When your community commits to sustainability, everyone is a winner. And when several communities come together, we are redefining local Jewish life. Targeted efforts in a particular geographical location are a game changer. Physical proximity enables a whole new level of personal connections and cross-community collaborations. Such local Hazon presence is made possible thanks to generous support by local funders. Funders, who identify the potential impact that this type of oh-so-timely-and-relevant Jewish environmental work can make on community life and engagement. We invite you to venture with us and imagine a world in which such strides are being made all over the country: Regional sustainability work rippling out of these strong community hubs. We are looking to collaborate with interested clusters of communities to form Hazon Seal hubs in order to explore possible local funding opportunities. Your on-the-ground knowledge and network can enable opportunities for local support to carry out this much needed work! Please, let us know if you wish to lead this effort in your region and/or if you have relevant information or contacts: seal@hazon.org Check out our Hazon Seal cohorts in Detroit and Chicago Metro areas. Both cohorts convened in the end of January 2020 and […]
Author Archive | Merav Cohen
All you need for a glorious Tu B’Shvat
It’s almost Tu B’Shvat, and what kind of an environmental organization would we be if we didn’t make a big deal out of it, right? So here you have it: an entire Hazon Seal Newsletter dedicated (almost) entirely to this magnificent holiday, the birthday of the trees. Like the Jewish people and Judaism itself, this holiday has evolved throughout the ages and I invite you to explore it further and find what your 2020 iteration looks like. Many blessings for delicious prosperity that endures! Now Online! Hazon’s New Tu B’Shvat Haggadah Hazon’s new Tu B’Shvat haggadah offers thoughts and ideas to help you celebrate the new year for trees (which begins Sunday evening, February 9) in your community. The texts, questions, and activities in the haggadah can serve as a guide for viewing Tu B’Shvat through fresh eyes and recontextualizing the tradition. This haggadah uniquely focuses on the role that trees play in sustaining a healthy planetary ecosystem and mitigating climate change. Purchase a hard copy or download the PDF here! Hosting a Tu B’Shvat Seder? We’d love to help you spread the word. Please send us the info and link to your Facebook event at […]
Hazon Seal Spotlight: Jewish Vegetarian Food Festival at Temple Solel
On November 15th, Temple Solel (FL) held its first Jewish Vegetarian Food Festival with the support of the Hazon Seal Ethical Eating Mini Grant (awarded thanks to the generous support of Emanuel J Friedman Philanthropies). The festival was designed to teach the community about the environmental and ethical benefits of eating a plant-based diet and making more ethical egg purchases- and doing this all deliciously. Green team liaisons Stephanie and Scott were happy to share about the event: “We had – prominent cookbook author and blogger, Ellen Kanner (the Soulful Vegan), do a cooking demonstration and sample some of her very tasty vegan food; an omelet chef make omelets from ethically sourced eggs and organic vegetables, including some sourced from a local farm; a “coffee bar” with Rainforest Alliance certified coffee and a variety of plant-based milks for attendees to sample, and a representative from Slow Food doing a comparative fruit sampling taste test. We also had vendors, including two local farms, several representatives from the Jewish Cupboard, our local Kosher Food Pantry that feeds hundreds of holocaust survivors, and our own Sea Level Rise Solutions Group. Signage everywhere explained why vegan, why ethically sourced eggs, the levels of […]
Blow that Shofar: Gearing up Towards the High Holidays
With the High Holiday around the corner, we want to make sure you are also geared up and ready for a meaningful and sustainable Jewish New Year. Once again, we bring you a well-curated bouquet of resources and calls for actions. Whether you are starting or continuing your sustainability journey, we encourage you to consider the ideas below to help you lead for change in your personal and communal lives. Education: High Holidays Resource Packet We are excited to share a wonderful resource with you from our friends at the Jewish Climate Action Network NYC: click here to download This educational and informational packet includes a suggested sermon, prayers, and creative readings, as well as the basics about the climate crisis. Highlights of what you’ll find in this resource and ideas of how to bring them to your community: Learn about how climate change is affecting the world by reading the fact sheet on climate change with your family and friends! Read and discuss the essay entitled Religion and Environmental Responsibility: An Address to Jews and Christians by Rabbi Dr. Art Green to learn how Jewish values and sustainability intersect. Take action by performing any and all of the tasks […]
Hazon Seal Spotlight: Celebrating Our Participating Sites
Happy Earth Day! We want to celebrate by honoring the institutions that were awarded the Hazon Seal of Sustainability in 2018. Read on to learn about some of the awesome projects they have implemented this past year. Every organization is at a different place in their sustainability journey, and we encourage you to check out the list to get inspired by these Hazon Seal Sites! Adat Shalom Synagogue Ramah in the Rockies (Denver, CO)- Composting and education, Organic and fair trade beverages, Farm-to-table foods Congregation Nevei Kodesh (Boulder, CO)- 50% energy reduction via LED lights, boiler upgrade, automatic switches & plugging of leaks, Bike-to-shul event & bike racks installation, Vegetable gardens Hillel at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO)- Bike workshops, donation and rack installation, Insulation changes, Cloth napkins for all Shabbat meals, saving 2k paper napkins yearly Edlavitch DCJCC (Washington, DC)- Gardening program, Signage, Sustainability presentations Edlavitch DCJCC Temple Solel (Hollywood, FL)- Plastic-free events, Energy saving programs, King Tide event, Vegetarian Potluck for Parshat Noah, Sustainability education and events UChicago Hillel (Chicago, IL)- Composting, Community Education, Food donation, Green Shabbats Jewish Community of Louisville (Louisville, KY)- Recycling and Composting, Healthy snacks, Styrofoam reduction JCC of Louisville […]
Hazon Seal NYC Cohort: Launch and Composting Initiative
The Hazon Seal NYC Cohort met for the first time! We got acquainted and launched our annual initiative for composting. Mara Moss from the NYC Department of Sanitation presented and explained local resources, answered questions and provided much-needed clarity regarding the various local programs. Listen to a recording of the meeting and watch the presentation slides here Click here to download the DSNY presentation slides. Learn more about our NYC Composting Initiative, and about how you can promote composting in your community / organization: here. Please reach out to us if you have any questions: seal@hazon.org.
Hazon Seal of Sustainability Highlights our Relationship to Food in 2019
Our Hazon Seal of Sustainability network is large and strong. Together, we can aggregate our efforts and demonstrate how we, as a community of Jewish communities, have made and continue to make a measurable difference in safeguarding this earth (being “Shomrei Adamah”)! We applaud each of our Hazon Seal institutions for the unique and impactful programs and policies implemented in 2018. As we begin to consider and to work on projects for 2019, we at the Hazon Seal wanted to announce that we are dedicating 2019 to the area of FOOD POLICY. Whether addressing food waste, hunger in the community, composting and/or animal welfare – we encourage you to consider food policy to be one of your projects for 2019. This means that if you choose to join us in these efforts, we may have funding available for some of your programs! We are happy to announce NEW MINI-GRANTS to help Hazon Seal sites create and implement a FOOD POLICY that also promotes ethical food sourcing and animal welfare in their organization. Get all the details here. Grants are limited and first-come, first-serve, so check it out today! Consider the following… Know a bar or bat mitzvah student who loves […]
Ethical Eating Mini-Grants
Announcing: New mini-grants to help Hazon’s Seal of Sustainability Sites promote ethical food sourcing and animal welfare* Thank you for your interest in putting your values into action by exploring food choices that promote ethical food sourcing and animal welfare. YES – our food choices matter animal welfare is important this *is* a Jewish issue and we – right now – at a tipping point toward compassion Click here to learn more. With the generous support of EJF Philanthropies, Hazon is pleased to provide this wonderful mini-grant opportunity. To obtain the mini-grant – (a) Commit to one or more of the following: Reduce consumption of animal products Transition to higher welfare animal products (b) Articulate how this will be a part of a long-term change in your institution’s food sourcing and policy Grants of up to $1000 and will be granted on a matching basis, in $ or in-kind contributions. ‘In-kind’ can be, for example, hours of work, space, and other services that your community is contributing to the project. Examples of projects that you can do with this grant: Plan an all plant-based kiddush once a month with a commitment to continue this moving forward. Organize a screening […]
Hazon Seal of Sustainability: Hazon Seal @ Chicago
Application is now closed. However! – please let us know if you have interest in joining so we can keep you posted when space opens up! Click HERE for the inquiry form! —————– We are very excited to open up our Chicagoland adventure and have Chicago institutions join the Hazon Seal of Sustainability. The application is designed to guide you on your first step, brainstorming and thinking about your vision for your future Green Team. Note: The more people you include in this process, the better. People will feel more committed to participate and implement something they helped design, right? Generous support by the Jewish United Fund (JUF) allows us to support (waive participation fee and provide mini-grants) to six organizations! We encourage you to participate even if you will not receive funding this year. Most of our Hazon Seal sites (several dozens across the country) found it valuable and we know you will, too! See cost for participation on the Hazon Seal webpage, under FAQ. With that said, payment should not be a barrier to participation so please contact us if this is a concern and we can discuss. Dates to save: Hazon @ Chicago Launch Brunch! Launching the Chicago Hazon Seal cohort with Hazon visionary and CEO Nigel Savage. Friday, […]
NYC Jewish institutions: Take the lead on eliminating food waste!
NEWS: Meeting with NYC Department of Sanitation When: March 18th, 2019 at 6pm Where: Hazon offices in 125 Maiden Lane, 8th floor We welcome you to join a get-together of green teams who are currently advancing sustainability projects in their community as a part of the Hazon Seal of Sustainability program. This will be a great opportunity to meet like minded people, learn from each other, and hear from the NYC Dept. of Sanitation on how to start composting in our own communities (See about Hazon’s NYC Composting initiative below). Why Compost? Food waste is a major problem. Minimizing waste diverted to landfills is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as the world battles the effects of global warming. See this resource by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for more info about its magnitude and urgency. The future seems grim, but each of us can be that little drop in the bucket that will eventually be a critical mass. Every vote matters, every voice elevates the communal song, every action counts. And remember, first we reduce, then we reuse, and only THEN – we recycle/compost! Get inspired: Watch composting up close at B’nai Jeshurun and Hannah Senesh Community Day School, two Hazon Seal of Sustainability participants. Already Composting? Well done! now broaden your impact: Encourage your […]
