The event is scheduled for Friday, February 16, through Sunday, February 18, 2024, at a retreat center near Baltimore, MD. The exact location will be shared after registration.

A: Through the generosity of Keshet’s funders, the Shabbaton is free for all participants, including registration, food, and lodging. Additionally, Keshet can provide travel scholarships on an as-needed basis. 

The retreat center for the Shabbaton adheres to Kosher dietary laws, and its kitchen and catering services are under OU supervision.

To ensure the event’s focus on the unique lived experiences of the QJOC community, this event is limited to participants who identify as QJOC. We appreciate your understanding and encourage your loved ones who are not QJOC themselves to support you from outside this particular event space.

The goal of this event is to create a Shabbat experience for participants that celebrates and fosters feelings of Jewish joy, authenticity, and community. 

The sessions are designed to include mindfulness and ritual exploration, such as challah and Havdalah candle-making classes, community candle lighting, and Havdalah ceremonies. There will also be empowerment sessions rooted in owning your authentic and fabulous selves, including Stories for Liberation, identity mapping, and healing-centered sessions rooted in Jewish text and wisdom.

Ending the Shabbaton on a musical note, participants will be invited to the “Shabba-Tone” a silent disco to empower us all to dance to the beat of our unique Jewish drum! 

We hope participants will leave feeling empowered and celebrated in their queer and JOC identity, eager to participate in Jewish spaces as their full, fabulous, authentic selves.

Registration ends on Feb 9th at 11:59 pm EST. If you have any questions about registration, please reach out to Sage Cassell-Rosenberg, JOC Program Manager, at [email protected].