Author Archive | Hazon

Green Kiddush at Shaarey Tzedek

By Hazon on May 17, 2017 in Detroit, Hazon Seal of Sustainability, Hazon Seal Spotlights

Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, MI is setting the bar for sustainability high with their excellent work as a member of the Hazon Seal of Sustainability Cohort 2016! Between planning their first Green Kiddush, to using only glass mugs and recyclable paper products at events, there seems to be no limit on what they can achieve. After completing the Hazon Seal Audit, the Green Team at Shaarey Zedek immediately replaced all Styrofoam cups in the Berman Center of Education with glass cups that the congregation had in storage. They also made sure that the congregation’s clergy team spoke about the Green Team and its work during a Shabbat sermon, to get everyone excited about greening and increase awareness of the important work the Green Team does. Shaarey Zedek’s Green Kiddush and Tu B’shvat Seder on the Shabbat of Tu B’shvat was also well-received. Wren Beaulieu-Hack – Director of the Berman Center for Jewish Education at Shaarey Zedek – says that “The day we spent celebrating Tu B’Shvat, as a community was the most successful project we’ve completed thus far. It was wonderful to see our congregants talking with each other about environmental issues through a Jewish lens and to see […]

Learning Limits: Parashat Emor | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on May 11, 2017 in JOFEE, JOFEE Fellowship

by Leora Cockrell – Camp Tawonga – San Francisco, CA This week’s Parsha, Emor, discusses priests, purity, prioritization and perfection. The specifics of which are either largely outdated (I haven’t recently checked to make sure my livestock’s legs match before sacrificing them, have you?) or offensive (judging people’s worthiness based on their bodies). But as a fellow F ellow taught me, sometimes you can read the Torah like an arrow…where is the message trying to take us given the context of the world it was written in? As the Jews wandered the desert, wrestling with their new identities as free people, they could have felt caught between the “world was their oyster” sensation and “too many choices are overwhelming” paralysis. Learning to live a different rhythm of life traveling in the desert, getting along with your fellow travelers (some of whom had just been your enslavers), and finding what was more meaningful to them than the comforts of what was known was a big task. And understandably, a few rules, regulations, and rituals could have done a lot to smooth over tensions and build a collective sense of purpose. I have made a journey to the unknown wilds myself, recently. After spending […]

Composting as a Community at B’nai Jeshurun

By Hazon on May 8, 2017 in Hazon Seal of Sustainability, Hazon Seal Spotlights

As a member of the 2016 Hazon Seal Pilot Cohort, B’nai Jeshurun (New York, NY) is going above and beyond with their sustainability practices! As one of their projects for the first year, B’nai Jeshurun implemented Green Kiddush practices each Shabbat. The Green Team ensures that there are bins at every kiddush to separate waste appropriately and ensure that nothing that isn’t recyclable, reusable, or compostable ends up in the trash. B’nai Jeshurun also started a Composting Initiative at their congregation. According to Larissa Wohl, Tzedek Program Manager and member of BJ’s Green Team, “There is a composting page on our website with detailed information as well as a tri-fold flyer available. Members can receive free 3-gallon bio bags and/or counter top bins to start composting at home.” The synagogue provides a convenient compost collection spot that is available more frequently than other collection spots in the area. Around 70 people are actively composting their waste both at home at B’nai Jeshurun thanks to this initiative! In addition to the community compost initiative, the congregation has raised over $6000 through a Giving Tuesday campaign to purchase reusable products for meetings and programs, and updated all eligible lamps and fixtures with […]

Parsahat Acharei Mot | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on May 3, 2017 in JOFEE, JOFEE Fellowship

by Becca Heisler, Wilderness Torah – Berkeley, CA Parshat Acharei Mot, in the book of Vayikrah (Leviticus), brings a follow-up to the deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, who were consumed by fire before G-d for offering an unholy sacrifice. As a result of this misdeed, Aaron is tasked with atonement: first, he is commanded to make special sacrifices. Then, he bequeaths all of the transgressions of the Israelites upon a goat (the “scapegoat ”) and sends it into the desert. These rituals are the origins of our modern Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. My reactions to Acharei Mot were scattered: fascination, apathy, confusion, sadness, curiosity, anger. Underlying all of those reactions was a question: what brings us back every year to study the commandments, laws, and rituals of Vayikrah that no longer govern our daily lives? We read this parshah during the fourth week of counting The Omer . Each week of the Omer corresponds to one of the lower seven sephirot (attributes or emanations of G-d), and this week is the week of netzach (Endurance). Each day is an exploration of the relationship between netzach and another sephirah – First is chesed (love), next gevurah (boundedness), then […]

Parashat Tazria-Metzora | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on April 25, 2017 in JOFEE Fellowship

by Margot Sands, Ekar Farm – Denver, CO This week’s Torah portion, Tazria-Metzora, continues to outline specific laws of purification for newborns, mothers, and sufferers of leprosy such as circumcision, immersing in the mikvah, and solitary confinement. Leprosy? Why is this disease addressed alongside the beautiful cycle of life? These different states of being appear together as forms of distractions that prevent us from fully engaging in spirituality. Newborns might be physically distracted from their new existence in the world; new mothers are distracted by on-going pains and stresses of labor and taking care of infants; leprosy is also a physical distraction as an irritating skin ailment. The laws instructed in this text aren’t necessarily targeting these groups of people as dirty, unclean, unwanted, but rather as folks who have barriers to accessing the divine. While we read this parsha throughout the week, we are also tasked with “Counting the Omer,” an active 49-period of time between Passover and Shavuot. An omer is a measurement of barley that was offered to the Temple in Jerusalem in biblical times everyday until Shavuot as a reenactment of the Jewish people wandering in the desert after being liberated from Egypt. In present times, we […]

Shemini: For the Love of the Earth

By Hazon on April 22, 2017 in Weekly Parsha

By Ellen Bernstein April 22, 2017 | Earth Day www.ellenbernstein.org In this week’s Torah portion, Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, are consumed by God’s fire for a seemingly innocuous error, as they attempt to perform the ritual of the mishkan. Many readers are stunned by God’s apparent lack of compassion and unwillingness to give the boys a second chance. They can’t stand a God like this and try to rationalize God’s behavior. The incident is even more jarring, since we’ve spent the last week celebrating Passover, greeting the spring after a long cold winter. The biblical cycle echoes the seasonal one: the Israelites have endured their own winter—attending to countless, exhausting details constructing God’s house, the Mishkan. At last everyone is ready to let their hair down and rejoice. But there will be no rejoicing. Nadav and Avihu are dead. What are we to make of this story? Why do the boys die? The text simply says that they offered an alien fire which God had not commanded. The commentators explore various possibilities—maybe they were drunk or arrogant or too passionate in worship. What is clear is that they acted on their own initiative. I am interested here in the […]

Parashat Sh’mini | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on April 19, 2017 in JOFEE, JOFEE Fellowship

by Ren Feldman, Eden Village Camp – Putnam Valley, NY Last week many of us made a trek to our family’s, friend’s or parent’s home. Exiled from our ‘normal’ lives, we may have felt like slaves to the lurking particles of chametz, doing their best to afflict our Pesadic kashrut, to the pyramids of dirty dishes that plagued the sink, to our seders, where we sat for hours, the outside world shrouded in darkness. As much as we may love our families and friends, we may have felt exceptionally free as we left the houses we grew up in, the livelihood in which we find comfort, and wandered to our potentially uncertain, independent lives. Over here on Dennytown Rd, our very own Eden Village Farm-Educator Apprentices are definitely wandering into uncertainty. Four farmers who have never been to Eden Village, potentially never ‘slaved away’ under the sweltering sun before- acres of shadeless beds surrounding- have just arrived to spend 40 squirrel years (6 months) doing just that! After some faith and sweat, their manna will grow up from the earth, as it did many years ago when I was a farm apprentice. And that, dear reader, brings us to the […]

Composting our Way Through Life at Ramah in the Rockies

By Hazon on April 14, 2017 in Hazon Seal of Sustainability, Hazon Seal Spotlights

by Zach Goldberg, JOFEE Fellow at Ramah in the Rockies and Bonai Shalom Ramah in the Rockies started a Bokashi composting system as part of their participation in the Hazon Seal of Sustainability, a roadmap for Jewish institutions to become more sustainable. Learn more about the Hazon Seal of Sustainability. On the way from Philistine to Beersheba, Isaac digs a series of three wells that were previously excavated by his father, Abraham. At the first well, Isaac meets some people who claim the water as their own. Isaac names it esek, “contention.” At the second well he digs, they meet people who also were not happy about the project. He named it sitnah, “enmity.” At the third well, they find people who were not bothered. He names it rechovot, “spaciousness.” Rechovot is what Isaac was after. He wanted to carve out space for real connection. Isaac understood that the first two wells, associated with fear and scarcity, were not for him. Living there would not allow life to flourish. Fixing our former icemaker, now compost tumbler Last summer at Ramah in the Rockies, I started a project on how to effectively process organic waste on the campsite. On becoming a member […]

Parashat Tzav | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on April 5, 2017 in JOFEE Fellowship

by Rose Chernoff, Abundance Farm – Northampton, MA In this week’s parsha, Tzav, we learn about the rules for how a priest/priestess is to keep the sacrificial fire burning. The instructions are to keep the fire burning all day and all night, and to remove all of the ash in the morning. The fire is to be used for offerings- meat and meal- that is cooked in specific ways…. Sounds old school, I know. ….Enter JOFEE!!!! One of the opportunities that arises on a Jewish Farm is the opportunity to make the words of the torah come to life, or at least seem somewhat more relatable. We can read about fire, and we can also build a fire! We can experience what a fire looks like and feels like, how to start it and tend it and remove the ashes. We can cook with a fire and give gratitude. Experiential lessons give images to the text, and invite participants to enter into a new relationship with this ancient story. In this vein, we at Abundance Farm crafted a “Make Your Own Matzah” and “Grow Your Own Maror” event last weekend. We created two activities (a Matzah station that I will […]

Parashat Pikudei | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on April 3, 2017 in JOFEE Fellowship

by Tzachi Flatt, Oshman JCC, Palo Alto, CA Parashat Pikudei tells the story of the construction of the Mishkan, built by the Israelite community under supervision of the Levites. While wandering in the desert, it became a source of comfort and communication for the people of Israel to create a central meeting place where they could connect to G-d. This was constructed to be their divine headquarters. Externally, they were surrounded by the wide expanse of the desert. Internally, they did not know where they were going. G-d saw them in this state, and commanded them to create this space for their own well-being. Parashat Pikudei goes into exhaustive detail about all the pieces of the Mishkan, such a significant undertaking can only be accomplished with the entire community working together cohesively. In thinking about the underlying message of this parasha, at least two key points rose to the surface. Everyone’s contribution to the common goal is not only expected, but is essential to its success. “Do not separate yourself from the community” – Pirkei Avot. We each carry a unique skill set that adds its own value and meaning to the greater good. When we work together towards a […]

Biking around Boulder with MoHoBo

By Hazon on March 15, 2017 in Hazon Seal of Sustainability, Hazon Seal Spotlights

Moishe House Boulder set up three community members with bikes and helmets as part of their participation in the Hazon Seal of Sustainability. Already a force in the Moishe House platform as one of the most sustainable and intentional communities, Moishe House Boulder (aka “MoHoBO”) continues to build its reputation in the world of sustainability through their Hazon Seal projects. Focusing primarily on sustainable living practices, MoHoBo’s Seal projects involve education about bike maintenance and safety and events around food, animal welfare, and how Jewish history relates to current events. This past year, MoHoBo helped set up three community members with bikes and helmets, and will host a bike maintenance event at Community Cycles, a local bike shop, this spring. MoHoBo also launched a “Bike for Beer” initiative to incentivize cycling; donated beer from Upslope Brewing Company was served to community members who participated in MoHoBo’s biking programs, and the initiative was highlighted at other sustainability events. In addition to educational events, MoHoBo is planning a “Tour de Boulder” bike ride as the weather gets warmer! MoHoBo has also hosted many events related to other sustainable home and living practices. They’ve hosted a chicken shechita to highlight importance of […]

Parashat Ki Tisa – The Mitzvah of Tzedaka | D’varim Ha’Makom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on March 10, 2017 in JOFEE, JOFEE Fellowship

by Nicole Cruz; Peninsula JCC – San Francisco, CA This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tisa, tells the story of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from G-d (not once but twice) at Mount Sinai. The first set of Ten Commandments is broken when Moses destroys them in frustration when he witnesses the Egyptians worshiping a god they created because they were impatient waiting for his return from Mount Sinai. Eventually, Moses returns to Mount Sinai and G-d scribes the same words on a new set of stones. After speaking with G-d, when Moses descends Mount Sinai the second time his face is radiating. While this Torah portion contains many significant moments, the part that most resonated with me wast he conversation between G-d and Moses before he leaves Mount Sinai the first time: “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. This shall be a perpetual covenant, a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever…” In this well-known quote, we come to understand that we rest on Shabbat because G-d commands it. Reading this Torah portion reminded me of the other Mitzvot that we adhere to. While […]

Parashat Terumah and Passover in the Desert | D’varim Ha’Makom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on March 7, 2017 in JOFEE, JOFEE Fellowship

by Daniella Aboody – Wilderness Torah, Berkeley California Parsha Terumah and Passover in the Desert: The Holy Gift of Service This week’s Torah portion is Terumah, which translates to “offering”, “gift”, or “contribution”. In this parsha, God instructs Moses to build the Mishkan (tabernacle), or the holy sanctuary, and the entire parsha of Terumah is a very detailed and specific set of instructions for how Moses and the Israelites are to make and furnish G-d’s dwelling place. It is written: “Dedicate to G-d a contribution. Collect my offering from every person whose heart inspires him/her to generosity: gold, silver, and copper; blue, purple and crimson wool; linen and goat hair; arm skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood; oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense; precious gems…You shall place in the ark the testimony which I will give to you…I will meet you there and speak from between the angels. There, I will tell you what to command the Children of Israel.” I find this parsha very intriguing – why are these instructions so particular? Is this all really necessary? For these nomadic people of the desert, such highly elaborate and specific requirements for the Mishkan are not […]

Danielle Smith with child at Eden Village

Parashat Mishpatim | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on February 23, 2017 in JOFEE, JOFEE Fellowship

by Danielle Smith, Eden Village Camp – Putnam Valley NY In last week’s parsha, we received the ten commandments. Before we receive the golden calf, we have nearly a whole parsha of laws showing us how to apply the commandments in our daily lives. This week we receive 53 laws that talk about gender, social justice, courts, serving G-d, criminal law, ethics, and more. After Moses tells the Israelites all of these laws, they respond by saying, “we will do and listen.” These laws acknowledge the values that the ten commandments address and they give us action items for how to apply the principles of the commandments. I hope that we do not blindly follow laws just because they are written, but that we follow laws that are morally right and align with the mission of our collective society. I want to focus on two values in particular that are addressed through the laws in Mishpatim- income inequality and acts of kindness. Mishpatim talks about female servitude and the laws around a poor father selling his daughter to a wealthier family for service and then for marriage. This portion discusses themes of Shmita, saying that after six years, a slave […]

Parashat Yitro | D’varim HaMakom: The JOFEE Fellows Blog

By Hazon on February 21, 2017 in JOFEE, JOFEE Fellowship

by Tzachi Flat, Oshman Family JCC – Palo Alto, CA In This week’s Torah portion, Yitro, Moses tells his stepfather Jethro the story of the Israelites escape from Egypt. Jethro is very pleased with the story and recites a prayer of gratitude, even though he was not with them in Egypt. Jethro notices Moses dealing with a great deal of the challenges in the group, and advises him to create a council that will help balance the work between the community. After the council is in place and the society is self-governing, Moses is able to go off to his own land. As a JOFEE fellow I can relate to this Torah portion as there are a great many challenges and roadblocks on the path to humans maintaining a healthier, more sustainable planet. Taking on a task of this proportion would be extremely challenging for one person, or even a small group of people to tackle on their own. It is as if we as JOFEE fellows are the council, and our task is to create positive change while educating the community and inspiring them to take similar steps. I am reminded of the Pirkei Avot quote “Do not separate […]

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