Schedule

Times and dates reflect our expected schedule for this cohort.  This schedule is still subject to change.

	Adamah at Home– March 13-31, 2023
	Date/Time	Class	Description
	Week 1: March 13-19
	Monday, 3/13
	9-9:45 AM	(Recommended) Orienting You to Zoom & Slack	Adamah at Home classes will take place via Zoom, with announcements, resource sharing, Q&A and connecting on Slack. Answers to all your burning questions about these (possibly new to you) platforms!
	5:30-6:30 PM	Getting to Know You	Getting to Know each other and Community Norms
	8-9 PM	Adam & Adamah: Bring Your Own Dust w/Shamu	We will explore one line of the creation story in the Torah and medieval and modern commentaries on the place and role of humans in the world. Language and sense of place, the particular and the universal, and earth/soil/Adamah are some of the themes.
	Tuesday, 3/14
	10-11 AM	Avodat HaLev w/Carly & Shamu	Excerpts of sung traditional liturgy, wordless melodies, meditation and group sharing. Will include interpretive commentary on the weekly Torah portion.
	5:30-6:30PM	Cheesemaking w/Carly	A hands-on workshop!  You will need: whole (animal) milk (not ultra-pasteurized,) cheesecloth, meat or digital food thermometer,  a colander, pot and spatula.
	Wednesday 3/15
	9-10AM	(Optional) Office Hours w/Carly	Slack Carly to sign up for a 10 minute slot. Bring your questions and feedback, garden questions and ideas, or come for a chat.
	10-10:40AM	What time is it? Where are you? + Maple Sugaring	Our first garden circle, plus some maple syruping info.  Share about your gardening visions, plans, and dreams!  Bring your questions, successes, and challenges.
	Thursday, 3/16
	5:30-6:30 PM	Keva and Kavannah of Avodat HaLev- w/ Shamu	How does Adamah’s particular expression of prayer relate to the last 2,000 years of Jewish prayer in structure (Keva) and intention (Kavannah)?
	Friday, 3/17
	4-4:40PM	Shabbat Closing Circle	We will reflect on the past week, what we have learned and prepare ourselves for Shabbat, the day of rest.
Week 2: March 20-26
	Monday, 3/20
	8:00-9:00 PM	Farming: Blessing or Curse w/Shamu	Biblical, Talmudic and modern perspectives on farming and the nature of being human.
	Tuesday, 3/21
	10-11AM	Avodat HaLev w/Carly	Another morning of song, prayer and reflections!
	5:30-7PM	Justice & Food Systems w/Carly	Learn about the history of our American food system and its issues. We’ll discuss our place in it all, and how we can reimagine an equitable food system.
	Wednesday 3/22
	9-10AM	(Optional) Office Hours w/Carly	Slack Carly to sign up for a 10 minute slot. Bring your questions, feedback, or come for a chat!
	10-10:40AM	Garden Sharing Circle	Share about your gardening visions, plans, and dreams!  Bring your questions, successes, and challenges.
	8-9PM	Compost & Redemption w/ Shamu	How to and the religious, ecological and justice implications of composting .
	Thursday, 3/23
	5:30-6:30PM	Working with Perennials w/Shamu	Is the promise of sweat-free abundance offered in the garden of Eden story real and possible? Learn how to grow (relatively) low maintenance perennial plants such as: blueberries, raspberries, currants, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pawpaws, horseradish, sorrel, chives. and more. What lessons does permaculture design hold for the home gardener?
	8-9:00PM	One Soil! An Intro to Regenerative Gardening w/Janna	Learn to design and execute a garden that goes beyond sustainability by building soil, storing carbon, increasing biodiversity, and maximizing photosynthesis.
	Friday, 3/24
	4-4:40PM	Shabbat Closing
	Week 3: March 27-31
	Monday, 3/27
	5:30-6:30PM	Community Listening Hour	A practice of sharing and active listening in community.
	8-9:00	Climate Change and What’s for Dinner w/Janna	The climate crisis is frightening and huge- not an easy subject to talk about. We’ll lean on the wisdom of our tradition and the warm and open space we’ve created with one another to think about our food choices in the context of climate change.
	Tuesday, 3/28
	10-11AM	Avodat HaLev w/Luna	Morning song and prayer.
	5:30-6:30 PM	Antisemitism & White Supremacy w/Carly	As Jews, we are in a unique political moment where we are feeling the existence of antisemitism in new and old ways. We’ll explore more about the history and current faces of antisemitism, the distinction between white nationalism and white supremacy, and reflect on our own internalized antisemitism.
	Wednesday 3/29
	9-10 AM	(Optional) Office Hours w/Carly	Slack Carly to sign up for a 10 minute slot. Bring your questions, feedback, or come for a chat!
	10-10:40AM	Garden Sharing Circle	Share about your gardening visions, plans, and dreams!  Bring your questions, successes, and challenges.
	5:30-6:30 PM	Lactofermentation w/ Carly	A hands-on preservation workshop. You will need a jar, non-iodized salt, and veggies.  (Radishes will be in season, maybe small beets.  Carrots are delicious, too!)
	8-9 PM	Radical Amazement w/Carly	How do we find awe in everyday moments? What tools does Judaism offer for attention and wonder and how do these tools shift us and the culture around us?
	Thursday, 3/30
	5:30-6:30 PM	Billz Billz Billz. Policy As A Vehicle for Change	How do policies affect what’s on your plate for dinner? Learn how environmental and justice issues are shaped by federal laws and regulations and gain advocacy skills to participate in the process.
	Friday, 3/31
	4-4:40PM	Shabbat and Program Closing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this program right for me?  

Join us if you are looking to learn about:

• Judaism in general
• Adamah’s particular blend of spiritual, ecological and justice oriented Judaism.
• Farming and sustainability skills
• Economic, political, and social factors that influence how we eat
• The wider network of Jewish community farms, food projects, spiritual leaders and educators.

---

Why an online program?  

Our hope for Adamah at Home is to offer a program that will allow participants to truly integrate our teachings into the place you call Home. We teach skills and offer experiences that help you connect to yourself, the land, community and Judaism wherever you are. 

Conversing over the internet is both a gift and a challenge. We will be able to include many individuals who wouldn’t otherwise be able to make the trek to our location in northwest Connecticut. The virtual program is not a replacement for an in-person experience in community on our farm, and the same person can do both!

---

How is it different from the Adamah Fellowship?

Adamah at Home is a way to give people access to more of what we teach in the residential, in-person Adamah Fellowship.  While Adamah at Home is not a virtual version of the fellowship program we usually run, it is a way for us to continue to connect with and teach people, while we are unable to host them. 

---

What is the Adamah culture like?

Pluralism of all kinds is key to the success of the Adamah community. We strive to center everyone’s identities and we seek applicants of all genders, nationalities, cultures, ages, ways of Jewish observance and abilities.

---

What skills and new things can I expect to learn through Adamah at Home?

• Integration
• Gardening
• Pickling
• Cheesemaking
• Composting
• Communication
• Environmental literacy
• New songs and prayers

Adamah at Home welcomes folks who are new to these endeavors, as well as those with previous experience who wish to expand their skill set. Alumni are also welcome!

Testimonials & Expectations

What Summer Adamah at Home students are saying:

• “Participating has reinforced for me my desire to tread lighter on the earth, my desire to return to cooking/baking from scratch more and be more intentional with my prayer practice.”
• “I reignited parts of my Jewish identity and experience that had been quite dormant.   I am proud and grateful to have been part of this new experience.”

---

What you can expect from us:

• 18 years of Adamah wisdom
• Pluralism and inclusion across identities
• Connection with others across distance
• One-on-one support with your at-home kitchen and garden projects – from window sills to backyards
• Thoughtful facilitation of deep conversations on Judaism, food, land, and ourselves

---

What you will leave with:

• Increased knowledge of sustainability, ecology, agriculture, composting, waste reduction, food systems, and food justice.
• Increase confidence in accessing Jewish text, ritual, and prayer.
• Increased confidence in growing plants and pickling.
• Ability to articulate connections between Judaism and sustainability.
• Greater understanding of Jewish spiritual perspectives.

---

What we expect of you

• Your focused attention in online gatherings
• Commitment to follow through with the program
• Willingness to sit with the discomfort that sometimes comes with learning
• Openness to learning with people whose identities (Jewish practice, gender, race, etc.) differ from your own