Guest Information

Details for a particular retreat can be found on the page for that event – see calendar below.

General mealtimes are as follows – adjustments are made for holiday services and candle lighting times:

• Breakfast at 8:00 am ET
• Lunch at 12:00 pm ET
• Dinner at 6:00 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET on Fridays and Holidays

Prayer Services and Activities

Holiday and Shabbat retreats offer various prayer options each morning.

Educators and staff lead inspiring classes and engaging activities throughout the day, with age-appropriate programming for kids.

The weather in Reisterstown, MD (21136) can fluctuate widely throughout the day. Parts of the campus can be quite windy and chilly, even if indoor spaces are nice and warm.

In the event of inclement weather, outdoor activities may be rescheduled or canceled. Many outdoor activities go on as planned even if the weather isn’t ideal.

Please check the forecast before coming on a retreat and pack accordingly!

Pearlstone does not have medical professionals on site during our retreats. Most of our guest services, programs and hospitality team members are certified in first aid and CPR, and we have many first aid kits and defibrillators throughout campus. We hope that no one will need to seek any medical care, but in the event that they do, the closest urgent care facility is 5 1/2 miles from campus and the closest hospital is 13 miles from campus.

Our team is available to help with many of the more minor first aid needs. We have staff available in the retreat center from 8 a.m. until at least 11 p.m. each day. We also have an emergency assistance phone carried by retreat management, 410-500-5393 that guest can call at any time for emergency assistance. Of course, in the event of a medical emergency, guests are instructed to call 911 first before contacting a staff member.

In order to ensure the health and well-being of all our guests we have established some health protocols. As we all are aware, there are many illnesses circulating in recent months including Covid-19, Influenza, Norovirus, Strep and many other viruses. We hope that all guests arrive in good health and ask that you join us in acting to ensure the health and safety of the group throughout your stay at Pearlstone. To that end, we will ask all guests to monitor their own health throughout their stay and if you experience symptoms that may be contagious, we will ask you to wear a mask around others and isolate if needed to avoid spreading illness amongst our guests.

• Testing: We ask every participant to take a rapid test for Covid-19 on the morning of your arrival. Please label with the name and date of each person in your party and take a photo of each for verification upon arrival.
• Travel guidance: We recommend wearing a mask at all times during any public transportation or air travel.
• Masks: Pearlstone is currently mask optional. We have disposable masks available for those who need.

Symptomatic Individuals and Covid Diagnoses

• We require that anyone exhibiting symptoms such as sneezing or coughing wear a mask while taking food from the buffet, and request masks be worn when around others. Such individuals are invited to eat in the outdoor spaces.
• Guests who test positive will be required to isolate in their rooms. We may have private lodging in the unlikely event that someone needs to isolate from others in shared lodging. Meals will be brought to the guest’s room in these situations.
• We ask that anyone who recently had COVID (but now tests negative) wear a mask up to day 10 from first testing positive.
• Pearlstone will communicate if a guest or staff member has tested positive for Covid or has other infectious diseases so that individuals can make choices that align with their risk tolerance.

Pearlstone Protocols:

• Pearlstone staff have all complied with a vaccination mandate.
• The retreat center HVAC uses MERV 13 filters which are replaced quarterly.
• Hand sanitizer is available throughout the facility, including near the dining room buffets and in shared bathrooms.

More details can be found here.

There is no refund for arriving late or departing early from any retreat. The refund amount is based on how far in advance we receive the cancelation request prior to the start date. For most retreats at Pearlstone, the cancellation policy is:

• 31 days or more – fully refundable less a $75 fee (for Pesach – 60 days prior)
• 15-30 days prior – 50% refundable (for Pesach – 30-59 days prior)
• 14 days or less – not refundable (for Pesach – 29 days or less)

If you are sick with a communicable disease such as Covid-19 and are unable to attend, you may receive a credit (less $75) valid through the end of the of the following calendar year towards a future retreat at either Isabella Freedman or Pearlstone. You must provide medical documentation attesting to your illness in order to receive this credit. We suggest obtaining insurance for such situations.

Pearlstone reserves the right to cancel any program at any time. This includes cancellations due to inclement weather if, in our judgment, we are unable to operate safely. In the event of such a cancellation, a full refund will be issued. If the retreat proceeds as scheduled, no refund will be offered.