Queerkeit Writer’s Retreat

Queerkeit Incubators is a network of queer Jewish writing groups where participants connect, collaborate, and create the kind of art and content they wish they’d had access to on their journeys. This retreat will bring together current participants in the 2026 Queerkeit Cohorts to build community and share their work. If you are interested in future participation and fellowship opportunities, reach out to contact@queerkeit.com. 

Though participants’ practices vary, shared programming will be traditionally Shabbat observant and all food kosher certified. Learn more about Queerkeit at https://queerkeit.com/Home.

Please note that this retreat is currently at capacity, but you are welcome to apply for a spot on our waitlist using the form linked below.

Educator: Jane Tuv

Lanterns, kintsugi, mandalas, ponchiki, and so much more: join Russian-speaking Jews from across the East Coast for a Chanukkah arts retreat! Through a weekend jam-packed with visual art, cooking, and storytelling through movement and improv theater, we’ll explore themes of identity, memory, resilience, and renewal in Jewish texts, traditions, and in our own lives. Using art as our pathway, we’ll reflect on what we’ve inherited – and what we want to carry forward. Get ready to discover new creative inspiration, great people, and what makes your RSJ experience uniquely your own.

The food served at this retreat will be fully kosher certified. While some activities may not align with Shabbat observance, alternative programming will be available for Shabbat-observant participants.

Educators: Abbey London and Tivnu

New York City is one of the great Jewish cities of the world and an unmatched classroom for exploring Jewish identity and history. On this trip, Jewish experience, past and present, comes to life through interactive walking tours, storytelling, and conversations with community members. Participants will explore the Jewish experience in America throughout history and how community development and shared identity have left their mark on the city. In addition to exploring historic sites, participants will also lend a hand, supporting the city’s citizens in need through various hands-on service opportunities in areas such as food insecurity, immigration, education, and community development. Come explore all that New York has to offer, from its iconic sites to the less-seen corners of the Big Apple! To register for this retreat, a non-refundable $85 fee will be applied upon registration to help cover the costs of programming.

This retreat’s lodging is at a Hostel. Hostel lodging has shared bathrooms and gendered 12- and 16-person rooms.

**If you live in the NY/NJ area and would prefer to sleep at home and meet us each day and stay for all programming, please email Abbey London (abbey.london@memglobal.org) for more information about this option.** If you have any questions regarding the lodging, please reach out to Retreats@memglobal.org.

Highlights:

– Take part in interactive walking tours, from discovering the less well-known Sephardi immigration in the 1600s to exploring the dynamic streets of Brooklyn where Hasidim and Hipsters intermingle;

-Spend your free evening catching a Broadway play or exploring NYC’s nightlife;

-While taking part in hands-on direct service opportunities with Grassroots Grocery and Brooklyn Book Bodega to help New Yorkers in need, explore how we can build on Jewish communities’ past to forge connections today;

-Welcome in Kabbalat Shabbat together and celebrate Chanukkah with community!

This retreat is generously subsidized by Repair the World. In addition, this retreat will not be Shabbat observant, and the meals will be vegetarian but not kosher certified.

Step into the most magical place on earth…Disney World! From whizzing through the air on epic rollercoasters, to snapping pics with your favorite characters, and savoring a bite of the Mickey Mouse pretzel, it’s a trip to Epcot you’ll never forget! And now, we’ll experience the World Showcase like never before: as a starting point for Jewish learning. Explore what Jewish communities look like around the world, from the seas of Morocco to the hills of Mexico, dive into (Disney-themed!) Jewish rituals, and make amazing memories with a whole crew of other Jewish Disney fans. From the deep, to the delightful — it’s pure Disney!

Educator: Rabbi Shari Shamah