The Jewish Divorce Project - Ep 53: Jewish Divorce and Discovery Retreat w/ Rabbi Deborah Newbrun + Rosh Hashanah Rituals for Divorce

In episode 53 Noam and Sheva talk with Rabbi Deborah Newborn who has created the innovative Divorce and Discovery retreat. It’s a weekend long experience for Jews and Jew-adjacent folks to process and find meaning in their divorce and separation. Along with her personal journey through divorce, we discuss the need for Jewish community-based divorce programming for families and individuals.  We also talk about how Rosh Hashanah can be a great time to explore ones divorce journey and use the rituals involved to find meaning, grow, and move on from this major transition.

 

Deborah Newbrun's career as a Jewish leader (particularly in Jewish environmental education) spans more than 35 years including 24 years as Director of Camp Tawonga, four years as Hazon's Bay Area Director and serving on the founding boards of Wilderness Torah and Bay COJEL (Coalition for Jews and the Environment).

 

Deborah is a recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award. Her groundbreaking work as co author of Spirit In Nature/Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail paved the way for numerous Jewish outdoor programs for children including the Teva Learning Center. Most recently, Deborah co-founded SVARA's Queer Talmud Camp and worked with Keshet to create a curriculum that helps Jewish summer camps be welcoming and inclusive of gender non-conforming campers and staff.  Deborah has served on the faculty of many Jewish professional fellowships currently for Hineni a Jewish leadership training for LGBTQ folks. Her recent projects also include creating: Spirit In Nature Podcasts with Sarah Lefton and “Divorce and Discovery a Jewish Healing Retreat” offered in partnership with Camp Tawonga to be launched in October 2022.

Before entering the Jewish not-for-profit world, Deborah was a National Park Service Ranger. She lives in Berkeley with her wife, Rabbi Sue Reinhold PhD. Between them they have four twenty-something year old children and a beloved doodle dog.