The Zen Peacemakers and Bernie Glassman return to Auschwitz for Bearing Witness Retreats on Nov 1-5, 2010.
To read descriptions and/or to register, please click here. This retreat includes Youth from Israel, Palestine, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, US and other countries.
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Existing Facilities
The House of One People
The House of One People was born out of a rustic dairy
barn. Built at the turn of the century in the post and beam
tradition, the staid old barn provides the aesthetic and spiritual
base for the genesis of a contemporary architectural delight. It
contains a spectacular Main Hall, as well as the offices for the
Maezumi Institute and Zen Peacemakers staff. The center also includes three Conference Rooms, an
upper mezzanine, meeting rooms and sacred spaces.
The sacred main hall functions as
a gathering and welcoming hall, a performance area, or a communal
celebration space, this hall - some 2025 square feet, has a
45-foot ceiling at the peak. The east wall encloses a circular window
that broadcasts the light of the rising sun, and woodwork of the oldest
part of the barn, judged to be late 1700's, is of hand-hewn chestnut:
contiguous cross beams (8” x 8”) cut and shaped by hand, span the
fort-five foot expanse, speaking to the immensity of the trees they
were cut from.
The Peacemaker Farmhouse
Once a national hotbed of political thought and radical ideas, the
original Peacemaker Farmhouse, the former home of folks like Marshall
Bloom, Sam Lovejoy and Harvey Wasserman, continues to host
visionaries from all walks of life and all corners of the globe.
The Farmhouse is home to
interns, visitors and staff members, ensuring a rich exchange of ideas
and cultures for years to come.
The Greenhouse
An annex to the original Farmhouse, the hotbed situated in the Greenhouse is the earth itself: an internal soil bed will be stocked with rich organic loam. Complementing the Peacemaker philosophy of permaculture, the herbs, flowers and vegetables grown in the central bed will support the self-sufficiency of the campus kitchens. Seedlings and transplants for external gardens will be grown in the planting areas around the perimeter of the internal space.
Facilities To Be Built
The Teacher-in-Residence Cottage
Our teachers-in-residence program would not be complete without a charming
stand-alone cottage for our guests to enjoy their extended stay. The
cottage will be a cozy, secluded efficiency apartment nestled among the trees
and gardens. The deck will be a perfect place to observe the natural beauty
of the surrounding campus.
The Ellen Burstyn Amphitheater
The principles of simplicity, beauty and longevity grace the landscape of a fitting, living tribute to a woman who has dedicated a lifetime to the joy-and, sometimes, the anguish-of creative expression. The Ellen Burstyn Amphitheater will be located close to the heart of the campus. The Amphitheater will be made from terraces sculpted into the hillside and will be the main stage for cultural and artistic performances.
With an audience of 350 people, it will be the ideal space for cultural and
artistic performances. Actors understand only too well the need for a
welcoming, versatile space. The Burstyn Amphitheater will not only be a
meeting place of cultures, minds and spirits, but also an intersection
for peacemaking and the arts.
The Ancestral Hall
Arriving onto the campus, the first thing that will strike the visitor will be
the visual gateway formed by two buildings, the campus library and the
Ancestral Hall. Both buildings emulate Chinese lanterns. The Ancestral
Hall will be a sacred space to honor and connect with the founders of:
the Maezumi Institute
the Zen Peacemakers
the House of One People
and with people whose ideas and compassionate
actions have influenced and inspired the vision of Peacemakers throughout time and space.
The Library
The Library, also designed in the image of a Chinese lantern, will mirror
the Ancestral Hall across the way. The library collection will include
writings by contemporary authors and teachers as well as works
distilling the knowledge and wisdom of the major religions and
cosmologies. The library will offer myriad opportunities for the personal
enrichment and spiritual guidance of visitors, students, staff,
teachers and friends of the Maezumi Institute.
The Wellness Center
The Wellness Center will offer space and inspiration for the healing of body, mind and spirit. The centers integrated components will be constructed with beautiful natural materials. Housed in and around these buildings will be the yoga center and contemplation space, a cedar sauna and open-air hot tub, showers, massage rooms and other spaces for body and energy work, movement and physical care.
The Yurt Village
Yurts have been used as nomadic shelters in Central Asia for centuries. The Pacific yurt to be used in our Yurt Village is a modern adaptation. Circular in design, it combines a beautiful wood frame and durable fabric. The interior of each yurt will be bathed in natural light admitted through the central dome skylight.
Fifteen yurts will provide four-season accommodations for visitors, students and guests. Built with breathable skins, they will be fourteen feet in diameter, tucked amid deciduous forest to balance shade, warmth and comfort. Set on the crest of a ridge, the yurts will offer remarkable views of gurgling Spaulding Brook in the ravine below from their observation decks.
The Main Plaza
The Main Plaza will be the gateway to the campus.
Pathways through gardens will guide and welcome visitors immediately upon
their arrival. The center of the plaza will be landscaped with flowers,
trees and stonework, and showcasing a unique sculpture made
specifically for us by an accomplished artist. Beyond the sculpture,
the main plaza will open up to reveal three uniquely designed meeting
circles where participants can gather in the shade of native trees.
The Plaza Meeting Circles
Three Plaza Meeting Circles will grace the outdoor areas surrounding
the House of One People. These circles will be used for programs and meetings.
From the Main Plaza, two or three steps will descend to a spacious main
circle, cast in red brick, where participants will meet in large or
small groups. This sunken central meeting circle will be landscaped with
flowers and shrubs, dappled with the intermittent shade of nearby
maples.
Two satellite circles will grace the main plaza space. One will be tucked into a
wooded area at the north end of the barn. Another meeting circle will be
sculpted into the hillside just below the main hall.
The Permaculture
The entire campus will strive toward local sustainability through
collaborative agricultural programs and internships. There will be fourteen
varieties of fruits, eleven kinds of berries, an organic vegetable
garden, and gourmet and medicinal herbs. Based on the principles of
Permaculture, the gardens and orchards will be the centerpieces for the
Maezumi Institute's Sustainable Landscape initiatives.
Ellen's Pond
A draw for great blue herons and miscellaneous odd ducks, Ellen's pond
will be a natural haven for introspection, contemplation, and communion with
nature. The shore will offer a unique meeting space for groups.
The Upper Field Lotus Pond
The Lotus Pond will anchor the northern reach of the campus, drawing visitors to its quiet shore to pause, reflect, and renew in the solitude of lapping water. The banks will be planted with native flowering trees, shrubs and aquatic vegetation that draw wildlife and waterfowl as well as the occasional human pilgrim.
The Moss Garden
Adjacent to the Main Hall Courtyard and located below the library, the Moss Garden will be an enchanted and secluded natural space complete with mountain laurels, mosses and whispering ferns. This garden will be accessed through narrow and opposing passageways. Once inside, stepping stones will lead down a path alongside a trickle of water coming from the pond upstream. Native mosses and ferns will carpet the earth. This space will be the most secluded garden on campus, conducive to the contemplative silence that allows us to be with ourselves.
The Children’s Area
Every well-balanced life needs a place to play after the work is
done. Our campus will have a special space for children of all ages. Whether
you enjoy team sports, hanging around on the jungle gym, or just seeing
if those new sneakers really do make you run faster and jump higher,
The Children's Area will give everyone the room and the materials to play
as they choose. The playground will be made from natural materials by local
craftsmen. The area will include space for live animals, sports of all
kinds, a jungle gym, climbing trees, and a meeting place for
kid-friendly workshops in creativity and fun.