Sample Daily Schedule

Start the day with a spiritual practice. Examples include: yoga, Jewish guided meditation, early morning nature hikes, Tallit-making workshops, and traditional prayer services. The options change depending on the interests of participants, and there are always several options to choose from.

This daily ritual is a start to our day as a community.

Join in a meal prepared by the BCI kitchen.

Avodah (literally, "work") projects emphasize the Jewish value of service and the kibbutz ideal of working the land together, as a community. Avodah is one of the ways BCIers can give back, through various projects and work that help develop both the land and support the community. Some typical Avodah projects include working in our aquaponics garden, caring for the animals in the pasture, construction projects, greening projects.

This is an opportunity to hang out, get some rest or enjoy a hike in our beautiful natural surroundings. 

The Beit Midrash is a place for participants to immerse themselves in Jewish experiences, texts, and wisdom and reflect on the significance of Jewish values and community in their lives. Jewish learning at BCI is joyous, cultivates questions, and addresses important and relevant themes. Examples of Jewish themes explored at BCI include God, spirituality, ecology, social justice, ethics, prayer, Jewish history, theology, and philosophy.

Lunch generally ends at 1:45 and is followed by an afternoon break. 

Let our artists-in-residence guide you through a creative process designed to help you find and develop your artistic voice. Arts workshop options in previous summers have included: music, theatre, dance, photography, visual arts, and creative writing. In your workshop, create an original artistic project to present to the BCI community at the end of the summer.

Swim, hike, play basketball, volleyball, or softball, learn to read Hebrew, climb the adventure course, take optional classes, rest, or just hang out... it's up to you!

Dinner follows the Avodat Halev program and generally begins at 6:45 pm.

You may come to BCI knowing no Hebrew and with two left feet, but you'll leave humming Hebrew standards and dancing to both classic and modern Israeli choreography.

Hear from a guest scholar, artist, or performers, enjoy a campfire, have a small-group discussion, camp out overnight, or participate in a social event with the BCI community.