Jewish Food & Wine Retreat
September 5-7, 2025
The Jewish Food and Wine Retreat is a weekend for foodies and wine aficionados in the heart of Sonoma County! This year, celebrate Global Jewish Cuisine from the Middle East, Asia, Mexico and beyond. A weekend of sustenance, rejuvenation, nourishing mind & body and connecting with your foodie community.
Breath-taking natural beauty, luxurious accommodations, delicious food, engaging workshops, cooking classes and demos from chefs and vintners, all within a joyful Jewish community.
Check out what everyone is saying about our Inaugural Jewish Food & Wine Retreat!
Weekend of Nourishment
This retreat experience is grounded in nourishment – of body, mind and soul. Each workshop, gathering and tasting aims to ensure guests are (ful)filled and deeply connected: to what sustains them, what inspires them and what grounds them.
Check out a general retreat schedule and check back often as we announce our featured chefs and vintners!
Friday, September 5
| Friday Schedule | |
| 3:00-5:00p | Welcome & Registration |
| 5:15p | Welcome Toast & Community Gathering |
| 6:00p | Kabbalat Shabbat Services |
| 7:15p | Dinner with local vintners |
| 9:00p |
International Pub Crawl: |
| Team Trivia | |
Saturday, September 6
| Saturday Schedule All Day Drop-in Activities: tie-dye challah cover, organic print-making, DIY spice mix table, “wine” garden, pickleball |
|
| 7:00-9:15a | Yoga & Pool Open Breakfast starting at 8:00 |
| 9:15 | “Shabboptions”–Experience Shabbat through Food |
| 11:00 | Block 1: Choose from Multiple Chef’s Sessions |
| 12:00-12:45p | Lunch |
| 1:00-2:00 | Free Time: Art Room, Pool and Campus Tour available |
| 2:15 | Block 2: Choose from Multiple Chef’s Sessions |
| 3:45 | Block 3: Choose from Multiple Chef’s Sessions |
| 5:00 | Freshen Up |
| 5:45-6:45 | Happy Hour |
| 6:45 | Dinner & Wine Comparisons with Ernie Weir of Hagafen |
| 8:00 | Havdallah & Closing Circle |
| 8:15p | Campfire Singing & S’mores |
Sunday, September 7
| Sunday | |
| 7:30-8:30a | Yoga & Self-Guided Hikes |
| 8:30-9:15 | Breakfast |
| 9:30-10:45 | Block 5: Choose from Multiple Chef’s Sessions |
| 11:00-11:45 | Closing Experience |
L’hitraot, see you next year: August 28-30, 2026!
Workshops
Dumplings Across the Diaspora – Every culture has a stuffed delicacy. Travel to several Jewish communities with Chef Micah Siva to taste their versions and explore how their local ingredients influenced the Jewish tradition.
Wine Tasting 101 – You don’t have to be a wine-o to learn how to taste, identify and enjoy a variety of wines! Join Julie Rothberg of Odyssey Wine Academy, for this wine workshop perfect for lovers and afficionados alike!
Ashkenazi Jew with Aloha Spirit – Join Beth Lee for a Jewish Hawaiian fusion and create your own smoked salmon poke-style bowl with Everything Bagel seasoning. This hands-on workshop will leave you with the lingering taste of a great bagel brunch!
Israel’s Melting Pot: Spice Blending – Get an overview of Israel’s culinary melting pot with Aliza Grayevsky Somekh, exploring questions like: Is there such a thing as Israeli cuisine? What are some of the current trends in Israeli cooking today? Learn two versatile spice mixes that are quintessential examples of this Israeli conglomeration and enjoy examples of how they can be used in your cooking.
Foodies and Winos in the Torah: The first story about human in the Torah was about tasting an irresistible food. Noah knew wine just as much as he knew his animals. Learn about the first foodie and wino in the Torah with Rabbi Jhos Singer. Check out Rabbi Singer’s blog!
Israeli Mixology and Appetizers: Try your hand at mixing three co-created drinks using Israeli ingredients and inspired by Eretz Yisrael. Sip your drink along with Israeli appetizers and learn from Food Journalist and Culinary Guide, Ellie Rudee.
International Pub Crawl: Go on an International Pub Crawl without leaving camp! Enjoy 3 cocktails and 1 mocktail designed by Judd Finkelstein, owner of “The Fink” and “Judd’s Hill Winery”, inspired by Jewish communities around the world.
Smoked Fish Demo + Sourdough Bagel Making: Learn to cure and smoke fish from blue ribbon BBQ champ, BJ Rassmussen and professional chef, Eliot Swartz. A variety of brines and smoking methods with samples to taste as BJ & Eliot smoke the fish we will eat for breakfast Sunday morning. Then, join for a hands on sourdough bagel making. Form, boil and top your bagels and enjoy them fresh – with or without your smoked fish – for Sunday breakfast!
More workshops to be announced soon!
Accomodations
Weekend, all-inclusive packages start at $675 per person*! Choose from three types of weekend accommodations and enjoy access to all retreat activities, workshops and experiences, lodging, linens, sumptuous meals and all wine and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Enjoy hotel-style accommodations in The Lodge ($945-1295 per person) with single- or double-occupancy rooms equipped with queen beds, coffee station and en suite bathrooms.
- Stay with a small group of friends in our state-of-the art, Private Cabins with en suite bathrooms sleep up to 8 and are the perfect option for a campier type of weekend ($725 per person + bring a group of 5+ and save an additional $50/person).
- We also offer both single- and double-occupancy options with twin-sized beds and en suite bathrooms at our Camp Motel ($675-$925 per person).
Private Cabins
$725 per person – up to 8 people
Bring a group of 5+ and everyone receives $50 off their retreat package!
Share a cabin only with people in your party.
We have several cabin villages with a variety of outdoor amenities and a short walk to the heart of camp!
Offers:
- 1/2-cabins sleep up to 8 people (you will have the opportunity to indicate who you want to live with in the registration process) and are great for groups of friends. Group rates are available for 5+ people staying together in a private cabin!
- Each suite includes four sets of bunk beds with one private bathroom with multiple shower stalls
- All cabins include A/C and heat.
- Several ADA accessible cabins available.
Camp Motel
$675 per person – Double-Occupancy
$925 per person – Private Room
Our Camp Motel is located a short 5 min up-hill walk from the center of camp with a wonderful view overlooking the valley. Golf-cart transportation will be available to and from the Motel throughout the weekend during key transition times.
- Motel Rooms are single- or double-occupancy and include twin-sized bunk beds in the 6 upper-level rooms and twin-sized single beds in the lower level rooms
- Each room includes a private bathroom and shower
- Balcony with incredible views
**Waitlist – Sold Out**
The Lodge Accommodations
$945 per person – Double-Occupancy
$1295 per person – Single-Occupancy
The Lodge is a brand new upscale, hotel-style building with 28-double occupancy rooms. Centrally located at the heart of camp, steps from the Dining Hall and all that main camp has to offer. View The Lodge Room Map >
Each room has:
-
- 2 queen beds & a private bathroom
- Mini fridge, microwave & Keurig coffee maker
- small outdoor seating area with rocking chairs
- Several single ADA accessible rooms available
Chef Alex Fuentes was born and raised in Southern California and initially went to University of Texas in Austin to become an Architect. While there he discovered his love for cooking, and pivoted to study at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa, where he received his degree in Culinary Arts. He has studied under multiple talented Chefs, including at Animal in Los Angeles and SPQR in San Francisco. He joined SingleThread in 2017 and while here also earned a grant to the Ment’or Program where he studied sustainability in several Michelin starred restaurants for three months in Europe, including at Bilbao, Paris and Amass in Copenhagen. Chef Alex has great passion for zero food waste, and is also heavily involved with SingleThread’s Research and Development efforts.
Maayan Koschitzky: Born and raised on a farm in the Judean Hills of Israel, Koschitzky’s early life was rooted in agriculture. He served nearly four years as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) before pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on agriculture. It was during his final year of studies that he discovered his passion for wine, leading him to pivot careers and become a winemaker. In 2014, Koschitzky joined Atelier Melka, where he quickly rose to become the Director of Winemaking. Two years later, in 2016, he launched his own label, La Pelle Wines. His talent and dedication were recognized in 2019 when Wine Enthusiast named him one of America’s “40 Under 40 Tastemakers.”
BJ Rasmussen‘s passion for BBQ began in 2001 when he moved to Maryland to start a BBQ business with his best friend Ed and mentor Tom Windwillow. After building a home designed triple barrel smoker, the business was off and running and his love affair with live fire, hardwood smoked BBQ began. In early 2023 BJ was introduced to Competition BBQ through friend and now teammate, Barbara McCombs. BJ was able to take his skill set to the Competition arena taking home 10th place in a field of 31 competitors. In 2024, BJ took home first place in Tri-Tip and pork ribs and his passion and desire to create top notch BBQ has never been stronger.
Eliot Swartz attended the prestige’s Culinary Institute Of America in Hyde Park NY. Upon graduation, Eliot held positions as executive chef at various white tablecloth restaurants and has consulted in the development and execution of restaurant openings. Eliot was honored to return to his alma mater as the commencement speaker for the graduating class, and as a member of the Society of Fellows of the Institute. Eliot co-founded and was co-chair of Two Chefs On A Roll, a company, which was started with $7000 dollars, and was built into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, with 2 facilities, one in Southern California the other in Pennsylvania. He is the Founder and President of Kitchen Culture Inc., a consulting company who partners with restaurant owners, manufacturers and celebrities on new product development, quality assurance and strategic vision in the Retail and Foodservice categories.
Ellie Rudee is a storyteller passionate about community-building and culinary arts. After graduating from Scripps College where she studied International Relations and Jewish Studies, she made aliyah to Israel, where she honed her skills as a journalist focusing on global Jewry and culinary arts. As a trained culinary tour guide of the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, she started the Jerusalem Cooking Club for young Jerusalemites and hosted local and international cooking workshops and retreats. Her first digital cookbook, Tastes of Freedom: A Passover Cookbook, was published in 2022 and translated into Spanish and Russian. She recently authored A Taste of Summer, another digital cookbook featuring favorites from summer camp and beyond, for the Union for Reform Judaism.
Hagafen Cellars is located in Napa Valley, the heart of California’s premier wine country! Owned and operated by Irit and Ernie Weir, the Hagafen brand was founded in 1979 and the first commercially released vintage was harvested in 1980. Since those early days, the enterprise has steadily evolved from a humble partnership into a distinguished and highly regarded boutique wine brand. Leveraging Ernie’s viticultural expertise, the Weir’s purchased a few acres of land of Napa’s Silverado Trail in 1986. They envisioned this location as an ideal setting for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. Ernie and the Weir family gradually began shaping the entire property into the serene hidden gem that is today. Ernie, affectionately known as Don Ernesto, continues to fulfill the roles of Owner, Vineyard Manager, and Winemaker.
Micah Siva, is a trained chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer, and food photographer, specializing in modern Jewish cuisine. Micah is the author of Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine and children’s book, “1, 2, 3 Nosh with Me” After graduating from the Natural Gourmet Institute of Health & Culinary Arts, she pursued a career in nutrition and later worked for global brands, media outlets, and publications in food media. She shares Jewish-inspired, plant-forward recipes through her blog, Nosh with Micah. Micah lives in San Francisco, California, with her husband, Josh, son Ari, and dog, Buckwheat.
Oded Shakked: A walking melting pot, Oded was born in Israel to a family of German and Czech origins. He grew up a hundred yards from the beach in the town of Herzeliya, just north of Tel-Aviv, splashing in the warm waters of the Mediterranean for the first time at age two (months, that is), and later became one of the first surfers in the area. As an Embassy brat, he got to live a year in France and two years in Uruguay so that by the time he was fourteen he was fluent in Hebrew, Spanish, French and English. Following his military service in the IDF, Oded got into building surfboards for a living; this led to countless surf trips along Europe’s Atlantic coast chasing waves in France Spain and Portugal. In Portugal Oded discovered (much to his delight) that it was easier, cheaper and safer to drink good red wine than tap water. Life was never the same after that. Oded’s twin loves of surfing and wine brought him to sunny California where he launched Longboard Vineyards in 1998.
Julie Rothberg is a New York native who discovered her passion for wine while living in London in the early 2000s. While traveling across Europe, she had the opportunity to try numerous styles of wine from around the world. Upon her return to the states, Julie earned her Masters in Business Administration from Columbia University in 2007 then briefly worked in management consulting. Before leaving New York, Julie managed the luxury portfolio for Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, where she directed a team that oversaw 20 domestic and imported brands with a combined revenue of $80 million. She also holds a Diploma certification through the Wine & Spirits Education Trust and earned her Bachelor’s in History and Psychology from the University of Rochester.
Julie is the President of Medlock Ames, where she manages the 340 acre Bell Mountain property, 50 acres of vineyards, winery, hospitality centers and a team of 25. She evolved Medlock Ames’ mission of sustainability and land preservation after much of Bell Mountain burned in the 2019 Kincade Fire. Julie works towards increasing sustainability practices and combatting the impacts of climate change at the winery as well as fostering an atmosphere of curiosity and ambition with her team. In 2022, Medlock Ames became the first winery in Sonoma County to earn Regenerative Organic Certification.
Julie also founded Odyssey Wine Academy in 2021 to provide Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) certifications and other wine education courses in Sonoma County. When Julie is not enjoying wine and running a winery, she is an avid cyclist, a history buff and spends time with her twin daughters in Healdsburg.
Rabbi Jhos Singer is a sideways sage, with both academic degrees and rogue rabbinic credentials. He holds a Master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Graduate Theological Union as well as independent ordination from Rabbi Benay Lappe, the Rosh Yeshiva (Dean) of SVARA, a traditionally radical queer Yeshiva. He has served for decades as a Jewish educator and/or congregational leader with the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, Camp Tawonga, Chochmat HaLev, and The Coastside Jewish Community of Half Moon Bay. In addition to Jewish wisdom he is passionate about his gloriously quirky family, living in hilarious harmony with the earth, Manischewitz wine, and mixology. His teachings can be found in Hot Off The Shtender, EliTalks, Balancing on the Mechitza, Jewish Mixology with Jhos, and Torah Queeries.
Judd Finkelstein is the owner of Judd’s Hill Winery. Having started as garage winemakers in the early 1970s, Judd’s Hill Winery and MicroCrush was founded in 1989 and is owned and operated by two generations of the Finkelstein family. Our motto is, “having a good time making great wine with family”. We have made wine in The Napa Valley since the 1970s and continue to produce signature wines that are fruit-driven and concentrated while remaining well-balanced and food-friendly. Judd’s Hill was designed and built when the family purchased a 14-acre hillside vineyard in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. We moved to our current facility to increase our opportunities for welcoming guests. Taking an intimate and personal approach to our winemaking, we set out to produce no more than 3,000 cases of wine annually, an amount that allows us to enjoy a hands-on approach to every aspect of wine production. Our first release of Judd’s Hill wine was 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon.
FAQs
Is this a glatt kosher event?
We are a Reform Movement camp and our facility is kosher style, meaning we do not mix milk & meat or serve any pork or shellfish. The chicken and beef we serve is not certified kosher. Some participants who keep kosher, choose to eat vegetarian or vegan when they are with us. Please also note that some food will be cooked during Shabbat.
Can I bring my kids?
This is a 21+ event. If you’d like to come to Camp Newman as a family, please check out our Family Weekends.
If i'm flying in, what do i need to know?
If you are flying from outside the Bay Area, there are several convenient airports: STS (Santa Rosa – 30 min drive to camp), OAK (Oakland – 90 min drive to camp) and SFO (San Francisco – 90 min drive to camp). Retreat check-in will begin at 3pm on Friday and we anticipate participants arriving between 3-5pm. Our retreat will end around 12pm on Sunday.
What if i don't drink alcohol?
This will be a wonderfully engaging weekend, regardless of whether you chose to partake in wine tasting. There will be plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available for all!