I wonder if you’ve ever had the experience of something shifting dramatically in a single weekend…
At Lab/Shul, we know how powerful intimate experiences can be in helping us all come of age at many moments across our lives and answer these deep questions. So much so that we’ve built a suite of programs around the idea! BECOMING is our umbrella term for:
- Raising The Bar, our B Mitzvah program for teens [LEARN MORE]
- GENerate, our rite of passage program for older adults [LEARN MORE]
- Pass/Age:, our rite of passage program for adults in midlife encountering a transitional moment or defining their Judaism on their own terms. [LEARN MORE]
Which brings me to my personal invitation:
Please join us for Pass/Age: A Weekend Retreat!
How do we find authentic presence as people who are still growing and changing, while attending to the needs of so many others? And how might the tools of Jewish text, ritual, and practice help us make meaning in our lives now?
Over the course of an intensive, transformational weekend, we’ll creatively explore where our personal stories and our ancestral stories intersect. This intimate retreat experience is designed for adults in their 40s and 50s. You’ll experience immersive, artist-driven rituals, study and reflect in a beautiful, intimate setting, and leave the weekend oriented to purpose, presence, and passion, with the tools of Jewish wisdom and practice in your belt. This retreat is a unique opportunity to learn with Rabbi Amichai, Rhona Silverbush (a longtime Lab/Shul Partner and educator) Rhona Silverbush, and me, Pass/Age Program Director and Ritual Leader.
- Date: March 13-15, 2026
- Location: NYC & Nyack NY
- Transportation: Nyack is about an hour north of the city and accessible by train. Carpools may also be arranged.
- Housing: For those staying overnight, a block of rooms will be available to reserve at a local hotel.
As we do the deep work to design the curriculum and rituals for this weekend, I am reminiscing about a similar experience from my Divinity School days that has stayed with me. Years ago, when I was in divinity school, I had one such weekend. I joined a songwriting retreat called The Interlude, where songwriters of many different backgrounds and orientations to the craft — some of us working musicians, some of us getting back on our feet after time away, and some of us just beginning to explore — gathered to nurture the seed of one song each, committing to writing something totally new by weekend’s end in the company of others doing the same.
I had several songs on the back burner that I was anxious to finish, but the retreat facilitators were clear: bring something totally new. Dare to trust the group to help bring something fresh out of you, even if you’re not sure where to begin. So, begrudgingly, I followed the instructions, came with the seed of my song “Rejoice,” and left the weekend as something other than I was when I entered: from someone toying with building a life as an artist to one actively committed to it. The weekend had been part of my own becoming.
The Pass/Age Retreat weekend is a unique opportunity to gather in community with a small group of fellow deep thinkers and feelers, as well as to be part of building the future of Lab/Shul in this important way.
Space is limited, so if this interests you please send me a note at [email protected] or register directly at this link.
PLUS…
As a member of this cohort, you’ll receive access to our inaugural BECOMING alumni retreat (April 24–26 in NYC). Designed exclusively for BECOMING alumni and supported by the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, this retreat is guaranteed for March Pass/Age cohort participants.
Who knows what might change for you in the course of a single weekend? We can’t wait to watch the transformation unfold.
Yours in becoming,
Ben Freeman, MDiv
Program Director, Pass/Age & GENerate; Ritual Leader
