"Shalom," Falls Villagers

For at least one day this summer, Falls Village will have a "public" swimming pool. The Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center on Johnson Road is hosting a free Falls Village Community Day on Sunday, July 22, from 2 to 6 PM. Children and adults are invited to swim in the camp's pool or lake, take out one of its boats, listen to a live concert by The Joint Chiefs, go for a ride on the Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department's antique truck, which will act as a shuttle for tours of Camp Freedman's organic farm on Route 126. At 5 PM, the camp will serve a Kosher barbecue supper.

This open house was the brainchild of Adam Berman [above], the center's smart, energetic and open-minded director, and Shamu Sadeh, who runs the farm and its youth environmental leadership program called ADAMAH (which is Hebrew for "earth"). Now that the camp hosts programs and retreats year round, the staff and Falls Villagers are getting to know one another and becoming friends. You'll often see Shamu's wife, Jamie, and son, Yonah [below], at the Hunt Library's story hours, and many of the younger employees and interns hang out with their laptops on weekends at Toymakers Cafe.
Although I am Jewish, I had never been to Isabella Freedman until last fall when I attended both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, and I was blown away by their progressive, inclusive and joyful spirit. While Judaism is fundamental to Isabella Freedman's mission, it shares with the non-Jewish residents of Falls Village a commitment to sustainable agriculture, environmentalism and community service. Shalom!