NATIONAL JEWISH RETREAT August 18–22, 2010 gWa, 'kukt cWh-wj Welcome halom and welcome to the Fifth Annual Sinai Scholars National S Retreat! We hope that you are as excited as we are for this special opportunity to unite students from across North America in five days of learning and inspiration. We trust that the luxurious accommodations at the Hyatt Regency Hotel will make your stay as comfortable as possible. Please enjoy access to the shops and cafés in the Reston Town Center. Take advantage of our pool, sauna, Roman Spa, Fitness Center, full- service Business Center and hotel shops throughout the retreat. Recreational activities in the program include a boat ride on the Potomac, a visit to the Air and Space Museum, and access to the Reston town center. Our exceptional faculty has been drawn from across the globe to bring you the best both in Jewish scholarship and leadership. During the retreat, you will have the privilege to learn from such exceptional personalities as Mr. Nathan Lewin, Esq. one of the top lawyers in America, Rabbi Simon Jacobson director of the Meaningful Life Center, Mrs. Rivka Slonim , international author and renowned speaker, Mr. George Allen , the former governor and senator of the state of Virginia, and Mr. George Rohr , the principal benefactor of the Sinai Scholars Society. We will be offering a wide range of classes covering topics as diverse as Nazi hunting and food technology, dating and leadership skills, Kabalistic quantum physics and Jewish humor. All these personalities and areas of inquiry will promote your investigation of this year’s retreat theme – to help you continue to build “ Your Jewish Story .” We hope that you will enjoy the outstanding range of learning and activities at this year’s retreat. We are here to help make your stay both meaningful and comfortable, please come to us with any THE HYATT REGENCY – RESTON, VA 3 Welcome questions or concerns you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact any of our staff with any of your concerns. For added security, and so everyone can get to know you, please wear your nametags at all times. Thank you for coming, those who’ve traveled far, and those who came from near by to share in the exceptional experiences of the Sinai Scholars National Retreat! Looking forward to our time together, On behalf of the Sinai Scholars Retreat staff and faculty: Rabbi Yitzchok Dubov Director, Sinai Scholars Society Miss Rachel Fertel Miss Hadassah Nazmiyal Sinai Scholars Retreat Coordinators Mr. and Mrs. Shmuli and Malka Shtulman Sinai Scholars Retreat Welcoming Committee How to use this program guide. You will find “tags” next to each session, refer to them to better understand the content and style of each session. This will help you choose sessions that will be most meaningful to you. Each session has been categorized by both content and style . Tags for content include: • Jewish Fact/Info: where you will examine traditional Jewish texts or listen to historical and general Jewish content. • Values/Ethics: Includes sessions that challenge life values and question world ethics through the lens of Torah. • Skills • Inspiration: You will be exposed to a new life skill or inspired by personal journeys and challenges. Tags for style will help you anticipate the format of the session. Tags for style include: • Lecture: Featuring more frontal lecturing with Q&A. • Group Discussion: less lecture, more interactive or story based session. • Hands On • Story • Text Based: Additional tags to help break down the style of the session. 4 NATIONAL JEWISH RETREAT Faculty Faculty Rabbi Zalman Abraham Author, Marketing Director, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Mr. Andrew Aidman BA, Religion, Film - University of Miami The Hon. George Allen Former United States Senator; Former Governor of Virginia Mr. Bruce Backman Senior Research Analyst, Fox News; Retreat Coordinator, National Jewish Retreat; Former Aide, Former New York Governor George Pataki Rabbi Hillel Baron Director, Lubavitch Center of Howard County Rabbi Berel Bell Judge, Rabbinical Court of Montreal; Dean, Kollel Beis Yosef for Advanced Talmudic Studies; Author, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Rabbi Moshe Bryski Director, Chabad of the Conejo (Agoura Hills, CA); Founder, Conejo Jewish Academy Mrs. Matty Bryski Co-Director, Chabad of the Conejo (Agoura Hills, CA) Rabbi Boruch Cohen Coordinator, JLI National Jewish Retreat Mrs. Batsheva Cohen Co-Director, Chabad of Hebron, Israel Rabbi Danny Cohen Director, Chabad of Hebron, Israel Rabbi Shalom Deitsch Director, Chabad-Lubavitch of Northern Virginia Rabbi Levi Deitsch Director, Chabad of Tysons Corner, VA Mrs. Chanie Deitsch Co-Director, Chabad-Lubavitch of Northern Virginia Mrs. Chavi Epstein Co-Director, Chabad Lubavitch of South Carolina; Lecturer and Musician; Founder, Niggun Workshop Seminar THE HYATT REGENCY – RESTON, VA 5 Faculty Rabbi Hesh Epstein Chairman, Executive Committee, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute; Chairman, The National Jewish Retreat; Executive Director, Chabad Lubavitch of South Carolina; Executive Director, Columbia Jewish Day School Rabbi Leibel Fajnland Director, Chabad-Lubavitch of Reston and Herndon, VA Rabbi Tzvi Freeman Team Leader, Ask the Rabbi, Chabad.org; Author and Lecturer Mr. Bradley Gordon Director, Policy and Governmental Affairs, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Dr. Gill Heart Biomedical Engineer; Entrepreneur and Lecturer; Former Commanding Officer, Special Forces, Israel Defense Force Rabbi Avrohom Jacks Rabbi, Cong. Zichron Kedoshim, Montreal, Canada Cantor Sholom Jacobs Concert and recording artist; guest chazzan, U.S. and worldwide; Chazzan, Chabad of the Five Towns (NY); President and CEO, Jacobs Real Estate Advisors, Lawrence, NY Rabbi Simon Jacobson Director, Meaningful Life Center; Author, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute; Noted Author, Lecturer, Social Commentator Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky Vice Chairman, Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch – Lubavitch World Headquarters; Chairman, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute; Chairman, International Conference of Shluchim Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky Member of The Secretariat of The Lubavitcher Rebbe; Chairman, Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch , and Machne Israel , the educational and social services arms of Chabad Lubavitch; Rabbi Krinsky was named by Newsweek as the most influential Rabbi in America. Mr. Nathan Lewin, Esq. Prominent Washington, D.C. Attorney; Renowned Advocate for First Amendment Rights; Former American President, International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists; Lewin & Lewin, LLP 6 NATIONAL JEWISH RETREAT Faculty Rabbi Nissan Mangel Philosopher, Author, Lecturer; Authority on Kabbalah, Chabad Chasidut, the Holocaust (survivor), and Jewish Jurisprudence Rabbi Efraim Mintz Executive Director, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Mrs. Shaina B. Mintz Camp Director, National Jewish Retreat; Faculty Member, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Mr. Eli Rosenbaum Attorney and Investigator, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Special Investigations (WWII Era Crimes); Author Mr. George Rohr President, New Century Holdings; Chairman, The Rohr Family Foundation; Principal Benefactor, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Professor Jonathan Sarna Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University; Director, Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program, Brandeis University; Chief Historian, National Museum of American Jewish History (Philadelphia); Member, Academic Advisory Board, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute Rabbi Levi Shemtov Director, American Friends of Lubavitch (Washington, DC) Rabbi Yitzchak Shochet Rabbi, Mill Hill Synagogue, England; Lecturer and Author Mrs. Rivkah Slonim Co-Director, Chabad House at Binghamton University (NY); Author, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute; Author and Lecturer Rabbi Eliezer Sneiderman Director, Chabad Center for Jewish Life, University of Delaware Mrs. Miryam Swerdlov International Lecturer; Teacher of Jewish History Mrs. Shimona Tzukernik Founder and Director, Omek Learning Center for Women; Author, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, Corporate Trainer, Lecturer, Mentor Rabbi Simcha Weinstein Director, Chabad of Clinton Hill and Pratt University (NY); Author THE HYATT REGENCY – RESTON, VA 7 Faculty Arts and Entertainment Avraham Fried International Chassidic recording and concert artist Stuart Greenwald Wines and spirits expert; Kosher Specialist, Shoppers Vineyard Joshua London Wines and spirits expert; Lecturer, Writer, Teacher Michoel Muchnik Chassidic Artist and Illustrator Jamey Turner Glass Harpist Marc Weiner Comedian, Puppeteer, Creator, Producer Creator and Former Host, Weinerville (MTV 1993-1996) Staff Rabbi Shlomie Chein Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm Director, Chabad at University Director, Chabad at of California, S. Cruz University of Colorado Rabbi Yitzchok Dubov Director, Sinai Scholars Society Mrs. Deena Dubov Rabbi Dovid Gurevitch Co-director, Director, Chabad at UCLA Sinai Scholars Society Rabbi Eliezer Sneiderman Mrs. Roni Sneiderman Director, Chabad at Co-director, Chabad at University of Delaware University of Delaware Rabbi Adam Stein Mrs. Chana Tiechtel Director, Chabad at SUNY Co-director, Chabad at and Stony Brook Arizona State University 8 NATIONAL JEWISH RETREAT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18 kukt wj Wednesday 4:00-6:15pm 4:00 p.m. Orientation and Introduction to Retreat theme Regency Ballroom Presenter: Sinai Scholars Staff and Faculty Welcome to the luxurious Four-Diamond Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia for the fifth annual Sinai Scholars National Retreat. Once you have registered