with Nigel Savage, founder of Hazon
Monday, April 30, 7:30 PM
Free and Open to the Community
On April 30th, Hazon CSA [Community Supported Agriculture] at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, NJ, will present Nigel Savage, a visionary in the field of environmentalism and founder of Hazon, in a rare speaking appearance. Hazon (Hebrew for ‘vision’) is the foremost Jewish environmental organization.
“The mission we’ve taken for ourselves – to work for a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community, and a healthier and more sustainable world for all – is one that we really mean. It’s both more precise and more expansive than you might imagine,” explains Mr. Savage.
Nigel will address three crucial questions during his presentation:
- What is Jewish Environmentalism and why is it unique?
- How is this concept changing the world?
- Where do we fit in and what can we do to make a difference?
The CSA at the JCC, which is affiliated with Hazon, is one example of the organization’s many successes. “The beauty of community supported agriculture is that it represents a committed partnership between a farm and a community of supporters that provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food,” explains JCC Judaic Director Rabbi Steve Golden, who, together with Shelley Levy, JCC Special Services Director, has overseen the CSA program at the JCC for the last three years. “Members buy shares in a local farm in advance of the growing season, thus helping the farm pay for seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment, maintenance, labor, etc., and in return, the farm provides its members with a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce, to the best of its ability, throughout the harvest. This encourages a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown and those who grow it. The end result creates economically stable farm operations with worker justice, where shareholders can be assured of high quality produce. Most of all, Hazon has helped us to frame our support for CSA as living practice of the Biblical mandate for stewardship.”
This is the second year in which the JCC is partnering with Free Bird Farm in Palatine Bridge, NY. The season will run from June 12 through November 6, and welcomes Jewish and non-Jewish members. Shares include locally grown, certified organic produce at competitive prices, which will be delivered weekly to the JCC during the 22 week growing season. Egg and fruit shares are also available. CSA membership is open to the public and registration for the 2012 season is ongoing.
For more information about the April 30 presentation or purchasing a CSA share, call Rabbi Steve Golden at 201.408.1426. Learn more about Hazon CSA.
About Nigel Savage:
Nigel Savage has devoted his career to this vision. Originally from Manchester, England, he founded Hazon in 2000 by organizing and riding in a 3000-mile Cross-USA Jewish Environmental Bike Ride, in which participants cycled from Seattle, WA to Washington, DC, teaching and speaking along the way. They ended at the White House, where the riders received a national award from the EPA. Prior to founding Hazon, Nigel was a professional fund manager in the Wall Street equivalent in the UK. He has an MA in History from Georgetown; serves on the board of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center; is a founder of Limmud NY, and sits on the advisory board of Ramah Outdoor Adventure and the Jewish Greening Fellowship.
In 2008, Hazon was recognized by the Sierra Club as one of 50 leading faith-based environmental organizations; Hazon was in the Slingshot 50 for the fourth consecutive year; and Nigel was named a member of the Forward 50, the annual list of the 50 most influential Jewish people in the United States.
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