This past weekend, July 13-15, the Department of Community Engagement hosted its highly-successful and much-enjoyed 7th Marriage Enrichment Retreat at the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa in Kerhonkson, NY. The weekend was designed for happily-married couples who want to communicate and relate on a deeper emotional level. This sold-out program, with over 250 people in attendance, aimed to enhance the marriage relationship by focusing on the positive aspects of marriage, highlighting characteristics found in happy couples. Those in attendance had a median of 22 years of marriage. Participants were provided with opportunities to interact with each other through group discussion and activities led by a faculty of mental health professionals and rabbanim with a specialization in marriage. Participants were actively engaged throughout the weekend in thought-provoking discussions and personal interaction.
Notable faculty included: Alex Bailey, Ph.D.; Frank Buchweitz, M.A. ED., S.A.S.; Susan Buchweitz, L.C.S.W.; Scott Chudnoff, M.D., M.S., FACOG; Rivki Chudnoff, M.S.P.T.; Beatty Cohan, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.; Marcy Davidovics, L.C.S.W.; Rabbi Ephraim Epstein, Ed.S.; Rabbi Yitz Greenfield, M.S., MFT; Jonathan Lasson, Psy.D.; Rachel Pill, L.C.S.W.; Phillip Rosenthal, L.M.H.C.; Lauren Roth, L.S.W.; Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, L.S.W.; and Mrs. Sharon Zwickler, L.S.W. Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University, was available for private halachic consultations. OU Vice President Emanuel Adler opened the conference with a description of the breadth and depth of the OU’s work.
Special thanks go to Frank Buchweitz for creating this program. Thanks also go to Rabbi Judah Isaacs, Hannah Farkas, Maya Carni, Diane Algava, Malka Braun and Rivka Schwarzbaum for all of their efforts to ensure the weekend’s success.