Registration & Kavanah for Passover Village 2017

Dear Friends,

Registration for Passover Village 2017 is now OPEN!

This email has information for registration but not everything else.  Please also visit: http://passovervillage.blogspot.com for other Passover Village info.

LOCATION

This year we will be returning to the spectacular group camps in Joshua Tree National Monument.  Exact location and directions will be provided with registration confirmation.

DATES

Friday-Sunday

April 14 – April 16, 2017

Come Early:

Camp is available to us as early as 3:00 pm Wednesday, April 12th.  Otherwise, plan to arrive by 8:00 am Friday at the latest to set-up your personal camp and join the opening circle at 9:00 am.

KAVANAH:  

Kavanah (Spiritual Intention) for Passover Village 2017

A voice calls out

In the wilderness, open a path to the Holy One!

                                                                                    Isaiah

If you don’t know the kind of person I am

And I don’t know the kind of person you are

A pattern that others made may prevail in the world

And following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

                                                                                    William Stafford

From the Leadership Council:

For the past 21 years, our Passover Village community has journeyed into the desert on Passover to reclaim indigenous Hebrew traditions and earth-based ways of being.  We have all-but lost these traditions during the last two millennia of “civilization.”  Returning to the land on Passover has been our means to feel our way back to our core being. We do so by creating a three-day encampment during which we renew connections with our ancestors and nature through storytelling, council, ceremony, song, and community.   This year we will again celebrate together in holy community under the sun and stars, amongst the coyotes, desert tortoises, and yucca plants at Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave desert.

Tradition demands that we relate the story of our liberation from slavery and oppression in Egypt as if we, ourselves, had been present in that Exodus.  The ancient story teaches universal lessons of freedom, renewal, and connection to Earth for all peoples.  Together with a mixed multitude of other peoples, the Children of Israel ventured into the wilderness seeking to serve Spirit. With this model of a multicultural, multilingual, and multicolored mass of heart-based community of seekers, we, humbly and with great respect, invite people of all tribes and faiths to share the Passover celebration with us this year.

There is now a special urgency. Our post-11/8 world requires new ways of being, that are old ways of being.  The Hebrew prophets called out doom and gloom and yet opened a path through the wilderness back to the Holy.  The times call upon elders to bring accumulated wisdom to the world, and balance back to the culture. Since 11/8, we have been gathering in council circles to share from the heart and seek ways to traverse the dangerous chasm that has opened in our nation.

So it is in this spirit that we welcome people of all faiths and tribes to join in the wider conversation that Passover can inspire. We learn from each other’s tribal wisdom traditions and stories of liberation. We bridge divisions and estrangement.  Coming together with peoples of good heart and spirit is the path through the moral wilderness that separates, divides, and oppresses us individually.

This year in Joshua Tree.

Next year in a world of social and environmental justice.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION (you may also use the attached form): 

Send the following (required):
1.  * Payment (requested contribution is $90/adult or child 13-and-over; children who are 12-and-under free! *

2.  The name, phone number, and email address of each adult being registered

3.  The name and ages of any children aged 17-and-under, and the name of the adult registrant who will be responsible for each child.

4.  The number and description of vehicles.

5.  The date and time you plan to arrive.

6.  Make checks payable to LARRY RICHARD

7.  Mail to:

Larry Richard
2118 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 594
Santa Monica, CA 90403

(Larry's cell:  310-560-6004)

* Must be received by April 1, 2017 to confirm your space.

* Includes all camping fees and delicious, catered Seder meal.

* Genuine financial hardship should not keep you from attending.  Please let us know how you can contribute.

* Volunteers needed:  1) help loading gear on Wed April 12th, 2) transporting to and from camp, 3) unloading gear on Sun April 16th

AGREEMENTS

By registering for this retreat, attendees also agree to the following:

Photography and Recordings:

Please:

-- When we are gathered In Community with a common focus, or "In Session," put away cameras and recording devices.

-- When we are not gathered as a focused community, having lunch, talking with others, etc., photos and recording are allowed within bounds of respect, privacy and permission: Be discrete, non-intrusive, and respectful of all participants when taking any photographs or recording; some may prefer not to be photographed or recorded at all.

-- Do not publish photos or recordings in public media

-- If unsure about a photo or recording, do not take or publish it.

Personal Displays and Self Promotion: 

In the spirit of a retreat, so that we might leave behind the things of the day to day world, please do not bring personal displays or promotional items into community areas.

Thank you!

CARPOOLING

This is strongly encouraged and a great way to start the Village before you arrive.  Parking onsite is very limited.  Let us know if you need or can offer a ride. 

SHARING THE BURDEN, LIGHTENING THE LOAD

If you find you will be traveling alone, please consider offering to partner with another Passover Villager to share driving, camp set-up and meals.  If you are strong, please share.  If you are not so strong, please ask for help.  

ACCESSIBILITY: The campground is accessible via road. The outhouses meet ADA requirements for accessibility. Most of the campsite is sandy or loose soil, making wheelchair mobility difficult. But as during our exodus from Egypt, when the infirm and disabled were carried, we will accommodate special needs.

PARKING

Parking is limited in the group site parking lot.  

Overflow parking is available a short drive away and shuttle rides back to camp can be arranged as needed.  RV parking is restricted by size (25’ max) as well as total number of all vehicles.

CAMPSITE DETAILS

* Our secluded group site is nestled within a 100’ surround of the enigmatic and evocative boulders of Joshua Tree 

* We do not have running water however community water supply and personal water containers can be filled for free at the ranger station about one mile away

* Multiple picnic tables and a community barbecue pit  

* Two pit toilets in weather-protected brick building

* There are sites for individual tents scattered throughout the group site.

* This is a family-friendly site, however it is in the National Park and precautions are advised against the elements and around prickly shrubs.

* This site is a 2-3 hour drive from the Los Angeles area. Motels or B&B accommodations can be found in nearby Twentynine Palms if you cannot camp.

* Exact location and directions will be provided after registration.  Please don't plan to "just drop by."

* Visit https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm for complete National Park Service details

We hope there is enough information provided here but if you have any questions, call or write at your earliest opportunity!

See you soon,

Dan

C 310-396-0706