Nehirim East Spiritual Retreat for LGBT Jews

$200 including room and board
at Isabella Freedman Retreat Center

Falls Village, CT
More Info / Registration

The Nehirim East Spiritual Retreat is Nehirim’s flagship retreat weekend, bringing together over one hundred LGBT Jews from around the country to the beautiful Isabella Freedman Retreat Center in Connecticut.  This year is our seventh annual retreat, taking place right after Shavuot, June 10-12.  Directed by Dr. Zvi Bellin, Nehirim East is a unique weekend of spirituality and community: workshops, great food, sports & swimming, a pluralistic community, and plenty of time to connect and meet new people.

Jay will be delivering the keynote talk on the Sunday of the retreat, entitled “Language Matters: Why We Should Stop Saying ‘Abomination’ and ‘Sodomy.’ The Hebrew Bible never uses the words “abomination” or ‘sodomy” — and neither should we.  The words themselves, even when used on ‘our side’ (e.g. “Hate is an abomination”), are part of the misuse of the Bible in the name of repression.  Come learn what ‘toevah” really means (it isn’t abomination) and what the sin of Sodom really was (it isn’t homosexuality), and help rescue religion from the forces of fear.