L'Taken Information for Congregations and Groups

Transportation

All delegations are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the Washington, D.C., area. Groups are also responsible for arriving at the program hotel on their own. The costs associated with this travel are not included in the published program fees.

​Arrival Information

• L'Taken weekends begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
• Please schedule your group’s travel in accordance with the guidelines listed in the table below. 
• You should plan to arrive in DC with plenty of time to check in to your hotel rooms and prepare for Kabbalat Shabbat.
• Please note that hotels rooms are generally not available for check-in until 3:30 p.m.
   

• The URJ is pleased to provide a meeting discount code for United Airlines for the L'Taken Seminars. For other airlines, larger groups (>10 passengers) usually qualify for a discount by calling the airlines' group reservation desk.
  • Additionally, we offer a Delta Airlines discount by booking here through this link and an American Airlines discount
• For groups arriving into BWI or IAD- we recommend reserving a shuttle service. Here are some options: 
  • Shuttle Wizard
  • Chariots For Hire
  • Regal Sedan
  • DC Paths
• For groups arriving into Union Station, there are two shuttle services with different sized vehicles which we recommend:
  • ING Transportation 703-522-5500
  • Chariots For Hire 202-722-4661
  • Small groups may want to consider a taxi or service like Uber (Uber XL provides vehicles for 6 people)
• For those staying at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center:
  • The Hilton Alexandria Mark Center does not offer a shuttle from National Airport (DCA). The RAC will be running a shuttle between the Hilton and DCA beginning at 11am on the Friday of a L'Taken seminar.
  • For more information about this shuttle, please email ltaken@rac.org. Seating is on first come first served availability basis.
• For those staying at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City:
  • The hotel has a complimentary shuttle service from the hotel to Reagan National Airport (DCA).
  • It leaves the hotel starting at 4:20 AM and the last departure date from the hotel at 12:40 AM.
  • The shuttle runs roughly every 20 minutes.
  • They pick up from door 4 and 7.
  • The capacity depends on what van is available that day. The minimum capacity of a van will be 9-10 and they have their biggest van capacity that can hold up to 22.
  • If your group is larger than 22 people, you may want to consider alternative modes of transportation to get to the hotel, as listed above.

Transportation During L'Taken 

• Throughout L'Taken, we will travel to various sites around D.C. 
• If you are not traveling with your own bus to L'Taken, your congregation will travel on buses provided by the RAC for an additional charge of $85/person. This fee includes transportation on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and transportation from Capitol Hill back to your departing location.

Departure Information

• Please schedule your group’s travel in accordance with the guidelines listed in the table below. 
• If you schedule your return train or flight earlier than the suggested times, you will have to schedule transportation on your own at additional cost and may forfeit lobbying visits on Capitol Hill. 
   

If you have any questions about transportation during L'Taken, email LTaken@rac.org.

All groups are required to bring at least one chaperone for every 9 students attending. Chaperones are included in your initial group registration numbers.

The cost of the program is based on room occupancy for both students and chaperones. Participant cost (students or chaperones) is reflected in the per person rooming costs below.

2022-2023 Program costs are listed below. 

• 1 to a room - $750/person
• 2 to a room - $599/person
• 3 to a room - $549/person
• 4 to a room - $519/person

These are the estimated fees based on the information we have at this time.

No guest room may house more than 4 participants. Students and chaperones must room separately.

If you are chartering your own bus for the program, lodging for your driver will costs $400. Bus drivers are invited to join the group for all meals provided at the hotel.

Cots may be placed in rooms with a king bed for a one-time charge of $25. Due to changes in fire code, we are no longer able to place cots in rooms with two double beds.

Program fees include a three night stay in the hotel, all program materials, three breakfasts, two lunches and one dinner.

Not included in program fees

Saturday and Sunday night dinner (cost can range from $15 per person and up) and Monday lunch at the Capitol (cost can range from $12 per person and up). We suggest participants bring around $65-80 in spending money.  

Transportation Around DC

If you are not travelling with your own bus to L’Taken, the RAC provides ground transportation throughout the weekend for an additional charge of $85/person. This fee includes transportation around the DC area on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and transportation from Capitol Hill to your departing location (e.g. airport or train station). Groups are responsible for their own transportation from their arrival location to the start of the program.

Non-URJ Surcharge

There is an additional fee for congregations and groups not affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism. The fee is $36 per person for the first 10 people in your group.

Cancellation Policy

Visit our Group Deposits & Cancellation page for detailed information regarding our cancellation policy.

Packing

Download a suggested packing list. 

Weather in Washington, DC in the winter is cold. Please pack weather appropriate clothing, including a warm jacket, hats and gloves.

Friday Night
Dress on Friday night varies, but participants are encouraged to wear business casual attire for Kabbalat Shabbat and services.

Saturday and Sunday
On Saturday and Sunday, participants wear casual clothes. Large parts of the days are spent outside, so be sure to pack winter jackets and be prepared to wear layers!

Monday
For the Monday congressional appointments, everyone must wear professional business attire. Again, significant portions of the day are spent walking around Capitol Hill outside, and we encourage everyone to dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes.

Optional
Participants spend Sunday night writing speeches that they deliver in their congressional offices. Students are welcome, but not required, to bring laptop computers that they can use during the writing and editing process. The RAC will provide printers for final versions of the speeches. We cannot be responsible for damage to, or loss of, any electronic equipment participants bring to the L'Taken Seminar.

Meals included in the price of a L'Taken weekend:

• Friday Dinner
• Saturday Breakfast and Lunch
• Sunday Breakfast and Lunch
• Monday Breakfast

Additional Meals
Saturday and Sunday dinners take place in Georgetown and Pentagon Row, an outdoor shopping area near the hotel. Both locations include a variety of restaurant choices from fast food to upscale sit-down. We suggest your students bring between $10 and $20 for each of these meals.

Monday lunch takes place on Capitol Hill in one of the several cafeterias in the House and Senate office buildings. Participants should budget $8-12 for this meal.

Dietary Restrictions
In accordance with URJ policy, dairy and meat products will not be served together at meals throughout the L'Taken weekend. The hotel facilities and meat products served at the hotel are not kosher. We offer accommodations for various dietary restrictions including but not limited to: vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. If you have questions about dietary needs, please reach out to the L'Taken team: LTaken@rac.org or (202) 387-2800.

We are happy to accommodate participants with a variety of dietary needs. Please contact us with this information at least a month before the seminar.

The Religious Action Center seeks to accommodate participants and chaperones with a variety of physical, emotional, learning, cognitive, or other needs throughout our program.

As your congregation begins its planning process for the winter’s seminars, please give the RAC a call.  Together with your congregation, the RAC program staff will develop a plan for individual participants. We will go step by step through the schedule to discuss what will work best for a participant at each moment in the program. The RAC staff will adjust rooming arrangements for participants and aides based on individual needs.

Please reach out to the L'Taken team: LTaken@rac.org or (202) 387-2800 to discuss accessibility at L’Taken.  

Deposits & Cancellation Policy →

We encourage congregations to work directly with a trip insurance broker to offer their families the opportunity to purchase insurance to protect their investment, should the family need to cancel their child's participation in the program. The URJ's preferred vendor is TravMark (learn more). In the event that L'Taken is running but a family chooses to cancel, our normal cancellation policies will apply.

Please reach out to Travmark with any questions about their insurance policy:

Mark Ceslowitz
TravmarkTel: 917 842 2292
Email: mark@travmark.com
travmark.com/washington2023/

IMPORTANT NOTE : Families must obtain their insurance package before making final payment for the trip, so we encourage you to look into this option before collecting final payment from your families. Questions about TravMark's policies? Contact Mark Ceslowitz