The Freedom Song Comes Again to Cleveland

Freedom Song 2020 Visit To Cleveland

Dates: February 23-28, 2020

About Freedom Song:

Freedom Song – The original musical Freedom Song, which is a 50-minute performance about the parallels between slavery in Egypt and slavery in addiction. Freedom Song is a transformative musical that will shatter the myth of Jews being immune to addiction. By interweaving a Passover Seder with personal stories of addiction, Freedom Song poses one stark question— “what are you a slave to?” The cast of Freedom Song is not a cast of actors; they are actual addicts in recovery that have broken off the shackles of drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other destructive behaviors. By performing in Freedom Song, our interchanging cast members have an opportunity to answer questions from the audience and to share their experiences on how best to recover from a lifestyle of addiction. Using song and dance, tears and laughter, and an intense post show discussion with our cast, Freedom Song will open your eyes to the real-life struggle against the ‘bondage of self’ that we fight every day.

For more information about Freedom Song, please click

During the week of February 23-28, 2020, @akiva will bring the members of the freedom song Immersion program to Cleveland for the second time. During these five days, the team will have workshops with community teens and educators.

Programs that Freedom Songs will bring to Cleveland

Workshops

Individual Stories (1 hour Workshop)

Two Beit T’Shuvah facilitators will share their personal stories of addiction, redemption and hope. Attendance unlimited.

Storytelling Workshop (2 hours Workshop)

Four Beit T’Shuvah facilitators will facilitate a story telling workshop, which allows the participants to write and share their individual life experiences in a manner that demonstrates accountability, responsibility, authenticity, transparency and emotional intelligence. Maximum 60-75 students in attendance.

Freedom Song Immersion (2 to 3 hours Workshops)

Beit T’Shuvah’s Freedom Song Immersion program allows the participants to actively take part in a rehearsal of Freedom Song and learn the invaluable and meaningful art of storytelling. They will have the opportunity to role play with a script on a set stage, as directed by our experienced and professional staff. This opportunity will allow the participants to confront common issues that affect their daily lives and those in their community.

The Freedom Song Immersion uses Psychodrama, along with music and movement to enable Social and Emotional Learning, “The process through which children acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”  The Freedom Song Immersion will increase positive attitudes and positive social behavior within the community, while reducing substance abuse, and emotional distress. By actually taking on the roles in the Freedom Song story, the participants will connect to their emotions in an insightful way. In addition, the Freedom Immersion will allow for an open and honest discussion about addiction and family dynamics. Maximum 40 students in attendance.

The above program can include parents as well.

Other Opportunities

Community Event-An Evening about Addiction and Recovery (1.5-2 hours)

This program is for students (10th grade +) and adults. Beit T’Shuvah facilitators, including Rabbi Mark Borovitz, Founding Rabbi of Beit T’Shuvah, will share their personal stories of addiction, redemption and hope in a very interesting and all-inclusive format, with ample opportunity for community engagement. Attendance unlimited.

**Details to be discussed with Amnon Ophir

A Conversation with Rabbi Mark Borovitz

Rabbi Mark Borovitz, Founding Rabbi of Beit T’Shuvah, will lead a training for educators, clergy and professionals, about addiction and recovery. See below for more specific topics.

Rabbi Mark Borovitz’s Speaking Topics

  • Embracing Imperfection: T’Shuvah as Judaism’s Antidote to Perfectionism
  • 10 Steps to Recovering Your Soul
  • Finding Recovery and Yourself in Torah
  • The Holy Thief
  • 10 Commandments
  • You Matter & You are Responsible
  • Addicted to Redemption
  • Answers from Torah
  • Recovering Judaism
  • The Jewish Response to the Opioid Epidemic (and other addictions)
  • Torah: The Big Book of Jewish Recovery
  • Seeing Your Own Brokenness Through Torah
  • Prayer, Meditation, and the Role of Spiritual Practice
  • The Rabbinic/Jewish Educator’s Role in Addressing Brokenness