Join Rabbi Alan Lew Retreat and Tour to Ecuador

Rabbi Alan Lew Letter of Invitation

2008-09-04T09:02:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

An extraordinary opportunity has come my way which I would like to share with you.

This past June, I was approached by Dr. Hune Margulies, the Director of the Martin Buber Institute for Dialogical Ecology in New York, and asked to lead a week long retreat at an ecological lodge in Ecuador, featuring a daily schedule of prayer, meditation and Torah study, hiking through the considerable natural wonders of the Quito region of Ecuador, and an intense cultural and spiritual interaction with local Indigenous communities.

The trip which will run from December 21 to December 28, will feature the following activities.

➢ A morning round of prayer, meditation and Torah study led by me
➢ Tour and hike through a regional large cloud forest
➢ Tour and hike through a regional water fall
➢ Visit to the old city of Quito (declared a resource of humanity by the UNESCO)
➢ Visit to the Otavalo Indigenous market (largest outdoor arts and crafts market in Ecuador)
➢ Visit and communal meal at an Indigenous community.
➢ Day of community service at a regional Indigenous community
➢ Meeting and practices with local Indigenous sages
➢ Folkloric Dance classes. Indigenous music and dance presentation.
➢ Indigenous arts and crafts workshop
➢ Hikes to view-sites and special meditation spots in the landscape

Quite a spectacular week, don’t you think?; a rare opportunity to deepen our sense of our own connection to both Judaism and the planet and to enter into a deep, spiritual sharing with the indigenous peoples of Ecuador.

Here are some more of the details:
1. Location of the trip: Republic of Ecuador. 7 days at a high-end Ecological lodge near the city of Quito. The site and the region include access to water falls, cloud forests and magnificent hikes and landscapes. The lodge is located near the old city of Quito, declared a UNESCO cultural resource of humanity.
2. Lodging: High quality ecological lodge. Double room occupancy.
3. Meals: 3 daily meals and snacks.
4. Transfers and transportation: All program-related transfers and transportation included. Transfers to and from Quito International airport.
5. Flights: Round trip flight from San Francisco to Quito included.
6. Cost: $2,857.00 per person. Cost includes all the above. (international round trip air fare and all program related ground costs). It does not include passport taxes and airport fees.

The only fly in the ointment at the moment is that I was quite ill early in the summer (I’m perfectly fine now, thank you) and as a result, we lost considerable time in launching this trip, so we are operating on a pretty tight time line. If you’d like to join us, we’d need you to make a decision pretty quickly. Please confirm your participation by no later than October 18.

You can obtain more information about this trip and register for it as well, at our website, http://rabbialanlewretreatandtour.blogspot.com

I very much hope that you can join us on this extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime adventure. It promises to be a week of unusual pleasure and spiritual depth.

Shalom U’Vrachah—Peace and Blessings,

Rabbi Alan Lew

Ps: For more information and questions please call our organizers. Ground Operations provided through Community Development Partners for the Americas. Hune Margulies, Ph.D., President. www.culture-and-ecology.com. 914-439-7731. For more information on the Martin Buber Institute for Dialogical Ecology please visit www.MBIDE.org

Registration To Rabbi Alan Lew's Retreat and Tour to Ecuador

2008-09-04T09:01:00.002-07:00

APPLICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION TO RABBI ALAN LEW'S RETREAT AND TOUR

Tour dates: December 21-28, 2008. Quito, Ecuador.
(Tour Operations through Community Development Partners For The Americas, LLC)

APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION FORMS

DATES:
Departure: Sunday, December 21, 2008 (flight details will be posted shortly)
Return: Sunday, December 28, 2008 (flight details will be posted shortly)

COSTS:

$2,857.00 per person, Double Occupancy (single rooms may be available on an optional basis with a price differential). Price includes international roundtrip airfare (from San francisco and from New York), lodging for 7 nights, 3 full daily meals, all transfers and transportation to group activities, all activities lead by Rabbi Lan Lew, all city tours, and all cultural, ecological, spiritual and touring activities.

To submit your registration please copy, paste and email to us the registration form below. Also please print and mail to us the signed hard copy of the registration forms together with your payment: Email address: CDPA@cdpa-americas.org. Mailing address: Dr. Hune Margulies, 203 Rockingstone Ave. Larchmont, NY 10538. Phone: 914-439-7731.

You may also contact Rabbi Lew at ALANLEW@comcast.net. Please direct all travel related questions to CDPA@cdpa-americas.org or call 914-439-7731.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Please sign and return this complete application and registration forms via e-mail to CDPA@cdpa-americas.org.
2. Print this entire application, include a check with your deposit in the amount of $300.00 and return to CDPA: 203 Rockingstone Avenue. Larchmont, NY 10538.
3. Attach to this application a photocopy of the picture page of your passport and a copy of your health insurance card, back and front.

Part I: Personal Information

Full Name, title:
email address:
Date of Birth: Gender :
Occupation:
Home Address:
City: State: Zip code:
Home Phone: Cell Phone:
Spouse’s email:
Emergency email:
Work Phone:
web site:
Country of Residence:
Place of Birth:
Citizenship:
Passport Number: Passport Expiration:
Health Insurance Carrier:
Name of insured:
Policy Number:
Work address:
Emergency Contact Name:
Phone Number:

Optional notes about yourself..

What is your spiritual practice? (if you have one):

Please provide us with a brief explanation as to special circumstances or concerns: (special diets, health issues, disabilities, etc.). Please describe in detail. All information is strictly confidential and it will be used solely for the purpose of arranging for special services as needed.

➢ Do you know Spanish?

➢ Need Special Diets?

➢ Taking Medications?

➢ Allergies?

➢ Other Health Issues?

➢ Disabilities?

Part II: Financial information:

Method of payment: Check, Money Order, Cash, (Partial Credit Card payments allowed). Make checks payable to: Community Development Partners For the Americas, LLC. 203 Rockingstone Avenue. Larchmont, NY 10538. 914-439-7731.

Part III: Instructions:

Total Cost: The cost of the Tour Program is $2,857.00. Price includes international roundtrip airfare (from San Francisco and from New York), lodging for 7 nights, 3 full daily meals, all transfers and transportation to group activities, all activities lead by Rabbi Alan Lew, all city tours, and all cultural, ecological, spiritual and touring activities. Price does not include airport taxes.

Payments: A non-refundable deposit in the amount of $300.00 must accompany this application. Deposits and payments must be made within schedule to insure space in the program and to avoid late penalty charges. Optional choices are not included.

Cancellations: Depending on airline, hotels, buses and other supplier’s policies. After receipt of application a voucher for your deposit will be issued and e-mailed.

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Waiver and Release

Release executed on the___day of __________ , 200 __ , by ________________ (the 'Traveler Releasor') , resident of__________________________________________to Rabbi Alan Lew and CDPA (the 'Releasee').

I, the Releasor, in consideration of my participation in the Rabbi Alan Lew trip to Ecuador, Decemebr 21-28, 2008, and run and/or operated by the Releasee, waive, release, and discharge the Releasee and CDPA , its owners, officers, directors, employees, members, agents, assigns, legal representatives and successors, and all business associates and partners involved in the presentation of the above noted activity and each of them their owners, officers and employees, and any other people officially connected with this event from all liability for or by reason of any damage, loss or injury to person and property, even injury resulting in the death of the Releasor, which has been or may be sustained in consequence of the Releasor's participation in the activity described above, and notwithstanding that such damage, loss or injury may have been caused solely or partly by the negligence of the Releasee. I am aware of the risks of participation. I understand that participation in this program is strictly voluntary and I freely choose to participate. I understand that the Releasee does not provide medical coverage for me. I verify that I will be responsible for any medical costs I incur as a result of my participation

Date:
Name of Traveler:
Signature of Traveler
Name of Traveler
Signature of Traveler
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Brief Bio of Rabbi Alan Lew

2008-09-04T08:56:00.001-07:00

Rabbi Alan Lew: “True love is connection. When we connect with someone, when we really feel our identity with them, I think we can’t help but love them.”

Rabbi Alan Lew was the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco from 1991 to 2005 and currently serves as Rabbi Emeritus there. He is also the director of Makor Or, a Center for Jewish Meditation in San Francisco. Previously, he was the rabbi of Congregation Eitz Chaim of Monroe, New York, and the first chaplain of the Jacob Perlow Hospice of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Rabbi Lew is the Past President of the Board of Rabbis of Northern California and for 10 years, the moderator of the Mosaic television program on KPIX-TV in San Francisco.

Rabbi Lew is currently writing a new book titled The Life That Ran Through Me. He is also teaching at the JTS Rabbinical Training Institute and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, as well as traveling all over the country speaking, doing scholar-in residence weekends and meditation workshops. The PBS religious newsweekly, Religion and Ethics, just aired a 10 minute profile of his work this past week, and next month he will travel to Spain at the invitation of Raimon Pannikar to take part in a conference of world spiritual leaders on the Costa Brava.