A Weekend for Connection: Jewish Life Retreat Spring 2025

A Photo Essay by Hailey Levenberg (C‘28)

It is moments like the one pictured here that reaffirm my belief that Georgetown students are more similar than different. Reciting the Birkat Hamazon, or post-meal prayer, after dinner during Retreat not only gave me the chance to enthusiastically show everyone my favorite Jewish sleepaway camp traditions, but it became an opportunity for me to bond with other Jews who grew up with a variation of my favorite camp traditions, and teach those who were unfamiliar how it’s done. These seemingly arbitrary traditions bind us together as a community, and something as small as a high-five across the table made all the difference in allowing me to connect on a personal level with the people around me during the retreat. 

After Shabbat services on Friday night, we were randomly split into five teams and given a set of creative challenges to be judged by Rabbi Ilana Zietman and Deb Silver, Associate Director of Jewish Life. These challenges included solving a Jewish version of the New York Times Connections game, forming a human Star of David, creating a group poem using the first letters of our names, and pitching a mock “Jewsletter” theme. The competition gave us a chance to get to know more people within the Jewish community through a lighthearted and hilarious approach. The room was filled with laughter, cheering, and collaborative efforts—proof that meaningful community can be built through something as simple as a silly group challenge. 

On Saturday morning, I decided to participate in Rabbi Ilana’s guided yoga and left feeling more refreshed and present than I had when I entered. Through the glass windows inside the Arrupe Community Building, I watched the trees sway in the wind and heard birds chirping outside—a sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of campus. Providing not only a good stretch but also a mental reset, the session offered a rare moment of silence and stillness while still in the company of others. This yoga session became the physical embodiment of the reflection and mindfulness we were called to engage in throughout the retreat.

After an hour of hiking, chit-chatting, and listening to music, the lookout point gave us a chance to take not only a breath, but also time to enjoy the expansive and scenic view in front of us. At Georgetown, it can be easy to get swept away by the number of things to do, places to go, and expectations to meet. But looking out at the mountains and miles of green, I was reminded of the big picture. I was surrounded by friends who had cheered each other up on the trail, swapped stories, and laughed the entire way, yet we were all able to slow down and take in the view without any distractions once we had reached the top. 

As we stood around in a circle under the night sky, singing the Havdalah prayers with old and new friends, I felt grounded and a sense of togetherness. Marking the end of Shabbat, I reflected on the new experiences I had undertaken over the last 25 hours. These prayers weren’t new to me—I’ve been part of Havdalah services on Saturday evenings at sleepaway camp every summer—yet they meant something different to me as a college student. I knew that the stillness I encountered during retreat would not last when back on campus, but I could still take with me the intention and peace I felt in that moment, reminders to slow down and make space for reflection. 

Hailey Levenberg (C‘28) is studying History and American Studies at Georgetown University. All photo credits are hers.