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 the energy was absolutely uplifting:
DETROIT
The Hazon Seal of Sustainability cohort of Metro Detroit is the largest regional cohort, growing steadily since 2016 (!), now going 26 sites strong! Congratulations to the Hazon Detroit team and especially Brittany Feldman for supporting these institutions and connecting the dots in the region.
Hazon Seal cohort of Metro Detroit, an exceptional bunch!
Hazon Seal sites in Metro Detroit
| Ann Arbor | Beth Israel Congregation Michigan Hillel |
| Birmingham | Clover Hill Park Cemetery |
| Bloomfield Hills | Temple Beth El The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit |
| Detroit | Detroit Jews for Justice Hillel of Metro Detroit Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue Kibbutz Detropia Repair the World: Detroit |
| Farmington Hills | Adat Shalom Synagogue Hillel Day School |
| Ferndale | Jewish Ferndale |
| Ortonville | Tamarack Camps |
| Southfield | Congregation Shaarey Zedek Farber Hebrew Day School – Yeshivat Akiva Young Israel of Southfield |
| Troy | Congregation Shir Tikvah |
| West Bloomfield | Congregation B’nai Moshe Congregation Beth Ahm Frankel Jewish Academy Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit Jewish Senior Life Temple Israel Temple Kol Ami The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit |
Kudos to the Hazon Seal sites of Metro Detroit who did not let the snow keep them away! We welcomed the new participants, celebrated the cohort’s achievements and exchanged stories of both challenges and successes.
We enjoyed a sustainable vegan/vegetarian lunch and all waste was recycled or composted.
Look at these happy faces!
Hazon Seal of Sustainability certificate was awarded to the participating sites for making considerable improvements to their day-to-day practices, making their communities/organizations healthier and more sustainable. The certificates were awarded in frames made of reclaimed and re-purposed barn wood!
CHICAGO
The Hazon Seal of Sustainability in Chicago wrapped up its first year and kicked of the second with an exciting gathering at Mishkan at the in January 2020. We thank Jewish United Fund for its generous support, without which non of this work would be possible. Learn more about the Hazon Seal Chicago cohort here.
Group picture: Representatives from participating Hazon Seal sites in the Chicago Metro area, local partners and Hazon Seal staff Erin Lingren (Hazon Seal Chicago Coordinator) and Merav Cohen (Manager, Hazon Seal of Sustainability).
This is the cohort’s third gathering. We intentionally convene each time in a different location, always hosted by one of our participating sites. Mishkan is one of the most recent additions to out Chicagoland cohort of the Hazon Seal, and we thank them for their kind hospitality.
Hazon Seal sites in Chicago Metro area
| Chicago | Beit Yichud NFP Mishkan Chicago SketchPad Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning & Leadership University of Chicago Hillel |
| Evanston | Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern University |
| Skokie | Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue & Kol Sasson Congregation Temple Beth Israel |
| Various locations | JCC Chicago |
Hazon Seal Chicago coordinator Erin Lindgren curated a meticulously productive agenda. The meeting included a breakdown of the different sustainability projects that the participants accomplished this year, as well as the projects they plan to work on in 2020. The sites were encouraged to reach out to each other for advice based on their experience and interests.
In addition, we had the privilege of getting insight from local experts regarding composting collection, minimizing waste and ethical eating.
Lastly, the cohort discussed and planned for their collective effort for the coming year: Making local Kosher caterers healthier and more sustainable. Stay tuned!
With representation from 8 participating sites the gathering was a true success. We exchanged best practices, heard from local experts and discussed our cohort-wide collaborative project for 2020.
Celebrating the green team’s accomplishments is an important step in strengthening it within your community. The Hazon Seal certificate is a source or motivation and a visibility tool.
Well earned! The journey continues, as the sites make commitments towards 2020!
Excited representatives from Northwestern University Hillel panning big for the coming year!
We took this opportunity to introduce our participants to a wide variety of yummy vegan options for a delicious breakfast. We kept waste to the bare minimum, shopping with no plastic bags, recycling the few plastic containers we couldn’t avoid. We used reusable mugs and cups (not showing in this picture) and all tableware in this photo was composted. Bagel tray was reused from a previous event and kept for re-use in the future. This was not easy, but once you get the hang of it, you’re on a roll!
All* vegan Kosher bagel brunch? It can be done! [* Exception: Kosher gluten free bagels were not vegan. Much appreciation and a humble reward will be presented to those who provide a lead on such product in the Chicago Metro area! ]
Comments are closed.