Passover in Moab - Adventure Rabbi

Passover in Moab

Saturday, April 20, 2024

2 Nights Optional Free Camping April 19 and 20
Limited to 150 Participants

Join the Adventure Rabbi community in Moab, Utah for a Reform Passover retreat.

Friday night we open the retreat with singing on the banks of the Colorado River. This welcoming program will help you feel included, if you come alone or with friends, for the first time or the tenth. Following the opening program, we split into groups.  Children under 12 years of age play games and do crafts with Adventure Judaism staff. Adults enjoy a wine tasting and discussion with Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein. Teens and the B’nai Mitzvah age students take a night hike with Rabbi Jamie Korngold. We all come back together to toast marshmallows around the bonfire. Dinner will be provided by our caterer and is certain to be delicious.

Saturday we embark on a wilderness journey for our Seder, an all-day event including a 3-mile (round trip) Seder hike up a gorgeous, winding, rock canyon. We return to the campground to enjoy a delicious catered Seder, complete with matzah ball soup and all the fixings. Later in the evening, we will enjoy the campfire and perhaps a spontaneous game of flashlight tag.

Sunday we offer a hike with Rabbi Jamie Korngold or perhaps some other offerings by our talented participants.  (Maybe you?) We hike towards (but not all the way to) Jeep Arch. We conclude before lunch and head home.

REGISTER HERE

Passover Seder 2024 Details

What:

Reform Passover Seder: traditional foods, innovative outdoor Seder, camping, w/ options for additional programs.

When:

Friday, April 19, 2024
Orientation and Welcome Programs
Catered Meal Included
7:30 Night Hike for Adventure B’nai Mitzvah Class, other B Mitzvah students and Teens with Rabbi Korngold
7:30 Adult Wine tasting and discussion with Rabbi Shavit-Lonstein

Saturday, April 20, 2024  – 9:30 am
The Main Event – Passover Seder with hike led by Rabbi Korngold

9:30 am – 3 pm Hike and Seder
3:30 pm Optional Yizkor/Memorial Circle
4:30 – 5:30 pm Conclude Seder at Campground
5:30 pm Seder Dinner served
7 pm Campfire, flashlight tag, and fun
Late-night Photography Class with Mike Berkow is available to 5 participants. Please inquire.

Sunday, April 21, 2024
9:00- 11:30 Hike with Rabbi Korngold

12 noon: Leave for home

Full Tentative Schedule

Where:

Moab, Utah, a campground, 14 miles outside of Moab.

Price:

$135/ member
$260/non-members

  • Children under 3 free
  • (Adventure Judaism Membership is $499 per person or $250 for kids)

RVs and Camper Vans etc:

  • There is a $225 fee for any type of vehicle in which you are sleeping.

Late Fees:

  • After March 24, 2024: +$50 additional late registration fee (if we still have room)

Includes:

  • Catered meal Friday night
  • Catered, Kosher-Style Passover Seder Meal. Please bring your own wine or other beverage. Read more on what we mean by kosher>>
  • Camping Friday and Saturday nights, programs and activities starting on Friday night
  • Hikes, teaching, programs, and Seder service

Meals:

2 dinners are included with registration.

[Friday Night Meal Details]
[Passover Seder Meal Details]

Do people fly in for this event?:

Yes! In 2023 we welcomed participants from: Ireland, Toronto, California, Washington DC, Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Utah, and Colorado,

Camping:

A gorgeous site along the Colorado River. [Details] Friday and Saturday camping are included in the fee. Sorry, but we’re not able to accommodate pets, even dogs. Outhouses are on site.

There is a $225 fee for vehicle campers of any kind. The recent increase of vehicle camping, such as vans, pop-ups, trailers, and RV has changed the character of this event, making it more parking lot-based, while also enabling increased access to technology. This affects the overall experience of the retreat. We know many people find vehicle camping more comfortable. However, as an incentive to try tent camping, we charge $225 for vehicle camping.

Closest Airport:

Grand Junction, CO or Moab, Utah. Rental cars are available. [Details]

Religious Affiliation:

Rabbi Jamie Korngold is a Reform Rabbi and author of God in the Wilderness and The God Upgrade and 9 children’s books. This is an out-of-the-box religious event. We will be carrying, lighting fire, and driving on the Sabbath and on the Holiday.

Watch Video:

PBS: Religion & Ethics featured Adventure Rabbi’s Passover in Moab

Detailed Schedule

Activities + camping included with registration!

4:00 – 6:00 pm

Check-in, find out where to camp, set up tents etc.
Once you are settled, join us under the shade of the main campground pavilion for refreshments and schmoozing. Come catch up with old friends and make new ones!


 6:00  – 7:00 pm

Shabbat Blessings and Catered Dinner


7:00 – 10:00 pm

Opening Circle: Sing-along, Campfire, and Marshmallows
Kids will enjoy games with Adventure Judaism Staff. This is a chance to meet other kids and make a craft that they can share at the seder.

Adventure Class (mandatory), other B’nai Mitzvah students (optional) and teens (optional) join Rabbi Jamie for a hike to Corona Arch.

Adults, bring a bottle of wine to share and enjoy “Elijah’s Flight” a wine-tasting celebration. Enjoy a Passover discussion led by Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, while tasting wine, making new friends, and visiting with old ones. Then, linger around the fire to enjoy conversation and catching up.

7:00-7:15: All group sing-a-long
7:15-7:30: Orientation
7:30-10:30 Adventure Class, Mitzvah Class & Teens Hike up to Corona Arch
7:30-8:30  Others enjoy a discussion led by Rabby Alan Shavit-Lonstein and a wine social with wine provided by our Board.
8:00 – 11:00: Campfire hangout


9:30 am- 7:00 pm


Passover Seder

Innovative Reform Passover Seder begins with all group 3-mile hike up a gorgeous, windy, wild canyon. Along the way, we will begin to tell the story of the Exodus as we experience our own desert hike.

The Canyon Trail is not difficult and can be completed by most healthy, agile adults or children. No special gear is required other than footwear suitable for walking over slick rock. The hike involves walking approximately 1.5 miles each way over a sandy and rocky trail with an elevation gain of 440 feet. You will need your hands free scrambling over some rocky sections. We do ask you to self- access your physical ability and remain the campground if this hike is beyond your ability.

We make this into a multi-hour adventure, taking time along the hike to learn, discuss, eat lunch and enjoy the spectacular views!

When we reach the top of the canyon, an exquisite, protected “synagogue,” we begin our Passover Seder, including all the sections without food or wine. We ask the Four Questions, tell the Passover story, read from the Torah, dance, and sing.

We then hike back to camp where we pause for about 1.5 hours before we reconvene to complete our Seder and enjoy our catered Seder Meal, which is served desert style in the campground along the Colorado River. (Menu Below)

Seder continues with more singing and discussion. As dusk turns into evening, we gather around the campfire!

3:00 pm – 4:30: Hang out in camp
3:15 pm: Adventure Class sets Seder table
3:30: Yizkor/Memorial Circle to say Kaddish for loved ones
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Complete Seder in Campground
5:30 – 7 pm: Dinner is served
7:00 pm – 11:00: Hang out at campfire, chill, Havdallah
Late night photograph class is available for 5 participants. Please inquire.


9-11:30 Hike with Rabbi Jamie Korngold
Other talented participants might also offer break-out groups.

12 noon Head Home!

 Passover Event Details

Menu:

We know having eating traditional Passover foods is very important. We will be serving a traditional Seder meal, which will be Kosher for Passover. By this we mean that none of the prohibited grains or leavening products will be used. However, we will not serve kosher meats because we are not comfortable with the methods currently used to raise and slaughter kosher animals. No pork or shellfish will be served. The kitchen where the food is prepared is not a kosher kitchen. (Menu subject to change)

Friday Shabbat Dinner:

Catered

  • Matzo ball soup (both vegetarian and chicken-based)
  • Mixed Green Salad with Apples: Ingredients including mixed Spring greens,  apples, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, honey vinaigrette
  • Cheesy Broccoli: Broccoli, cheddar cheese, cream, American cheese, salt, and pepper
  • Potato Kugel: Russet potatoes, onions, eggs, salt, potato starch, salt, and pepper
  • Pomegranate Honey Chicken:  Chicken, honey, pomegranate juice parsley, salt, pepper, allspice, turmeric, ginger, cumin, chicken broth, pomegranate, molasses, and garlic, slow-cooked to perfection

Menu subject to change by the Chef

Saturday Seder Meal:

(catered, included with registration)

Please bring your own wine, grape juice, or alternative beverage.

  • Matzo ball soup (both vegetarian and chicken-based)
  • Seder plate, including shank bone, charoset, parsley, hard-boiled egg, salt water, lettuce, horseradish
  • Traditional Apple Charoset and Matzah: Ingredients include apples, walnuts, grape juice or wine, and  matzah. Some years we use a Sephardic recipe with apricot, dates, pistachios, walnuts, and sherry wine.
  • Quinoa Salad: Ingredients including quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, lime juice, ground cumin, baby spinach, and Italian dressing
  • Chicken Curry Tenders with Yogurt Sauce: Ingredients including chicken tenders, salt, pepper, curry, turmeric, yogurt, and lemon
  • Beet salad with red onion and orange juice
  • Spinach & Matzah Pie: Ingredients: spinach, matzah, golden potatoes, green onions, lemon juice, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese

Please note: this is a catered meal prepared in the middle of the desert without running water or electricity. Some items are prepared ahead of time. We are not able to accommodate special dietary needs or allergies. While each item might not contain a specific allergen, cross-contamination may occur.

Who Comes on Adventure Rabbi Trips?

Our participants are:

  • Outdoor-oriented
  • Progressive and open-minded about their Judaism (the service and components are from the Reform traditions, and we will be driving, carrying and lighting fires on the Sabbath and holiday).
  • Looking for “authentic” and meaningful Jewish experiences
  • Representative of a range of Jewish knowledge and practice
  • From all across the United States, L.A. to Florida, to NYC (and of course from Denver and Boulder, Colorado)
  • Newcomers who do not know anyone when they arrive
  • Regulars, who have been coming to AR events for years
  • Families with children.
    We discourage camping for families with small children who wake in the middle of the night and may wake up other campers. Hotels are near-by in Moab.
  • Singles and Couples

Staff

Rabbi Jamie Korngold

Rabbi Jamie Korngold, Founder and Senior Rabbi

Rabbi Korngold is an ordained Reform rabbi and the founder and Executive Director of the Adventure Rabbi Program, based in Boulder Colorado. She is nationally recognized for her innovative work combining religion and nature.

A favorite of the media, she has been featured by Good Morning America, National Geographic, NPR, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Ski Magazine as well as many other outlets.

Rabbi Korngold is an athlete and a scholar. She completed the Leadville Trail 100, a 100-mile running race in less than 30 hours and was ranked fourth in the nation for telemark mogul skiing. She is a graduate of Cornell University’s natural resources program and received her masters and ordination from Hebrew Union College.

Rabbi Korngold is best known for her ability to make Judaism relevant, meaningful and accessible and therefore opening the doors back to Judaism for thousands of disenfranchised Jews. Through her nature-based approach to religion, she is able to bridge the gap between scientific thought and religion, healing a fissure that often disrupts spiritual paths.

She lives in Boulder, Colorado where she raised her two children, Sadie and Jay. 

Anne O’Driscoll

Anne O’Driscoll, Event Coordinator

We are thrilled that Anne will be our event planner once again this year. All is well when Anne is around! She has years of experience working as an event planner. Anne has a fabulous eye for detail, a welcoming manner, and a get-it-done attitude. Anne coordinated our Yom Kippur service, so you may have met her there. 

Leadership Team 

We are thrilled that many of our long-term retreat staff will be back this year to help us hike up and down canyons, start and put out fires, help with food service, and more. We couldn’t do it with them! Look for them in their red shirts, ready to lend a hand. 

Camping

Friday and Saturday night tent camping fees are included.

 

We divide the campground into the following sections:

  • Adults Only
  • Families with Teens
  • Bar and Bat Mitzvah Age  and Younger families
  • Vehicle Camping

We usually try to gather around one campfire, which is found in the main campground.  Please bring firewood to help with this.

The campground is located on a sweeping curve in the Colorado River, just 14-miles from the town of Moab. The campground offers stunning views both up and down the river corridor. Sunset is particularly striking, as the Navajo Sandstone cliffs surrounding the campground change color as darkness falls. Our Seder will begin with a hike up a nearby canyon, right from the campground. Our campground is across from the trailhead leading to the famous Corona Arch, a 90 x 140-foot arch that rivals any in Arches National Park. View Photos >>

Van, RV, Tear-Drop, Pop-Up Camper fee is $225.

If you opt to use a vehicle camper, we invite and encourage you to “hang-out” in the campground with the group. Please don’t invite kids who are not sleeping in your RV into your RV.

The BLM requires that RVs and campers are parked in a specific area during our stay in order to leave a large area available for overflow parking for Corona Arch. Please check in with our staff before you park and unload so that we can show it to you.

The BLM policy on RV is: “Generator hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.” (We are required to tell you that.)

From Moab, travel five miles north on U.S. Highway 191. Turn left (west) on Utah Highway 279 and drive ten miles. Turn left into the Gold Bar Recreation Site. The group sites are located adjacent to the Colorado River. (If you are traveling south on U.S. Highway 191, turn right onto Utah Highway 279 just past the entrance to Arches National Park.)

We love dogs, and wish they could be part of the camping experience. However, we’re not able to accommodate dogs at this event.

We recommend the following places to watch your dog in Moab, Utah:

  • Moab Veterinary Clinic 4575 Spanish Valley Drive Moab UT 84532 Len W. Sorensen DVM. Call 8 am-5 pm for boarding or appointment. Call 24 hrs. a day for emergencies (435) 259-8710.
    Pets will need to be fully vaccinated to board, vaccinations must be current. Dogs need to be vaccinated for “Kennel Cough” and you will need to bring proof of vaccinations. Advance reservations are helpful, especially around the holidays.
  • Dog & Cat Clinic of Moab, Jim Gostlin DMV, 125 East 300 South Moab, UT 84532-2619 (435) 259-2733 dogandcatclinic@frontiernet.net
  • Karen’s Canine Campground 2781 S. Roberts Rd. (435) 259-7922
  • K-9 Taxi and Boarding Call Jeff or Kimi 435 686-2295 PDF / more info

There are picnic tables and outhouses. Bring extra toilet paper just in case. Ample parking is available.

There is no drinking water on site. Untreated (but tested) water is available at Matrimony Spring, located just east of U.S. Highway 191 on Utah Highway 128.

One gallon per person per day is recommended.

You are welcome to book your own accommodation in Moab or surrounding areas. Discounts will not be given for those staying elsewhere.

For Our Out of State Guests

There are more and more places to rent camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad) so you have less to schlep. There will also be people on hand who can teach you to set it all up. We googled “rent camping gear” and found a plethora of companies that will send the gear to you.  Check it out!

Please note that Moab is at 4,000 feet, which is lower than Denver. Although most people do not experience altitude sickness at this elevation, you may notice that you are a bit short of breath and can not exercise as rigorously as you do at sea-level.

Please be sure to drink lots of water and have adequate protection from the sun (sunscreen, hats, sunglasses.) Dehydration can greatly increase your risk of altitude-related sicknesses.

Weather:

Based on the averages recorded at this time of the year, we expect temperatures between 39 and 76 degrees. Please bring appropriate gear to be outside in sun, rain or snow! It does get very windy in Moab. There is a gear list at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, besides for some sun shelters, we do not have an indoor option available if bad weather prevails. That’s the adventure part of Adventure Rabbi (and we’re not the Slacker Rabbi program after all). Fortunately, there is usually only 1.2 inches of rain in Moab in April. There will be no refunds for bad weather.

Options for Transportation:

For our guests from afar, we suggest flying to Moab, Utah’s Airport or Grand Junction, Colorado and renting a car. All the national chains of rental cars are available from Grand Junction Airport.

Distance from nearby points:

Grand Junction, CO: 113 miles from (1 hour 50 min)
Denver, CO: 355 miles (5 hours 28 minutes)
Boulder, CO: 366 miles (5 hours 49 min)
Salt Lake City, Utah: 234 miles (4 hours)
Aspen, Colorado: 239 miles (4 hours)
Eagle, Colorado: 229 miles (3 hours 29 minutes)

We hike, talk, relax, eat great food, make new friends and visit with old ones. We learn old traditions and create new rituals.

Bring your friends, your parents, your kids or come alone. This is a Seder not to be missed.

Refunds:

We urge you to purchase private trip insurance in case you need to cancel. Due to the high expenses of running this trip and the low fee we charge each participant, we are unable to refund your payments for any reason, even really good ones!  The best we will be able to do is convert your payment into a donation. If we cancel the event, you will receive a full refund.

Directions

We have included the directions in the confirmation email you received upon registration.

Gear – Packing Lists

The first part of the seder (Saturday at 9:30 am) will be a hike and a service up a canyon, across the road from the campground. The hike is 1.5 miles each way over a sandy, rocky and uneven trail with an elevation gain of about 400 feet. The trail is not stroller accessible, and you will need to have both hands free for several spots where you will need to scramble. There are two sections where you will have to duck down and crawl / squeeze through, and maybe crawl on your knees.

Please wear/bring:

  • Lunch
  • Good hiking shoes
  • Rain gear
  • Backpack (you will want your hands free for a section on the hike which goes up a ladder)
  • Sunglasses, sun hat, sun screen
  • Filled water bottles or camelback
  • Warm clothes (check the weather forecast)
  • Small first aid kit with things you might want for your personal use such as band-aids, moleskin, etc. We will have a major first aid kit.
  • Flashlight (in case of an emergency)
  • Snack

Optional:

  • Camp chair if you would like one for the service (sitting on the rock is also fine)
  • Small instrument such as shaky eggs, tambourine etc.
  • Reading glasses if you need them
  • Camera
  • Pack for carrying your small children

Please bring your own wine, juice or other beverage.

Something to sit on (i.e. crazy creek chair, cushion, pillow, ensolite pad). We don’t recommend chairs with legs, as you’ll then be well above the Seder table.

The “table” will be bolts of fabric rolled out on the ground. Think Bedouin style.
Plate, Cup, Fork, Knife & Spoon: To avoid using disposable dishes, we ask you to bring your dish ware. You will need:
Dinner: small plate for appetizers, dinner plate, bowl for soup, glass for wine/ juice, glass for water, spoon, fork, knife, napkin, water, wine or juice.

A full listing of the menu is located above.

Please help us decorate the table by bringing ritual objects or other pretty things (i.e. seder plate, matzah cover, Elijah`s cup, flowers etc.)

We are NOT providing wine and juice. Please bring your own favorite.

Recreational Drugs Legal in Colorado (but not in Utah or Federal Land):

Please remember that what is legal in Colorado is not legal in Utah. We are also staying on Federal (US BLM) land, and substances legal in Colorado are not legal on Federal land either. Please leave it at home in Colorado.

The campground is right next to the parking lot, so you will not have to hike or backpack to the campsite. There will be people that can help you set up your tent if this is new to you and please offer a hand if you see someone who needs help. A description of the campground is here >>

Please bring everything you need to camp including:

  • Tent – extra stakes and a hammer to put stakes into the hard ground
  • Ground cloth
  • Sleeping bag
  • Sleeping pad
  • For additional meals: food, cooking pots, stove etc.
  • Flashlight with extra batteries and bulbs
  • Lots of water for drinking and washing (there is no running water in the campground). We recommend 1 gallon per person per day. Please bring a little extra to help replenish our group hand-washing sinks.
  • Snack foods
  • Extra toilet paper

Optional:

  • Lantern
  • Hammer for putting in stakes (the ground is hard)

Tip: Don’t forget to bring your pillow from home. A sleeping bag seems MUCH comfier when it’s matched with a familiar pillow.

You are welcome to book your own accommodation in Moab or surrounding areas. Discounts will not be given for those staying elsewhere.

Camping Hints and Etiquette:

Water:

  • We advise at least 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and rinsing dishes.
  • The river adjacent to the campground cannot be used for a drinking water source. Several of the gas stations on the north side of town offer water, but most campers will find it easiest to bring the weekend`s water supply with them.
  • If you plan to wade or swim in the river, please watch children carefully. The river`s current this time of year is deceptively swift!

Meals:

  • For the Seder, each person will need a small plate, large plate, bowl, wine or other beverage, plus a spoon, fork, and knife.
  • Plan to clean/rinse your own dishes following the Seder meal. Like other low-impact camping, scraps need to be scraped into the garbage (never onto the ground). And if you need to rinse your dishes, please do it away from the camping area and any vegetation.
  • Please do not use the river for any washing or allow food scraps to fall on the ground.

Facilities:

  • The campground is equipped with vault toilets (masonry outhouses on permanent concrete pads) and port-o-potties.
  • Use only the vaulted toilets while at the campground.
  • On the trail, please observe the following trail etiquette for sanitation: tell a buddy that you are separating from the group for a bathroom break. Stay a minimum of 100 feet from the trail and 200 feet from any water source. All non-liquid waste goes in a “wag-bag.” This is a one-use, private toilet-bag. Ask staff for one when you need it, do your stuff and carry it out.  If this experience is not in your weekend plans, please plan ahead before leaving the campground and assist children to take a bathroom break before we leave for any activities.

Bad Weather

In case of bad weather, we adapt. (This is the Adventure Rabbi Program after all. For details about the Slacker Rabbi program, please visit here >>)

Please be prepared with rain gear, wind jackets, warm clothing, umbrellas, extra tarps if you have them. Check the weather forecast for Moab, Utah before you come.

Cell Coverage

Cell coverage is very limited at the campground. Some text messages (might) get through. But prepare to really be off-the-grid. If you need to call someone, you’ll likely have to drive into the town of Moab (about 10 minutes by car).

Please be good caretakers of the desert and have a wonderful camping experience!

See you in Moab!