Author Archive | Nigel Savage

Meat, Wine & Veggies: Thinking about the Three Weeks

Meat, Wine & Veggies: Thinking about the Three Weeks Dear All, Today is the fast of Tammuz, a day that inaugurates three weeks of semi-mourning in Jewish life. The semi-mourning is to remind us of our sadness about the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem and our exile from the land of Israel. It’s a time that naturally raises a whole series of profound questions about the nature of our relationship to land and to Israel. For those of us in the diaspora: why exactly are we mourning if we could, if we so chose, get on a plane and go live in Israel? For Israelis and for Jerusalemites: what exactly are we mourning if we are living in a third Jewish commonwealth? Someone told me recently that Rabbi David Hartman, who died this year, used on the night of Tisha B’Av to go to synagogue, sit on the floor, read Eicha—the Book of Lamentations—and then go home and have dinner. I have no idea if this is true, but it would be a particularly profound way both to show respect for the tradition, and to honor our present reality. Jewish tradition, of course, marks these three weeks by making […]

Continue Reading

A Snapshot of Hazon: Transformative Experiences

          Last weekend, Hazon ran two incredibly successful events. 85 riders and 35 crew peddled for a healthy planet from Sonoma county to San Francisco for our 3rd annual Golden Gate Ride, and 15 participants ate their way across the holy land on the Israel Sustainable Food Tour. Check out photos from both of these phenomenal events on our Flickr page. You too can join Hazon on one of our upcoming transformative experiences, whether a multi-day bike ride or a retreat at Isabella Freedman: Hazon New York Ride Hazon Bike to the Beach Isabella Freedman: Elat Chayyim Living Laboratory Isabella Freedman: Judaism & Baseball   Hazon.org | Isabella Freedman.org Bean of Affliction: Chocolate, Child Labor and Fair Trade With Ilana Schatz, intro by Rabbi Marc Soloway. “The Dark Side of Chocolate” depicts the abuse of child labor in the African cocoa fields. The evening includes a screening of this 45-minute documentary, discussion, Jewish text study, and chocolate tasting with Ilana Schatz, the founding director of Fair Trade Judaica. Fair Trade chocolate will be available for purchase. 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, 2013 Boulder JCC $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Learn More Mini Grants Now Open in […]

Continue Reading

[Hazon Newsletter – 5/30/2013] How Much Adventure is in Your Summer?

Join Hazon this summer for the adventure of a lifetime!Challenge yourself on a supported cycling trip through the most majestic scenery this continent has to offer, and discover the hospitality, style, and community that sets Hazon apart from any other cross-country adventure. We will serve kosher, organic, and local food – and plenty of it! We transport your gear and offer solid support, you just ride. With 49 cycling days through 14 states, 9 Shabbatot, and 3 service days, the Hazon Cross-USA Ride offers a truly unique and transformative experience. Meet people from small Jewish communities and inspire others through Hazon’s environmental work and advocacy. Choose your own cycling adventure! Join us for any segment, from one day to a full or half country, and everything in between. The Cross-USA Ride will visit small farms, speak with transportation alternative advocacy groups, learn about sustainability, and learn about different Jewish communities across the country. Some highlights include Rabbi Morris Allen, founder of Magen Tzedek, our very own CSA farmer Mike Jacobs who runs Easy Bean Farm outside of Minneapolis, and Rabbi Paula Winnig who will speak about Jewish journeys and local and sustainable food in Indianapolis. You can check out our route online […]

Continue Reading

Introducing a new Jewish acronym – JOFEE

For a dozen years now – somewhat under the radar of organized Jewish life – there’s been an explosion of activity at the intersection of Jewish life, food, the outdoors and the environment. The last dozen years has seen the founding and/or flourishing of – amongst others – Adamah, Amir Project, Eden Village, Hazon, Jewish Farm School, Kayam/Pearlstone, Ramah Outdoor Adventures, Teva, Urban Adamah and Wilderness Torah — to name just ten. Each of these organizations or programs offers immersive experiences that can – and have – transform(ed) lives. This year, as well as our merger, we’re working with five major funders and an external research house to try – for the first time ever – to really demonstrate the impact of the field. That’s how a new acronym arose – what shorthand could we could use in place of “Jewish Outdoor, Food & Environmental Education”? And thus JOFEE – which we think is yofi (forgive us) – enters the Official Anthology of Jewish Acronyms. One element of the work we’re doing is a long and detailed survey. It’ll take you about 20 minutes to fill out, but we hope you’ll feel that 20 minutes is well worth it – […]

Continue Reading

[Newsletter May 09, 2013] An Extraordinary Weekend

In this email: Hazon New York Ride Farm & Garden with the Jewish Farm School! Intergeneration Jewish Survey What Are You Doing for Shavuot?   AN EXTRAORDINARY WEEKEND AND TWO-DAY BIKE RIDE The Community Celebrate Shabbat and recharge for the Jewish New Year at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center Make new friends and rekindle old connections The Ride Enjoy two days of cycling with routes for riders of all levels Fully supported with bike mechanics, rest stops, luggage transport, and farm-to-table kosher food The Cause Support innovative farm, food, environmental, and educational programs, such as Adamah and Teva REGISTER AT HAZON.ORG/NYRIDE Spring low prices end in two weeks, register before May 20th for the best rate!   Farm & Garden with the Jewish Farm School! I have participated in and taught at eight of the last nine Teva Seminars (I only missed last year because I had just gotten married). As both a learner and an educator, it is one of the most inspiring gatherings of the year. People of all ages, from many different backgrounds, and working in a wide range of settings, all come together to explore the connections between Judaism and the environment, and how we can transform the world through innovation […]

Continue Reading

Two Inspiring Experiments, and Four Stars

Two Inspiring Experiments, and Four Stars Israel Ride Early Bird Registration ends April 30th! Torah of Food Weekend Retreat Hazon Food Festival: Rocky Mountain Region Three Days Away! Behar 2013: Bringing SHmita to Your Community reIMAGINE Society: Behar in the Bay Area Become a JCarrot Writer Today New York Thursday, April 25th, 2013 / 30th day of the Omer Dear All, I just got back from a fascinating and inspiring trip to the West Coast, in which I spent time with our Bay Area staff, finished the first draft of our forthcoming Shmita materials, and visited not one, but two of the most profoundly exciting experiments in Jewish life in the whole country. The first was in San Diego, visiting the Leichtag Foundation’s Paul Ecke Ranch. It’s a 67-acre plot in the middle of San Diego’s North County, and they have an incredible vision for its future (including their new Jewish Food Justice Fellowship. Then I spent Earth Day with Adam Berman in the East Bay, meeting the current crop of Urban Adamahniks and visiting what (I trust and hope; and Adam believes and intends) will be the new permanent home of Urban Adamah – a beautifully-sized and well-located site in West Berkeley. These […]

Continue Reading

[Newsletter February 21, 2012] – A Rose by Any Other Name…

Denver, CO 21st February 2013 / Ta’anit esther 5773 Dear All, Today’s the minor fast day that leads us to Purim. Not for the only time in Jewish tradition, abstinence and excess are paired. I can’t help feeling that the rabbis had a keen sense of balance, quite separate from the nominal reasons given for the fasts adjacent to the feasts (cf, exhibits 2 & 3: the fast of the first born and seder night; rosh hashanah and the fast of gedaliah). I’m struck that, as elsewhere in contemporary society, we retain affection –and observance – for the feast, whilst the numbers who observe the fast are far fewer. Part of the complex challenge of unlearning some of the behaviors that in our day are both normative but also unhealthy – for us, and/or for the wider world we live in – lies in restoring balance, of different sorts. And I note this, by the way, because I struggle with this, not because I’ve figured out how to get to balance. In the last three days I’ve been in Denver and Boulder, meeting with stakeholders in Hazon and in the wider community. Part of this is about the steady drip-drip […]

Continue Reading

Hazon Newsletter [2/14/2013] – Purim, Household Junk, and the Journey to Freedom

Purim, Household Junk, and the Journey to Freedom Why I Ride: Kim Burnham Highlights of the Israel Sustainable Food Tour Hazon Jewish Food Festival at the JCCSF: More sessions announced! God’s Green Earth: The Jewish Environmental Movement at Home and Abroad Teach and Learn with Teva From Our Friends Purim, Household Junk, and the Journey to Freedom As kids we think of Purim, Pesach, and Shavuot as very separate holidays. Purim is hamantaschen and fancy dress; Pesach is Seder night and eating matzah; Shavuot is something to do with receiving the Torah and eating cheesecake. But properly understood I think the three holidays are more deeply connected than we realize. The key to understanding them is Seder night, the central fulcrum around which this season turns. Tu b’Shvat is 8 weeks before; Purim is 4 weeks before; Shavuot is 7 weeks later. Seder night is the night that we ourselves move from slavery to freedom. Our springtime journey to freedom begins with tu b’Shvat – the reminder of new beginnings, new life and new possibility. Which leads us to Purim. The Purim story looks like it’s really anarchic: there’s no mention of G!d (the only book of the tenach of […]

Continue Reading

An Exception to the Rule

This piece is by Shae Selix, intern at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Hazon partners with The Arava Institute for the Israel Ride, raising money for students who wish learn about environmental research and peace-building. Through my Masa scholarship, I have had the privilege to work for the past three and a half months at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura. Like many Masa students, I have been able to see the beauty of Israel, from the acacia trees in the Negev, to the mystical waters in the Dead Sea, to the Jerusalem stone in the capital. I feel that my experience may be particularly unique because at the Arava Institute I have had the opportunity to experience how Jews and Arabs have the potential to not only live peacefully together in Israel, but also become great friends. Of course, due to the timing of my stay, I have also seen that this is not always the case. Only weeks ago, the State of Israel was in armed conflict with Gaza. At the Institute, we all had to watch together as Israel was again in the spotlight of the world stage, and hopes of peace in […]

Continue Reading

How Do You Spell Tu B’Shvat?

New York 11th Shevat, 5773,  22nd Jan 2013 In the broad scheme of things, spelling isn’t the most important thing in the world. (Sme of yu wll hv seen th wll-crculated rticle by Grhm Rwlinson tht demonsrates hw relatively easily we reed thngs lk this; if you haven’t, check out Typoglycemia .) The fellow we know as “William Shakespeare” spelled his own name in different ways during his lifetime, and its spelling evolved further after he died. Nevertheless, the world has moved on since Shakespeare’s day; few of us nowadays would knowingly misspell a word. But a Jewish blogger thinks that we’ve been misspelling Tu B’Shvat for some while now, and last year he wrote a rather excellent blog post, titled, “Hazon sinks deeper into the hall of shame.” Of all the things that we might, over the years, have been attacked for, I never imagined that the spelling of Tu B’Shvat might have prompted such opprobrium, but so it goes: the world of Hebrew transliteration is more passionate than some of you might suppose. How, then, does one spell Tu b’Shvat? The answer of course is: טו בשבט or, more accurately sometimes, ט’’ו בשבט. Within this, ‘Tu” is the […]

Continue Reading

[Hazon Newsletter 1/10/2013] – Ancient Land, Modern Flavor

Cross-USA Ride Prices Rising! Pinot & Pomegranate: Wine and Cheese and Trees Tree B’Earth Day at Isabella Freedman Torah Yoga at Isabella Freedman Opportunities From Our Friends Camp Tawonga: Farm to Fork Eco-Quest Pearlstone Center’s 5th Annual Beit Midrash Beyond Bubbie: Tales from the Kitchen Shmita in Chicago Ancient Land, Modern Flavor This Memorial Day Weekend (May 22-27), in partnership with the Heschel Sustainability Center, Hazon is thrilled to be running our third Israel Sustainable Food Tour. This exciting program is a unique way for North American Jews who are passionate about sustainable food to experience the rapidly developing field of sustainable food in Israel. Visit farms, markets, and food producers off the typical tourist map, and meet with the leaders of innovative projects on the forefront of the burgeoning Israeli sustainable food movement. It is also an important opportunity for Israeli activists to meet like-minded counterparts from abroad, and hear about your experiences, successes, challenges, insights and inspiration. The emphasis in this tour is on the social and environmental aspects of sustainable food from farm to fork. We will explore obstacles and opportunities regarding Israeli and Arab agriculture and food issues, the promise of the growing the organic agriculture […]

Continue Reading

What Is Tu B’Shvat?

You can trace the recent history of Tu B’Shvat seders like branches on a tree. The first one I went to, in London in 1986, was hosted by Bonna Haberman and Shmuel Browns, mentors to me and many others in the renewal of Jewish ritual. I made my own seder the following Tu B’Shvat, and I’ve made or attended one every year since. Seders, like trees, grow branches, and the branches sprout fruit in all directions. The roots of Tu B’Shvat stretch back to the beginnings of organized Jewish life. We learn from the Mishnah (Tractate Rosh Hashanah) that “the New Year of the Trees” divided the tithing of one year’s crop from the next—the end and start of the tax year, so to speak. After the expulsion from the Land of Israel, Tu B’Shvat went underground, like a seed, ungerminated, lying beneath the soil of Jewish thought and life. The expulsion from Spain in 1492 scattered Jews in many directions, and some landed in Tzfat. Like a forest fire that cracks open seeds dormant for decades, Tzfat’s kabbalists rediscovered Tu B’Shvat and began a period of mystical celebration of the festival. The idea and structure of Tu B’Shvat seders […]

Continue Reading

Tu B’Shvat Reflections

In This Email Tu B’Shvat Reflections Tree B’Earth Day at Isabella Freedman Hazon Tu B’Shvat Haggadah Opportunities From Our Friends Tu B’Shvat in the Redwoods AVODAH Applications Open Tu B’Shvat Reflections You can trace the recent history of Tu B’Shvat seders like branches on a tree. The first one I went to, in London in 1986, was hosted by Bonna Haberman and Shmuel Browns, mentors to me and many others in the renewal of Jewish ritual. I made my own seder the following Tu B’Shvat, and I’ve made or attended one every year since. Seders, like trees, grow branches, and the branches sprout fruit in all directions. The roots of Tu B’Shvat stretch back to the beginnings of organized Jewish life. We learn from the Mishnah (Tractate Rosh Hashanah) that “the New Year of the Trees” divided the tithing of one year’s crop from the next—the end and start of the tax year, so to speak. After the expulsion from the Land of Israel, Tu B’Shvat went underground, like a seed, ungerminated, lying beneath the soil of Jewish thought and life. Continue reading “Deeper Roots, Wider Branches”, by Nigel Savage, originally published in the Jerusalem Report NEW! Hazon Tu B’Shvat […]

Continue Reading

It’s Been A Great Two Weeks…

New York December 13th 2012 / 5th day of Chanukah 5773 Dear All, Since our beginning in 2000, Hazon has worked to use a range of new modalities – the outdoors, food, the environment – to renew Jewish life and to create a better world for all. Mini-grants from our Rides help to raise money and awareness — we’ve given away over $2 million since 2000. Our annual Hazon Food Conference (seephotos from our most recent conference) helps us do this by networking and supporting people who are doing great work all over the country. And our merger with the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center — which we announced last week to very positive reviews from across the Jewish community – will enable us to grow our impact and reach. And we’re now thrilled to announce that we’re working with the Jim Joseph Foundation, Leichtag Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, UJA-Federation of New York, and Rose Community Foundation of Denver, to conduct research exploring how participation in immersive Jewish food, environmental, and outdoor education programs influences individuals’ Jewish growth and leads to increased Jewish involvement. This project is the first of its kind in our field, and is exciting in that it gives us the […]

Continue Reading

Hazon and Isabella Freedman are Merging!

Monday December 3rd 2012 / 19th Kislev 5773 New York Dear All, Sometimes our lives cross and crisscross in unexpected ways. Things that one thinks are incredibly significant prove minor; and minor or accidental decisions can change one’s life. So it was for me in the summer of 1998. That was when, for the first time, I visited Isabella Freedman; spent time at Elat Chayim (then in Accord, NY); and met people like Adam Berman (who went on to direct Isabella Freedman and to found Adamah), Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Nili Simhai (currently the director of Teva) and Rabbi Dr Arthur Waskow. Not more than a few moments’ thought went into the serendipitous construction of that summer. But encountering those people and institutions led me to found Hazon, late the following year. And today, things go full circle: we’re announcing that Hazon is merging with Isabella Freedman (which includes Elat Chayyim, following a merger a few years ago). The Teva Learning Alliance, until now a part of Surprise Lake Camp, is also going to be part of the new Hazon. (Click here to read the official press release.) Why did we do this, and what will change? At one level (happily) […]

Continue Reading