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Forming group for Raleigh Hotel retreat for 40% off!!!
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ruchelbuckle




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Nov 12 2014, 8:47 am
I have a feeling that we will stick out somewhat! Smile
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amother


 

Post Sat, Nov 15 2014, 11:34 pm
So amelia bedilia, you going in the end?
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Amelia Bedelia




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 12:10 am
Still not sure
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ruchelbuckle




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 16 2014, 4:16 pm
Hope you can make it!!
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amother


 

Post Wed, Nov 19 2014, 10:53 pm
It was amaaaaaaaaaaazing! Im so glad I went! It was really EPIC! I had the time of my life! Thanks for letting me know about it. I was totally at ease there!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Nov 20 2014, 12:41 am
Please describe! In glorious detail!
Food, activities etc.
Maybe next year I will go!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Nov 20 2014, 1:39 pm
It was epic! Cant be described!!!
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ruchelbuckle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 20 2014, 9:12 pm
Okay, I went and had a BLAST!!!

I will describe it to you, and also answer a few questions that were posted...

It was kind of like camp! There were two speakers, including mrs. Leah Rubashkin! Someone else who I wasn't familiar with spoke about personal growth the first day.

Yitty Knobloch did a comedy routine-- it was cute- I never heard of her before. I only got about half the jokes, but I laughed anyway.

There was simcha dancing, water aerobics and regular aerobics. The pool was open other times, too.

There was an "arts and crafts" time where you could choose plaster painting or beading....I had a lot of fun and think I will now take it up as a hobby! Also, someone did a demo on table setting schemes and food decor-- it was fun to watch what she did!

In addition to the activities, there was a lot of just hanging out and shmoozing. If you didn't feel like going to aerobics or anything, you could just hang out in the lobby and find someone to shmooze with.

Dina Storch gave a concert the first night and the second night there was a kumzits. At both events, the ladies were dancing quite a bit. Also, I thought it was truly beautiful when 100+ ladies were singing "Ima Tagid'Li" together!!!

The food was really good. Honestly, as long as I am not cooking, I always think the food is good! Lunch was milchig, dinner was fleishig. Breakfast and lunch were buffet, dinner was sit down. plenty of options at all meals. Tea room, too. Always had coffee, tea, cake, etc... out.

The hotel-- some parts of the hotel were kind of dumpy. The lobby, dining room, etc are all renovated. Some rooms are dumpier than others. It was fine. No mice or bedbugs or anything, it's just not the Waldorf Astoria. Like I was in the pool, and it was clean and everything...it was just obvious to me that it hadn't been renovated since.... before I was born.....

The crowd was over 90% chassidish. I came not knowing anyone. As long as you are willing to make the effort to introduce yourself to people, people were very friendly. Most of the ladies came with a friend (or family)-- but I found that if I sat down at a table, people stopped speaking Yiddish and switched to English and included me in the conversation. I found that everyone else was just as nervous as making new friends as I was!!! I was a little uncomfortable on the bus ride up-- no one spoke to me (except the lady I met through this site)-- but the bus ride back-- I was already BFF with half these people! It just takes a while for everyone to warm up! There were a few non-chassidish ladies-- and it didn't seem like anyone was "left out" of anything.

Regarding sharing a room with a stranger-- if you are considering going in the future, don't let that stop you. First of all, most of the people coming are totally normal! Second, I barely spent any "awake" time in my room-- just basically sleeping and changing into my bathing suit for swimming!!! you can always bring earplugs in case the roommate snores!!

I also want to apologize: a lady at the breakfast table one morning said "Oh, do you know the website Imamother? I went on it and read that there were a bunch of people talking about going." At that time, I didn't say anything, as I didn't want to "out" some of the other ladies on this site. But if you're reading this (I'm the one who you helped with a car service when we got off the bus)-- then I apologize!

If any of you know who I am from reading this, then please keep in touch!! send me a PM-- I had a great time meeting you!!!

ETA: I paid about $450 with transportation-- The original price was $650, but we formed a group of 7 through this site and got a 40% discount. (I didn't meet 3 of the people in the group!). It was double occupancy. For 3 days in a hotel with all the activities and food....it was a great price. Someone said that they are probably not going to do such a big discount again in the future, but even so....

On a previous thread, someone mentioned "want to have our own retreat: a nice hotel, take out and board games?" I think that for all the activities the Raleigh provided, plus the food, it was an amazing price....even for $500-550 it still would be a great price. I would totally recommend going in the future!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Nov 20 2014, 9:35 pm
I find it interesting it was mostly chassidishe ladies. Is that because
- their husbands take care of them better
- they come from big families and have lots of sisters & SILs who are willing to watch their kids
- they mostly don't work and can just go away

The same demographic is also present in kimpeturin heims.
(And should this be its own thread?)

A couple of women from Lakewood ran "Recharge" retreats in Ocean Place a year or two ago and also had much more of a chassidish crowd, though, with the proximity to Lakewood, there ought to have been some significant showing assuming there were women who either didn't work or could take time off from work, and had childcard arrangements available to them.

(A Litvishe lady who went to 3 different kimpeturin heims, [should that be heimer?] - and had a good time even though almost everyone else was chassidish)
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amother


 

Post Thu, Nov 20 2014, 9:43 pm
My SIL went with her whole family. She said that next year I must must MUST go. She had the most amazing time. She has been going since the first year.

I would have loved to go. Don't know what I would have done with my baby. She is 2 and I would need to pay a sitter for an additional two days on top of what the retreat would cost. My other kids are fine and they can take care of themselves.

Only thing is I cannot afford it. The retreat is expensive. Babysitting would be extra. Plus I would lose 3 days wages. So overall not worth it for me but I would definitely love to go in the future if I can afford it.
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ruchelbuckle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 20 2014, 9:44 pm
I don't want to derail the thread to make this a discussion of why it was all chassidishe.....come to the retreat next year and sit in on one of the very interesting discussions about cultural differences between yeshivishe and chassidishe ----it was really eye-opening--- much more than any movie on PBS! Rolling Eyes

But I will share with you:

1) Many ladies came with their sisters/sister in law/mother, so many of them couldn't leave their kids by family members-- but people did indicate that they felt comfortable asking neighbors/friends to take their kids for a few days while they went away.

2) Most of the women I met there don't work outside the house, making it easier for them to get away. Also, in my circles, many of my friends who have parents close by-- their mothers are also still working, making it difficult for the bubbies to watch the kids.

Again, I don't want this thread to turn into a discussion of "Chassidishe ladies vacation habits"-- can that maybe go in "Issues of Concern To Frum Society?" Very Happy Rolling Eyes
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 23 2014, 11:33 am
Ruchelbuckle, I was honored to share a room with you! I hope I didnt snore, I usually dont....lol.. It was amazing to see the achdus, and I truly enjoyed spending the time we did, together! I also came by myself and came home with lots of new friends I will cherish for a lifetime. I agree it was heartwarming to see so many jewish women from all walks of life come together as a family to sing, dance, let loose and enjoy.

I am definitely looking forward to next year.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 23 2014, 11:41 am
I went my first time too. I was part of the imamother group but I did come with friends. I had an amazing experience. Really took me back to my camp days. I found the crowd to be amazing and welcoming. Would definitely want to go again iyh.
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Amelia Bedelia




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 23 2014, 11:44 am
I can say the same. I came on my own, but had a great time! It was great to get to know Ruchelbuckel and others. Can't wait for next year!
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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 23 2014, 3:03 pm
Does anyone have the email address for Reizy Fried? I wanted to request a copy of the game. I took it, but must've forgotten to press save on my phone, because I no longer have it. It was something like rf@raleighhotelny.com.. Can anyone verify if it's correct?
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amother


 

Post Mon, Nov 24 2014, 10:38 am
amother wrote:
Does anyone have the email address for Reizy Fried? I wanted to request a copy of the game. I took it, but must've forgotten to press save on my phone, because I no longer have it. It was something like rf@raleighhotelny.com.. Can anyone verify if it's correct?


I would love a copy of the game too. If you find out the email address please post it here. Thanks.
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amother


 

Post Mon, Nov 24 2014, 8:32 pm
I just confirmed that the email address is correct. I found a welcome letter I received shortly before the retreat in my emails.
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bnm




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 24 2014, 10:39 pm
I didn't end up going but on Monday after you all got onto the bus and I was home with a kid with a stomach virus I got a call from a specialist that had a last minute cancellation more than a month before our appointment so we went on Wednesday... so it was bashert. But IY"H next year I'm planning on coming.....
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Amelia Bedelia




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 24 2014, 10:48 pm
bnm wrote:
I didn't end up going but on Monday after you all got onto the bus and I was home with a kid with a stomach virus I got a call from a specialist that had a last minute cancellation more than a month before our appointment so we went on Wednesday... so it was bashert. But IY"H next year I'm planning on coming.....
were you ever on a Raleigh retreat? Because if you weren't, I can refer you and get mine for half price.
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bnm




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 24 2014, 10:57 pm
Amelia Bedelia wrote:
were you ever on a Raleigh retreat? Because if you weren't, I can refer you and get mine for half price.


twice. first year son was about 8 months and came along, second year he was 1.5 and stayed behind for 3 days. the next year I couldn't find someone to take him for 3 days and now I couldn't go either....
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