experiential workshops and events that included yoga, meditation, body awareness, expressive art and drama, and of course exploring the unique nature that surrounded us.
| Date | Start Time | Activity |
| Friday | Daytime | The Sephardic Legacy of Seattle: Jewish Legacy from the Fish Market and Beyond! (Add-on Optional Activity) |
| 5:00 PM | Warm Welcome and Orient to the Space | |
| 6:00 PM | Shalom Chaverim: Shabbat Dinner Amongst Friends | |
| 7:00 PM | Spiritual, Sensory, and Small Group Experiences (Shabbat-Friendly) | |
| Saturday | 8:00 AM | Nurturing Shabbat Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM | Gather & Ground: Immersive Teva/Nature Walk Experience | |
| 10:30 AM | Immersive Arts/Creating Experience (with keepsake) | |
| 12:00 PM | A Midday Meal of Lunch | |
| 12:45 PM | Light Through The Clouds: A Lag B Omer Reprieve From Distress; Radical Joy | |
| 3:00 PM | Soothe Body & Breath: Trauma-Informed Yoga & Breathwork With Elizabeth Sumpf | |
| 5:00 PM | The Voice That Calls You: Rest Time. Stations Available to Indulge Curiosity, Play, and Rest | |
| 6:00 PM | Sustaining Supper Together | |
| 7:00 PM | Self Compassion of Teshuva Within & Beyond: Into the Glow of Fire | |
| 9:40 PM | Havdallah: Embodied Sensory Delight | |
| Sunday | 8:00 AM | Nourish the New Week: Breakfast |
| 8:45 AM | Gathering: Belongings & Bearings (pack to go home) | |
| 9:30 AM | The Hero Within: Drama and Experiential Arts Activity with Moranne Aaron-Berel | |
| 11:00 AM | Into The Body: Special Outdoor Activity with Miriam Streicker-Hirt (alternative available) | |
| 12:00 PM | Goodbyes over Breaking Bread | |
| 1:00 PM | The World Within & The World Outside: Venturing Forward Together (closing activity) | |
| 1:45 PM | Farewell, Sweet Chaverim |
Friday
- Daytime – The Sephardic Legacy of Seattle: Jewish Legacy from the Fish Market and Beyond! (Add-on Optional Activity)
- 5:00 PM – Warm Welcome and Orient to the Space
- 6:00 PM – Shalom Chaverim: Shabbat Dinner Amongst Friends
- 7:00 PM – Spiritual, Sensory, and Small Group Experiences (Shabbat-Friendly)
Saturday
- 8:00 AM – Nurturing Shabbat Breakfast
- 9:00 AM – Gather & Ground: Immersive Teva/Nature Walk Experience
- 10:30 AM – Immersive Arts/Creating Experience (with keepsake)
- 12:00 PM – A Midday Meal of Lunch
- 12:45 PM – Light Through The Clouds: A Lag B Omer Reprieve From Distress; Radical Joy
- 3:00 PM – Soothe Body & Breath: Trauma-Informed Yoga & Breathwork With Elizabeth Sumpf
- 5:00 PM – The Voice That Calls You: Rest Time. Stations Available to Indulge Curiosity, Play, and Rest
- 6:00 PM – Sustaining Supper Together
- 7:00 PM – Self Compassion of Teshuva Within & Beyond: Into the Glow of Fire
- 9:40 PM – Havdallah: Embodied Sensory Delight
Sunday
- 8:00 AM – Nourish the New Week: Breakfast
- 8:45 AM – Gathering: Belongings & Bearings (pack to go home)
- 9:30 AM – The Hero Within: Drama and Experiential Arts Activity with Moranne Aaron-Berel.
- 11:00 AM – Into The Body: Special Outdoor Activity with Miriam Streicker-Hirt (alternative available)
- 12:00 PM – Goodbyes over Breaking Bread
- 1:00 PM – The World Within & The World Outside: Venturing Forward Together (closing activity)
- 1:45 PM – Farewell, Sweet Chaverim
JTC has been bringing the Jewish Mental Health Community together for many years to ensure that care providers can always find a safe space for support, collaboration, and connection. The trauma that the Jewish Community at large is experiencing has made our community more relevant and important than ever. This unique Shabbaton was designed by our JTC team to help our community connect while experiencing and reflecting on the importance of Jewish Joy, even during the hardest times, in an incredibly beautiful, peaceful, and serene setting.