Shavuot Retreat 2026

Thursday afternoon, May 21 to Sunday morning, May 24
Camp Kinder Ring, Hopewell Junction, NY

The retreat is full. However, you can sign up for our waitlist by completing the registration form. Click the link below. We’ll let you know if space becomes available.

Retreat Highlights

At this retreat, we come together to create a joyful, diverse, immersive Shavuot experience, including:

  • Spirited egalitarian davening
  • Incredible learning sessions at our overnight Tikkun and during the day
  • Delicious kosher meals
  • Extensive camp grounds

See the 2024 retreat schedule to get an idea of this unique experience.

Our Shavuot retreat community includes attendees from all backgrounds, ages, and locations. Camp Kinder Ring offers a variety of housing options.

Questions? You can email shavuot@khsz.org or read the FAQ.

Food

Glass bottles and beverages

In accordance with Camp Kinder Ring’s alcohol policy, no glass bottles should be taken outside at any time and no beverages should be left unattended. Any beverages or bottles found unattended will be disposed of immediately.

Meal schedule

There is one dinner each night of the retreat. We will also offer a light early dinner for children (in previous years, choices included fish sticks, chicken nuggets and plain pasta, and vegetarian options).

Meals are designed and prepped to be accessible for the whole community (based on the registration notes for allergies/preferences). All meals will have vegetarian options and we will work with the camp to accommodate dietary needs–which must be indicated during registration–as much as possible.

Participants cannot enter the camp kitchen or request/expect specific dishes or adjustments. Camp cannot make late-minute changes.

Please bring your favorite snacks and other food items if your family has specific or additional needs. All food must be kosher and nut-free.

See the meal schedule below (all details subject to change).

DayBreakfastLunchSnacksDinner
Thursday, May 21 Check-in from 3-6 PM4:00 – 7:00 PM6:00-7:00 PM: Early dinner for children only 8:40-9:40 PM: Dinner
Friday, May 227:00-9:00 AM (Hot options available 8:00-9:00 AM)12:30-1:30 PM (Bagged lunches available for late sleepers from 1:30-2:00 PM)4:00 – 6:00 PM5:30-6:30 PM: Early dinner for children only 7:00 – 8:00 PM: Dinner 9:45-10:10 PM: Motzi and Benching
Saturday, May 238:00-9:30 AM12:30-1:30 PM4:00-6:00 PM Picnic6:30-7:30 PM: Dinner
Sunday, May 24 Check-out time 10:00 AM8:45-9:30 AM

What’s Different This Year

  • The pool is closed this year.
  • Instead of leaving Saturday night, May 23, after Shabbat, you are able to stay until Sunday morning, May 24.

Housing & Costs

The costs below include delicious kosher meals, spectacular davening, meaningful learning, and housing from Thursday afternoon, May 21 to Sunday morning, May 24.

Babysitting for children will take place in a central location. Details and hours will be listed in the retreat schedule. Registrants with children will be placed near each other to create a quiet zone and to simplify babysitting.

Prices below are listed per person, not per room.

[Please note: Housing is nearing capacity and requests for housing categories H2-H5 may be waitlisted.  There is still room for adults to join shared bunks (H1). We encourage you to register ASAP and we will do our best to accommodate you.]

One or two individuals:

CodeHousing CategoryMeant ForDescriptionCost Per Person
H1BunkIndividual adult registrantsSingle bed in a standard camp bunk with attached bathroom. About 6-8 people share a bunk.Adult: $525
H2Private bedroom, shared bathroom2 adult registrantsPrivate room with one double bed. Shared bathroom with up to 3 other rooms in the cabin.Adult: $630
H3Private bedroom, private bathroom1 or 2 adult registrantsPrivate room in a cabin with 1 double or 2 single beds. Individual registrants may be assigned a roommate. Private bathroom.Adult: $735

Those with children or 3+ adults:

CodeHousing CategoryMeant ForDescriptionCost Per Person
H4Family BunkThose with children or 3+ adultsSingle beds in a standard camp bunk with attached bathroom. Registrants will be asked to specify a second family to share a bunk with.Adult (12+): $525 Child 5–11: $345 Child 2–4: $180 Child under 2: $100
H5Private family roomThose with children or 3+ adultsPrivate room with 1 double bed and space for children either in single beds, cots, or portable cribs as appropriate. Larger families may be given two adjoining rooms depending on the number of beds required. Private bathroom.Adult (12+): $735 Child 5–11: $430 Child 2–4: $220 Child under 2: $100

We are pleased to offer a discounted rate ($80 off per person) to:

  • KH and SZ Members: Kehilat Hadar and Shaare Zedek members are eligible for a discount and early access to registration. Please indicate on the registration form if this membership status applies.
  • First Timers: If you have never attended the Shavuot Retreat, you are eligible for a discount. Please indicate on the registration form that this is your first time attending. We are very excited to welcome you this year!

There is a maximum of 1 discount per person.

Learn more about cancellations and our refund policy here.

Transportation

  • Camp Kinder Ring is approximately 1.5 hours from Manhattan by car. Please allow extra time for traffic.
  • Register for bus services here
  • The nearest Metro North train stations [*Please check the schedules and note that you will need to make your own travel arrangements from any train station to camp*]:
    • Beacon, on the Hudson Line, which is about 25 minutes from camp by car
    • Pawling, on the Harlem Line, which is about 16 minutes from camp by car
    • Southeast, on the Harlem Line, which is about 24 minutes from camp by car

Contact & FAQ

For more information, please read the frequently asked questions.

If you have any other questions, please email us at shavuot@khsz.org.

We hope to see you there!

The 2026 Shavuot Team
Ari Alter and Bee Getter (Co-Chairs)

FAQ

General

On Shavuot, our communities gather with friends and guests from all over the country together at Camp Kinder Ring, a little over an hour outside Manhattan. For two days, we will create a Shavuot community centered around spirited, egalitarian davening, high-caliber learning on a variety of topics, and outdoor recreation. The retreat offers activities for all ages and interests, from softball, Frisbee, and yoga to board games, learning tunes, and studying Jewish texts. Highlights include the tisch–a marathon of joyous singing and meaningful words of Torah–and the Tikkun Leil (learn more below).

It is a Shavuot tradition to stay up all night learning, and the retreat provides a line-up of classes from dusk until dawn, taught by community members and esteemed guest teachers. In the past, our teachers have included Rabbi Judith Hauptman, Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, Dena Weiss, Joey Weisenberg, and Rabbi Ethan Tucker. We provide snacks, coffee, tea, and cheesecake! Everyone is encouraged to participate and stay up as much as they feel comfortable. The Tikkun takes place on the first night of Shavuot (the evening of May 21) and concludes with Shacharit at dawn on the first morning of Shavuot (morning of May 22). [There will also be a 9:00 AM Shacharit service.]

Registration & Financial Aid

On the registration form, registrants will rank their choices for housing. We will then match registrants with housing options and then send out confirmation emails and invoices. Payment is required by credit card within 48 hours of receiving the invoice, otherwise the housing offer will be released. There is no surcharge for credit card payment. Registration is not confirmed until payment is received. You will receive a confirmation email once you have submitted payment. If you do not, please email shavuot.finances@khsz.org.

To maintain affordability with limited housing supply, those who receive financial aid will be offered housing options in a bunk or private room with a shared bathroom. Learn more here, and email shavuot.finances@khsz.org with any questions.

When you register we are counting on your participation and plan accordingly. If you must cancel, a portion of your registration fees will be refunded as follows:

Cancellation DateRegistration Refund
Through May 1 50% refunded
May 2 and onnon-refundable

Please note that due to the busy season, refunds may not be processed until after Shavuot. We truly appreciate your patience.

Housing & Logistics

Camp Kinder Ring offers a variety of summer camp-style housing, including bunks and private cabins. There are a variety of housing categories – at different price points – so that you can choose the best accommodations for you.

Please note that not all accommodations in a particular price category are identical, some have slight variations, but that is life on camp! Contact shavuot.housing@khsz.org with any questions. Housing placement will be done based on availability, and first priority will go to KH and SZ community members. Please register promptly, as we expect many of the housing categories to fill up fast!

All housing comes with bedding and towels. Most of the accommodations are not heated, so you may want to bring an extra blanket. Camp also does not provide porta-cribs, so those with children must bring their own if necessary. While we cannot guarantee more than one room per registered household, we do guarantee one bed for each child who needs a bed.

Individual registrants can request a preferred roommate. Please note that roommates requesting each other must choose the same housing type. While we cannot make guarantees in terms of housing, and will not be able to confirm specific requests in advance of the retreat, we will do our best to accommodate all needs.

Check-in on Thursday, May 21 is from 3-6 PM in front of the Red Motel, or in the Red Motel lounge in case of rain. Mincha will take place at 8:00 PM.

Temperatures can vary wildly, so we recommend that everyone bring clothes for weather extremes as well as seasonal weather (which is what we hope for!). Most of the housing accommodations are neither heated nor air-conditioned, so please take that into account when you pack. All registered participants will receive by email further participant information, including a recommended packing list.

Kids’ Programming

Babysitting will be offered. Those with children will be placed in groups of housing to accommodate centralized babysitting at night.

We offer activities and programming for children of all ages at the retreat. There will be services for different age groups, a variety of fun and educational activities, and a kids’ lounge stocked with snacks and games. On each night of the retreat, there will be a light early dinner for children.

For any specific questions regarding kids’ programming at the retreat, or if you are interested in assisting with the planning, please email shavuot@khsz.org.

Based upon conversations with Camp Kinder Ring, we expect that the pool at camp will be closed.

Financial Aid

Thanks to generous donations from the community, we have some funds available to make the Shavuot Retreat more accessible. If cost is a barrier to your participation, please follow the steps below.

To maintain affordability with limited housing supply, those who receive financial aid will be offered housing options in a bunk or private room with a shared bathroom.

If you would like to attend the retreat and require some financial assistance, please review this page and apply for financial aid before registering for the retreat.

All requests are kept in strict confidence. Please submit one form per household. To maintain affordability with limited housing supply, those who receive financial aid will be offered housing options in a bunk or private room with a shared bathroom.

We aim to respond to your financial aid requests in a timely fashion. Once you receive a reply to your request, you will need to register for the retreat within a few days of receiving that reply. Be sure to check the “I have requested financial aid and completed those arrangements” box on the registration form.

You will receive a housing offer and invoice within a few days of your registration for the retreat. To maintain affordability with limited housing supply, those who receive financial aid will be offered housing options in a bunk or private room with a shared bathroom. The invoice will reflect the adjusted billing amount, including your aid offer.

SHAVUOT RETREAT