Shir Chadash! is a Pluralistic gathering. It is meant to be welcoming to a wide tent of people with diverse backgrounds and practices, from all streams of Judaism. Instruments and all voices are welcome throughout.
First timer? So are we! Many of us have experienced other conferences and retreats, including Hava Nashira, Shabbat Shira, Aleph Kallah, Women Cantors Network, Songleader Boot Camp, Limmud, Kohenet, Havurah Institute, Rising Song Institute, and beyond. 2025 is the inaugural year for Shir Chadash! We are all learning together, building a new community on the foundations of many of these and other wonderful experiences. We welcome your suggestions and feedback.
Mah Nishtanah? How is this retreat different? While our experience will be filled with joyful music, there will be many opportunities to engage in other creative art forms, including movement, storytelling, holy drumming, writing, visual arts, and even tying tzitzit in traditional and innovative ways. You don’t have to have had any experience “at the front of the room” to find your place here. We hope you will be inspired to take some of what you learn back to your community and share it with others. But if you need some spiritual re-Jew-vination, as an individual without a congregational home looking for connections, or a clergy member who just wants to take it all in rather than lead, you’ll find comfort, warmth, joy, and new friends here. And unlike many of the other conferences, our retreat includes and is built around joyful worship together on Shabbat.
What time does the program start and end?
Registration begins at 2 pm on your day of arrival (Wednesday for Forshpeis participants, Thursday for the main conference, and Friday for Shabbat-only participants). Rooms will be available at 3 pm on your arrival day.
Everyone must check out of rooms by 9 am on Sunday. The program will continue through lunchtime on Sunday, and we’ll all leave the retreat center by 1 pm.
What is included in my registration fee?
Your room (including bed linens and towels), 3 daily meals and snacks, participation in all programs, program materials including handouts and access to selected materials electronically after the retreat, facility fees, insurance and security, and the costs of bringing our amazing creative team to share their gifts with us.
There is on-site parking available for cars; please let us know on the post-registration information form if you will need a parking space.
What will we be eating?
Our meals will be feature delicious scratch-made vegetarian and vegan dishes, with eggs at breakfast, fish options, kosher chicken for Shabbat dinner, and one meal including kosher beef. The retreat center does not have a kosher kitchen. No pork or shellfish will be served. There will be gluten-free and dairy-free options. If you have other requirements, we will communicate with you after initial registration to help ensure that the kitchen can do its best to accommodate your needs.
There will also be daily snacks — some healthy, some salty and sweet. We’ll have wine and grape juice for kiddush. There is a no-alcohol policy in the dining room, so we’ll be serving sparkling grape juice with Shabbat dinner, but you’re welcome to bring your choice of beverages for private consumption during late night entertainment.
At times, we will be sharing the dining room space with another small group who will be on their own retreat.
What is this “forshpeis” thing?
Yiddish for an appetizer, it’s an extra added day at the beginning of the conference, to whet your appetite for what’s to come. You can take a deep dive into a single topic or specialty, or (in some cases) mix and match among several, with two sessions on Wednesday, and a third session on Thursday morning, before the rest of the participants arrive to join us for the rest of the retreat.
You’ll have an opportunity to connect in a small group setting. No experience necessary, just a willingness to explore. You can read more about it here.
Is there a virtual option?
We are not currently planning to stream services, concerts, or sharing sessions. Some brief recordings will be available after the retreat. Individuals may record classes and sessions for their private use, but they will not be available for public distribution.
What should I pack?
Dress is casual and comfortable. We like to dress up for Shabbat, whatever that means for you. A lot of people choose to wear white on Shabbat evening. Dress in layers — when a lot of people are in a room, you might need to take off a sweatshirt. There will be some walking between buildings, depending on where sessions are scheduled.
You’ll want to bring a refillable hot/cold water bottle for water and coffee/tea. Bring shampoo and conditioner.
Masks are not required, but you are welcome to wear one if that makes you comfortable.
You’ll want footwear to walk around the beautiful grounds, and for dancing on Shabbat evening. If you’re in the Lodge Rooms, you’ll want slippers and pajamas or a robe. You might want to bring a flashlight for evening adventures. A recording device (probably your phone or tablet). And of course your instrument, if you want to play one. There will be some drums and shakers to borrow, and someone will lend you a guitar if you need one for the open mic.
Tallit and tefillin are welcome. There will be kippot made by the Abuyadaya Jewish community in Uganda for sale in the Shuk.
Snacks and other food? We hope you’ll have plenty, but there are shared refrigerators available if you want to bring anything to munch on in between.
What will I be experiencing in classes and workshops?
As you can see on our Presenters Page, the talent of those who will be with us throughout the conference is wide and deep. Their expertise includes songwriting, songleading skills, repertoire, worship leadership, holy drumming, bibliodrama, visual arts, dance, movement, and more. We encourage you to consider attending workshops that stretch you beyond what you’ve done before. All are designed to nourish your soul and to give you tangible skills you can bring back and share with your community.
Some of our Guiding Lights will be with us throughout the retreat, and you will be able to take multiple sessions with them if you wish. Others will be like Comets, appearing for a single day or session.
How and when do I select my classes?
Several weeks before the retreat, we’ll ask you to let us know which electives interest you the most. This will help us ensure that we have enough materials for all participants, and that we put each class in the right-sized room.
In most cases, you’ll be able to make a last-minute swap, but if it is a class that requires art materials, for example, you might be closed out if you don’t register in advance.
When do we pray?
There will choices for morning tefilah every day, with different leaders and styles. Our evening davenning will be communal, as we lift our voices together in song and prayer. And we’ll take a mid-afternoon non-traditional mincha break daily — stay tuned to see what that turns out to be!
How can I share my gifts?
You’ll have many opportunities!
Participants will lead morning prayer services throughout the retreat.
Song sessions after most meals will be led by groups of attendees.
You’ll be asked to sign up for prayer and songleading after you register, and will be teamed with others to plan ahead.
Some of you may be asked to lead an elective in your area of expertise. If you have something you’d like to teach, please let us know as part of the post-registration sign-up.
And there will be a Beit Cafe on Friday night and an Open Mic on Saturday evening, when you can share songs, poems, and stories with your community.
Can I sell my CDs, books and handicrafts?
Yes! There will be tables available in the evenings (not on Shabbat) where you can display your wares for the community to appreciate. It will be up to you to negotiate and handle sales on your own.
Are there scholarships available?
There is very limited funding available for scholarships at this time. We hope to be able to offer more scholarships in the future. If you are in need of financial assistance, please let us know.
If you are able to assist others who are in need, please consider donating to Illumin8tion, Inc., and specify that the funds should go toward the Shir Chadash! Scholarship Fund. You can to that on your registration form, or on our About Us page.
What is the cancellation policy?
If for any reason you need to cancel your registration, please do so by email. The refund policy is as follows:
Cancel by September 15, 2025: Your registration fee will be refunded, less a $100 cancellation fee.
Cancel from September 16 – September 30, 2025: 50% of your registration fee will be refunded.
Cancel on October 1 or after: We are unable to issue refunds except in exceptional circumstances. By this date, financial and contractual obligations have been made, and a refund would come at direct expense to Illumin8tion, Inc.