National Jewish Retreat 2026: Full Schedule

Schedule is tentative and subject to change.

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11:00am EDT

Re’eh: When Every Choice Becomes Destiny

Saturday August 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Parshat Re’eh presents one of the Torah’s most dramatic visions of free will: not what some philosophers describe as neutral trade‑offs, but stark choices between right and wrong, good and bad, that bring blessing or curse and shape our destiny. This session explores how Re’eh turns everyday decisions into moments of profound moral weight—and what that means for the way we live today.

Speakers

Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie

Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie is a senior Chabad shliach in Yorba Linda, California. He is the author of Undaunted, a biography of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe. His first book, The Secret of Chabad, was honored by the National Jewish Book Award. Rabbi Eliezrie is active in national and global Jewish affairs, serving on the Board of the Jewish Agency for Israel and as president of the Rabbinical Council of Orange County, California... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
White & Gold 2

Lecture

3:00pm EDT

Before I Was Me: Reincarnation, Past Lives, and the Secret of the Soul Before Birth

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Ivanka

Long before we enter this world, kabbalah teaches that the soul has already traveled a remarkable path. What purpose do those earlier journeys serve, and how do they shape the life we are living now? This session explores the kabbalistic secret of the soul before birth, offering a clear and inspiring framework for understanding reincarnation and the deeper story of who we were—and who we are meant to become.

Speakers

Rabbi Yechiel Krisch

Rabbi Yechiel Krisch is a science journalist and rabbi. His coverage of biomedicine, technology, environmental issues, space, mathematics, and health policy has appeared in The New York Times, Scientific American, The Atlantic, and numerous other publications. As an ordained rabbi... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Ivanka

Lecture

3:00pm EDT

Judaism's First Female To Appear In Print: Rivka Tiktiner's Seven-Branched Vision for the Jewish Future

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Crystal

A pioneering voice in Jewish history, Rivka Tiktiner used the seven-branched menorah to articulate a compelling vision of Jewish life, purpose, and continuity. Discover why the insights of Judaism's first female author still resonate today.

Speakers

Dr. Henry Abramson

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Crystal

Lecture

3:00pm EDT

Resurrecting Mammoths and Reading Minds: The 2026 Jewish Medical Ethics Update

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

White & Gold 1

Mammoths may return. AI is helping create children. Scientists are detecting signs of consciousness where none seemed to exist. Welcome to medicine in 2026. In this annual Retreat favorite, Dr. Reichman explores the year's most astonishing medical breakthroughs and the profound Jewish ethical questions they raise.

Speakers

Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
White & Gold 1

Lecture

3:00pm EDT

What Does Antisemitism Have to Do with the Jews?

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Majestic

Antisemitism returns in every generation, taking on new faces and new forms. Beyond the hatred itself, is there a message for us? Drawing on Chasidic teachings and Jewish thought, we'll explore how adversity can become a catalyst for greater unity, purpose, and spiritual growth—and what today's challenges may be calling us to strengthen.

Speakers

Rabbi Moshe Krasnanski

Rabbi Moshe Krasnanski is the director of Chabad of the Town in Montreal, Canada. A beloved community rabbi and educator, he delivers classes on numerous Jewish topics to diverse audiences.

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Majestic

Lecture

7:45pm EDT

Beyond Jewish Survival: A Jewish Revival From Defense to Destiny

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT

Crystal

The Jewish story has always been one of resilience, but it was never meant to end with survival. Drawing on history, current events, and timeless Torah insights, this lecture explores why the next chapter of Jewish life must be defined not by what we are fighting against, but by what we are living for. The result is a compelling call to action for a new era of Jewish revival.

Speakers

Rabbi Moshe Bryski

Rabbi Moshe Bryski is the director and spiritual leader of Chabad of the Conejo in Agoura Hills, California. He oversaw the establishment of numerous neighboring Chabad centers and founded the Conejo Jewish Academy, an adult Jewish education institution serving 3,000 students annually... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT
Crystal

Lecture

7:45pm EDT

Building Bridges, Not Broiges: The Jewish Art of Letting Go of Grudges

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT

Ivanka

Resentment weighs more than we realize. In this practical and deeply relevant session, Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet explores the Jewish approach to conflict, forgiveness, and emotional freedom, and how letting go of grudges can transform our relationships and our lives.

Speakers

Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT
Ivanka

Lecture

7:45pm EDT

Holy Desire: The Psychology of Love, Attraction, and Sacred Intimacy (Couples Only)

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT

Majestic

What creates deep emotional and physical connection, and what quietly erodes it over time? In this candid and thoughtful discussion, Dr. Nachi Felt explores the psychology of intimacy through the lens of Jewish wisdom, offering insight into love, attraction, communication, and the sacred work of building lasting closeness in marriage.

Speakers

Rabbi Dr. Nachi Felt

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT
Majestic

Lecture

7:45pm EDT

The Surprising Questions Asked by America's First Jews: Inside America's Earliest Halachic Correspondence

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT

White & Gold 1

One of the earliest surviving records of American Jewish life is a fascinating exchange of halachic letters dating to 1790. Step into the conversation between Jews in Philadelphia and Newport, and discover what their questions reveal about the realities of building Jewish life in early America.

Speakers

Rabbi Mordechai Dinerman

Rabbi Mordechai Dinerman co-directs the Jewish Learning Institute’s curriculum department. He has authored, edited, or otherwise participated in creating over twenty JLI courses on numerous Jewish topics, including Life in the Balance (Jewish Medical Ethics), How Happiness Thinks (Positive... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 7:45pm - 8:30pm EDT
White & Gold 1

Lecture

11:00am EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

7:45pm EDT

7:45pm EDT

7:45pm EDT

7:45pm EDT

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