Isabella Freedman Facilities & Amenities
In every season, stunning mountain vistas and serene lakes will inspire your senses and offer your spirit a place for renewal. Cottages and gathering spaces at Isabella Freedman are nestled at the base of a wooded ridge dotted with miles of hiking trails.
Lodging
Enjoy the comfort and charm of our country lodging. Nine lodges, each with its own unique character, house well-appointed climate-controlled rooms which accommodate up to 160 guests.
Some buildings have rooms with private baths; others offer shared bathrooms for two or three rooms. Handicap-accessible rooms are available upon request.
Private Bathroom
The most spacious of our lodging, 30 rooms each with a private bathroom. Most have both a queen bed and one twin, a few rooms have either just a queen or two twins. Each standard room has a mini-fridge. Buildings: Weinberg, Scheuer, May, and Pine
Shared Bathroom
A total of 12 total rooms, each pair share a hallway bathroom. Rooms have either one queen bed, two twin beds, or both a queen and a twin bed. Some rooms have mini-fridges or access to shared refrigerator space. Buildings: Cedar, Blue Heron, and Maple
Dormitory Style
These 18 rooms have either two twins or a bunkbed and a twin, with access to a shared bathroom in the interior hallway. Dorm rooms have access to shared refrigerator space. Buildings: Elm and Kaufman
Dining
Innovative culinary team create farm-to-table magic with ingredients that reflect our values in the larger world. Organic, local, and fair-trade products are purchased to promote environmental stewardship, vibrant local economies, good working conditions, and animal welfare.
Much of the produce is grown on campus where we practice season-extending methods such as greenhouse and hoop-house growing, pickling, freezing, canning, drying, and root cellar-ing, bringing farm food to our table year-round.
The lakeside dining room accommodates up to 120 guests. Larger gatherings for up to 150 can opt for an outdoor meal with an additional fee for tent rentals. We serve buffet style meals with vegetarian and gluten-free options at every meal.
Our kitchen and dining room are glatt kosher under supervision of the Hartford Kashrut Commission.
Program Spaces
A variety of spaces designed for small or large gatherings can accommodate up to 150 people indoors and up to 200 people in outside on our scenic grounds.
Retreat Center indoor program spaces include:
- Glass-walled synagogue with inspiring views of the lake and mountains (available for non-prayer use as well) suitable up to 100 people
- 2,000 ft2 multi-function lounge suitable for up to 75 people
- Large theater/recreation room suitable for up to 140 people
- Dining hall with cathedral ceiling suitable for up to 120 people
- Two 700 ft2 yurts suitable for up to 30 people in each
- Large screened-in gazebo suitable for up to 20 people
Lounge
Synagogue
Yurt
Grounds
Trails: Our four miles of marked trails help you explore our 400 acre capmus. Take a walk around lake, or hike up the mountain through dense forest on the half-mile climb to a stunning overlook of the surrounding Berkshire Hills.
Lake: The lake is available for seasonal boating and swimming (note – no lifeguard on duty) and a charming swimming pool open June-August (lifeguard required).
Farm: Arrange a complimentary tour of our organic farm and explore 20 acres with green houses, row crops, berry bushes, beehives, composting center with hens, and goat barns or a pickling workshop with our Adamah educators (see Adamah programming tab).
Campfire: Plan a campfire around the firepit with singing and s’mores.
Ample guest parking is near the main entrance and near the goat barn.
Transportation
Isabella Freedman is located at 116 Johnson Road, Falls Village, CT, 06031.
We are located in the Connecticut Berkshires, approximately two hours by car from New York City and three hours from Boston in the Connecticut Berkshires. There is free parking on site.
By train from New York City, guests can take MetroNorth’s Harlem line to the Wassaic train station (a 2 hour trip). Shuttles or taxis can be arranged in advance for the 30 minute ride from the train station to our campus.
For those flying into the region, the closest airport is Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT, about 50 miles away. Rental cars are available, and taxis can be arranged in advance (about $200 each way).
Adamah Programming
Isabella Freedman is home to world class Jewish environmental educators and naturalists. Let us enhance your retreat experience with one or more programs that will connect your group to the rhythms of the farm or the forest, and the ways in which both infuse Jewish tradition.
New: Every rental group receives one free Adamah program, on us! Ask your Retreat Coordinator for more information.
Nature Hike (Weather dependent): Explore our local ecology in northwest CT on the Isabella Freedman trails. Choose a mild walk around the lake, or a more strenuous hike up to a beautiful view of the valleys below. Immerse yourself in sugar maples, oaks, ferns, fungae and more. (The Overlook Hike is longer than one hour and goes outside the eruv.)
Farm Tour (April-December, weather dependent): Visit our diverse organic farm, which includes vegetable beds, a compost yard, chickens, and perennial fruit trees and bushes. (The Farm Tour is outside the eruv.)
Agroforestry Tour (March-December, weather dependent): Visit our chestnut trees, learn about edible reforestation, explore how food producing trees are a climate solution, and find out what the word silvopasture means. (The Agroforestry Tour is outside the eruv.)
Pickling: Make a jar of pickles using seasonal vegetables and salt, an ancient artisanal process of food preservation.
Food/Farm Policy Class: Why are certain foods cheap and ubiquitous, while others are expensive and hard to find? Learn how federal policies shape what’s for dinner and how you can influence the future of the food system.
Jewish Text & Ritual Study: Where do Jewish tradition, nature and food intersect? Everywhere! Learn how to bring Jewish text and ritual into your time at Isabella Freedman and at home, too.
Farm Tending (April-November, weather dependent): Learn how we tend to the plants and animals on the farm and participate in a true farm chore collaboration.
Goat Tour (May-November): Meet the goats! They’re cute, plus they eat troublesome plants that compete with beneficial species! (The Goat Tour is longer than one hour and is outside the eruv.)
Greenhouse Tour (March-August, growing season dependent): Take a walk to the farm up Beebe Hill Road and meet the sheep and goats. Learn about the animals, intensive rotational shepherding, shofars, and klaf making and how taking care of animals is woven throughout Judaism.
Planting (April-September, growing season dependent): Get your hands dirty! Introduce our young plants to their new homes in healthy soil, while learning about the process of growing healthy plants.
Farm to Table (May-November): Harvest what’s in season from our farm and make something simple and yummy with what you’ve gleaned straight off the plants like a salad or a smoothie.
Pricing Model and Planning Your Stay
Isabella Freedman offers an all-inclusive pricing model based on a per person, per night rate. Standard retreat fees include 3 meals per day, snacks, coffee, tea and whole fruit, lodging in our guest buildings and programming space. Upgraded meals and snacks can be added for an additional fee.
Included in your stay is a dedicated Retreat Coordinator who will help you with planning all of your logistics and set up needs on site and seeing through your event to completion. While there is limited flexibility around mealtimes, most of the schedule can be determined by the group leader. We offer a comprehensive set of planning documents including a housing chart and schedule template to help you organize your time here.
A typical weekend at Isabella Freedman:
A typical weekend at Isabella Freedman:
Friday:
- Check in and welcome snack
- Kabbalat shabbat / prayers
- Shabbat dinner
- Oneg / Post dinner programming
Saturday:
- Morning Meditation
- Breakfast
- Shabbat services
- Lunch
- Guided Hike to the Overlook
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Shabbat rest time
- Dinner
- Havdalah campfire with s’mores
- Song circle
Sunday:
- Morning Yoga
- Breakfast
- Closing Activity
- Departure
© Steve Petrie https://northeast-3d.com/
Sustainability
Inspired by our core Jewish value to Tiukkun Olam – healing the world – environmental sustainability is ingrained in all aspects of our operation through greening our facilities and energy consumption, promoting animal welfare and food justice, and contributing to healthy ecosystems.
Beyond our commitment to sustainable facilities management, we engage visitors and partner organizations with experiences and tools to embrace environmental responsibility within our grounds and beyond.