Deborah Newbrun: Judaism Unbound Podcast Episode 324 - Healing from Divorce, at Camp
Deborah Newbrun, co-founder of SVARA's Queer Talmud Camp, and the beloved former-director of Camp Tawonga, is launching a new initiative, entitled Divorce and Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to discuss her vision for the first-ever Jewish retreat that will be crafted, specifically, to provide participants the chance to heal from divorce. The inaugural Divorce and Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat will take place October 27-30, 2022, and you can learn more about it here.
[1] Learn more about Deborah Newbrun by heading to DeborahNewbrun.com, and learn more about Divorce and Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat, by clicking here.
[2] Newbrun was the director at Camp Tawonga, where Divorce and Discovery takes place, for 26 years. For some past Judaism Unbound episodes that include shout-outs to Camp Tawonga, see Episode 24: BimBam - Sarah Lefton and Episode 190: Jewish Camps, Jewish Utopias - Avi Orlow.
[3] When reflecting on the goals of her retreat, Newbrun looked back at her time in Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program. Learn more about it via this link.
[4] In addition to co-founding Queer Talmud Camp, and pioneering Divorce and Discovery, Newbrun is the founder of Keshet LGBTQ Family Camp, which also takes place at Camp Tawonga. Learn more about it by clicking here.
[5] Lex references an earlier episode of Judaism Unbound, where he and Dan talk about the idea of “high-voltage” and “low-voltage” Judaism. To listen in, see Episode 265: High-Voltage Judaism - Dan and Lex.
[6] When discussing other life-cycle events, in addition to divorce, that have not been fully ritualized in Jewish tradition, Deborah Newbrun mentions miscarriage. For more on The Memory Garden, the country's first Jewish sacred space for mourning fertility loss (which Newbrun cites), click here.