By Christen H., Oak Park Temple congregant and retreat participant.
One of my favorite weekends of the year happens every March when Oak Park Temple holds its annual retreat at OSRUI.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of coming into the dining hall after driving up from Chicago Friday afternoon and seeing about 200 fellow temple members all gathering together for Shabbat. It’s a great feeling to see my childrens’ faces light up when they find their friends to sit with at dinner, excited to sit a few tables away from mom and dad and yet be surrounded by a community they know and trust. There are lots of hugs and warm smiles to go around and an overall feeling of gratitude that this weekend has come to us once again.
When my family joined Oak Park Temple a few years ago, attending the retreat was the way we really got to know people well and begin to develop the relationships that turned into true friendships. This retreat continues to deliver – every year I meet new faces or get to know the old ones even better.
The weekend is as active or as relaxed as you want it to be. Oak Park Temple provides special programming for children through 8th grade, music, singing, dancing, prayer, discussions, and lectures. This year, programs explored our history and our future as Oak Park Temple is in the midst of a year-long celebration of our 150th anniversary. On the other hand, you can choose to make the weekend very low-key as well, since OSRUI provides an amazing setting to simply get away from it all. This year, the Mid-March weather really sparkled and many of us enjoyed a stroll along Lac LaBelle.
And, it wouldn’t be a Jewish social gathering without some great food. This year, we celebrated Pi Day (3.14.15) with a variety of locally made fruit and cream pies (have you ever had coconut pear pie? Delish!) And on Saturday night, our mens’ group called The Bagel Boys, rolled out an amazing deli spread for a second dinner.
So, what’s the down-side to the temple retreat? Coming home. With my family, there is a noticeable patina that settles over all of us the week after retreat — all of us a bit sad we are no longer having breakfast with 200 friends, no longer on the beautiful campus of OSRUI. The good news? Only 11 months left until Retreat 2016!