10/07/2026
This weekend we celebrated and danced with our Torah, read its final words and started again back at the beginning. And while this week will hold the tears and tragedy of October 7th, a few days after that on Shabbat we will rediscover once again the beauty and possibility of Creation in Genesis-Beresh*t Chapter 1. Within it all is the Source of Life—activating our joy and our grief, the light and the darkness, the earth and the heavens, our people and our planet, adam and Adamah. And we know that we were put into this beautiful garden not to hate but to love, to live up to our original mandate: l'ovdah u'l'shomrah, to serve and protect Creation.
Together, we have been blessed to cultivate our own piece of Eden just outside of Baltimore, a garden that has impacted hundreds of thousands of people from across the country and around the world.
Twenty-five years ago, the Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center opened in the raw, bewildered weeks following September 11th. Since then, a whole generation has been born and raised in a new era, as every facet of society and culture has evolved in profound ways. And since then, Pearlstone has taken root as well, growing into something vibrant and transformative beyond our wildest dreams. A nationally renowned, globally impactful, award-winning retreat center, organic farm, summer camp, Jewish outdoor education campus, event venue, and more. A powerful engine of change. A bright light in Jewish life.
No wonder this is the headquarters of Adamah.
More than 250,000 immersive experiences. Nearly 3,000 groups hosted. Half a million pounds of organic produce grown and shared. Countless young people who finally found a Judaism that feels like home. Hundreds of young families finding Jewish community and belonging aligned with their values. Baltimore City school students, interfaith partners, and people of all walks of life, sitting around the fire, telling stories, remembering what matters most.
Pearlstone truly is an extraordinary place. It embodies the tremendous generosity and vision of the Pearlstone family, the enormous strength of the Baltimore Jewish community, and the remarkable creativity of a new generation of Jewish leaders. Thanks to our founder, Richie Pearlstone, and our Founding Chair, Josh Fidler, and The Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, this place became an awesome and profound experiment. That openness attracted the deepest devotion of hundreds of talented staff and lay leaders. That devotion turned Pearlstone into a crossroads in Jewish life, a place filled with love, a place that reflects the very best of who we are. A testament to the Pearlstone family, to the Baltimore Jewish community, to the Jewish people, and to the world.
So here’s to the kind of vision that makes room for things to grow beyond what we can imagine. Here’s to the leaders who believe in the future of our people enough to give new young leadership a chance. Here’s to the young people who believe in themselves enough to lead. And here’s to the next 25 years; may they be even more extraordinary and impactful than the first.
Mazal Tov to everyone who made Pearlstone what it is today. And may we continue to believe and build the Eden this world needs.
L'chayim,
Jakir Manela, Chief Executive Officer, Adamah
Andrew Cushnir, President & CEO, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore
