Biennial Retreat 2024


Being Jewish in Today’s World:

A Multifaceted Look at Who We Are

 


See photos of the past retreat here.  

Friday—Sunday, June 28-30, 2024

 Ruach, relaxation, new friends, networking, intriguing sessions, ideas for clubs, schmoozing,  singing, games, and the outdoors!

 


Pearlstone is located close to Baltimore in a quiet section of Resiterstown, Maryland.

Featured Session leaders

Click thier name to expand

Rabbi Noam Raucher

Rabbi Noam Raucher is the executive director of the Federation of Jewsish Men's Clubs. He provides spiritual coaching for men in addition to helping to setting the dialog for Men's issues in our movement. Rabbi Noam has also been an active participant and speaker in the modern men’s movement since 2018. And served as a local men’s group facilitator, and regional group coordinator, for the organization the Mankind Project. Since the pandemic concluded, Rabbi Noam has been teaching middle Judaics school at Pressman Academy in Los Angeles. 

Michael Freilich

Michael has a keen interest in all things Jewish from ritual to faith. He regularly shares his knowledge with local groups. He was awarded Seaboard FJMC's Ma'asim Tovim honor in 2016. 

He will be leading sessions on Why Pray?, and Who wrote the Torah?


Alan Budman

Alan Budman current serves as International President of the FJMC. He was born and raised in the Philadelphia area.  He is now retired and was previously an attorney.  He also taught at Penn State University for 28 years.  He has served as President of the Associated Alumni of Central High School, a Big Brother volunteer with Jewish Family Services, Vice President of Melrose B’Nai Israel and Chair of the Development Committee of the American Heart Association’s Philadelphia Office.  He was President of the Temple Sinai (Dresher) Men’s Club and the Middle Atlantic Region. He is the past Co-Chair of the Keruv Initiative of FJMC, a Senior Consultant, past Co-Chair of the Yellow Candle Program, past Program Convention Chair, and past Vice President for Programs, Regions, and Training. He is a fellow of the Foundation for Jewish Life. He is married to Susan and they are the proud parents of Heather (married to Chris) and Traci (married to Dustin) and the ecstatic grandparents of Isabella Rose.  

Bob Watts

Bob, a Past President of the Seaboard Region and the Men's Club of Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, VA, currently serves as International Secretary on the FJMC Executive Committee.  He set up the first FJMC webinars and has managed social media, tech, and photography and video for the FJMC and has managed the migration of the FJMC website to a new platform. Bob is a retired Foreign Service Officer, still working as a consultant at the U.S. Department of State. He served overseas  in Portugal, Brazil, Canada, Peru and Uzbekistan, and in DC, working on economic issues. A native of Connecticut, and graduate of New College of Florida, Columbia U. and Stanford U., Bob is married to Linda Recht, also a retired Foreign Service Officer, and they have two children, Vega, a clinical social worker in Richmond, VA, and Zach, a graduate student in history at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.