The Idra Project
A Jewish leadership retreat for a more resilient tomorrow
The word Idra (from Aramaic, meaning “threshing floor” or “circle”) refers to the mystical gatherings described in the Zohar, where sacred truths were shared among an intimate group of seekers.
The Idra Retreat humbly invokes this lineage of intimate, courageous inquiry in our week-long, legal psilocybin retreat for small cohorts of 6-8 Jewish leaders. We are living in a moment of deep unraveling. Systems, identities, and existential assumptions are coming apart—along with the inherited strategies we once used to hold it all together. Jewish leaders, like so many others, are being asked to lead through this uncertainty, to hold complexity with care, and to sustain vision without clear maps. And they are often doing so without spaces for their own nourishment, grief, or inner reckoning.
To support this critical moment in American Jewish life, we are honored to offer The Idra Project–a week-long, legal psilocybin retreat for small cohorts of 6-8 Jewish leaders. It is a space to open, reflect, and reweave connection to self, to one another, and to tradition.This leadership retreat is not a summit or a strategy session. It is a protected circle, an idra: a sacred space of discernment at a time when Jewish leaders must be better resourced for a world which desperately needs their presence, humility, and moral imagination.
What makes this experience unique?
The Idra Project is Shefa's programmatic offering to access Oregon's legal statewide psilocybin service program, which was passed by voters in November 2020 and is now regulated by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Shefa’s psilocybin ceremonies take place at Fernlove, a licensed psilocybin service center located about one hour outside Portland. Our ceremonies are guided by professionally licensed facilitators in collaboration with Shefa, providing the highest levels of medical safety, cultural and spiritual responsiveness, and ethical consideration.
Tucked away on 30 private acres of forest near Henry Hagg Lake, cohort participants prepare for and integrate their psilocybin ceremonies together through shared spiritual practice, nourishing walks in nature, facilitated Jewish learning and conversation, kosher meals, and space for rest and recovery. Because we are dedicated to making our offerings data-driven, we may invite participants to complete optional, short, and anonymous surveys created by our scientific research advisory team before and after their experiences.
Who Should Apply?
We welcome applications from Jews in leadership who are: Feeling a genuine need for this kind of space
Experiencing professional burnout
Facing financial constraints
Long drawn to this work but need a legal, structured setting to pursue it
Can meet the following criteria: Fulfill the medical eligibility requirements set by our partner psilocybin service center
Feel a deep personal calling to explore psilocybin-supported self-exploration within a Jewish communal framework
Able to fully commit to the entire arc: preparation, retreat, and integration
You'll need:Openness
Respect for confidentiality
Curiosity
Care — for yourself and the group
What is involved?
1 — Applications & ScreeningApplications open on a rolling basis for each new cohort — [apply here].
If the criteria noted above is met, selected applicants are invited to an initial interview with the Shefa team to determine fit. If you move forward after the first round of interviews, you may be asked to place a non-refundable deposit to continue into medical and psychological screening with the Shefa and Fernlove teams. This deposit secures your place in the cohort and is applied toward the program cost if you are accepted.
2 — PreparationEach participant receives 2 intake calls with Shefa staff facilitators, a 1:1 preparation call with a Fernlove facilitator, and three 1.5-hour group preparation calls to support their preparation process. Exact call dates are confirmed with each accepted cohort.
3 — The Idra RetreatThe cohort gathers outside of Portland for a five-day residential retreat, including two psilocybin journeys facilitated by Fernlove's licensed team with support from onsite Shefa staff. The retreat includes daily opportunities to integrate, learn, grieve, celebrate, rest, and process together as Jewish leaders. Retreat dates are set for each cohort and shared upon acceptance.
4 — IntegrationPost-retreat support includes three group integration sessions, along with continued access to Shefa's integration resources and community. Exact call dates are confirmed with each accepted cohort.
Where You’ll Stay
Participants stay on-site at Fernlove, a 30-acre forested retreat property in Gaston, Oregon, about an hour west of Portland–Oregon's first licensed, nature-immersed psilocybin service center. The property includes a collection of private, single-occupancy tiny houses nestled among the trees, along with communal spaces for group meals, our ceremonies, and gathering.
Standard accommodations are private, single-occupancy tiny houses and newly constructed bathhouses.
Please fly into Portland International Airport (PDX). Lodging and ground transportation to and from the airport are included in your retreat fee and arranged by Shefa; we'll coordinate shared transportation together once everyone's flight information is finalized. Detailed logistics information, including packing guidance, will be sent upon acceptance.
Pricing & Commitment
In deep gratitude to The Sheri Eckert Foundation and the Community Leaders Resilience Fund, we are able to offer this retreat at a significantly subsidized rate.
Retreat Fee: $1,800
❋ What’s included:Application and interview
Medical and psychological screening
Logistics assistance and coordination
Individual and group preparation sessions
All shared meals
Retreat activities in-between ceremonies
Group integration sessions
Retreat fee does NOT include plant medicine or airfare. Details of plant medicine cost will be shared during intake calls. Participants are required to book and pay for their own travel to and from Oregon.
❋ Payment & Cancellation PolicyPayment is due within seven days of acceptance to confirm your spot. Due to the limited number of participants and the depth of planning required, we are unable to offer refunds, though extenuating circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
❋ Our Collaborative ProcessThis retreat is co-curated by three organizations: Shefa as retreat provider, Fernlove as ceremony provider, and the Sheri Eckert Foundation as retreat sponsor. While working in unison, each has a separate application form to ensure compliance with their own processes. We thank you for your time and patience while going through each of these necessary steps.
Take the first step toward your Idra experience
For more information and to see answers to commonly asked questions, please see our FAQs.