Retreating to savor the Days of Awe
Longtime readers know that I've spent the last four Yom Kippurim at Elat Chayyim / Isabella Freedman. (Last year, right after the retreat, I posted Thirteen ways of looking at Yom Kippur; at the bottom of the post you can find links to post-Y"K write-ups from 2004, 2005 and 2006.) The prayer is incredible, the physical setting is incredible, the people and the kavvanah (intention) are incredible. It's always a highlight of my year.
This year, the High Holiday retreats there will be co-led by Reb Shawn Zevit and Arielle Cohen. (Read more on the retreat center's website: Rosh Hashanah retreat; Yom Kippur retreat.) Spending the Days of Awe with Reb Shawn, in that glorious setting, sounds like a foretaste of heaven for sure.
I won't be there, because my Days of Awe are otherwise booked -- with something else that promises to be a spiritual highlight. (More on that soon.) But I want to put in a plug for spending the Days of Awe at Elat Chayyim / Isabella Freedman, even though I won't be there. I love to think of other people enjoying the experience that's given me so much spiritual sustenance over the years.
