[Newsletter] August 18 – Smaller Plates and Bigger Forks

In This Email

• Smaller Plates and Bigger Forks Lead the Way to Healthier Eating Habits
• New York Ride and Retreat Blog Round Up
• Follow the Action at the Food Conference
• Learn About the 2011 Arava Institute Hazon Israel Ride
• Connect to the Land of Israel in a Whole New Way
• Setting the Table: Sustainable Food, Sustainable Families
• Local Events and Features from our Partners and Friends

Smaller Plates and Bigger Forks Lead the Way to Healthier Eating Habits

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By Hannah Lee

Originally posted on The Jew and the Carrot

Our daily need for food means that people who need to lose weight have a hard time, as we cannot simply withdraw from food’s siren song, unlike the non-essential addictions for cigarettes or alcohol. The most interesting research for me has been the work of Brian Wansink and his colleagues at Cornell, who’ve studied how and why we keep on eating “mindlessly.” I was fascinated by the description of their clever experiments in his 2006 book, “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,” including the study in which unsuspecting participants eat soup from bowls engineered to automatically refill until the researchers called it quits — the soup eaters did not, as they saw there was still liquid in their bowls! Another experiment involved inviting college students for a free movie and handing them buckets of popcorn, the students gorged themselves on the snack, even though it was three days old. What they might have rejected otherwise as stale and unpalatable, was consumed uncomplainingly, because they were distracted by the movie and because they had been ingrained to eat at the cinema. Dr. Wansink taught his readership how easy it is to be fooled into over-eating by our circumstances.Continue reading “Smaller Plates and Bigger Forks…”

New York Ride and Retreat Round Up

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Rider Spotlight: Maddy Yasner and Yossi Hoffman

When someone comes on a Hazon ride for the first time, it usually turns out that it’s just the first of many rides they will join us for, and often returning with friends and family.  Maddy Yasner and Yossi Hoffman are a perfect example of how this happens.  Maddy’s family loves Hazon – her father, Michael Yasner, did the Hazon Arava Institute Israel Ride in 2008, and her mother, Val,  is Co-Chair of the Hazon CSA is South Jersey.  In 2010, Maddy, her sister, and both their parents decided to do the New York Ride together.

Continue reading about Maddy Yasner and Yossi Hoffman…

Grantee Spotlight: AmpleHarvest.org

For the first time this year, Hazon is excited to offer a grant from the proceeds of the New York Ride to AmpleHarvest.org, an incredible organization whose work fits very well with the theme of this year’s weekend retreat: “Food Choices: Why What We Eat Matters.”

In 2008, Gary Oppenheimer  became the director of a community garden in his hometown of West Milford, New Jersey, and quickly realized that many of the plot holders were growing more food than they could possibly eat, save, or give to friends, and so were leaving a lot of their produce unharvested.

Continue reading about AmpleHarvest.org…

Preview the Brand New Route

This year Hazon is excited to offer New York Ride participants two days of fully-supported riding on entirely new routes on terrain mostly un-ridden on previous Hazon rides. All of our routes utilize backroads and rail trails in the Hudson Valley.

Watch the slideshow for photos of the route

Follow the Action at the Food Conference

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August 18-21, 2011, UC Davis, California

The 2011 Hazon Food Conference begins today! Catch up on the recent excitement in our round up of all things Food Conference.

Unable to attend the Hazon Food Conference this year? Stay up to date on all the action by following @foodconference and #hazonfoodconf on Twitter.

Learn About the 2011 Arava Institute Hazon Israel Ride

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Four chances throughout the Bay Area to learn more about the Ride

Each presentation will feature alumni of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.  Hear about their experiences at the Arava Institute, where Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians come together to study environmental issues in the region.

Then, Israeli Ride alumni, as well as our partners at JNF, will present on the Ride itself. The Israel Ride is a week-long destination vacation featuring five cycling days, a rest day over Shabbat, plus orientation and touring options. With three route choices, there are options for all cycling levels. Educational experts and tour guides accompany all routes, making for a great trip for first-timers to Israel and seasoned tourists.

For more information or to RSVP contact Aaron Parker, JNF RegionalDirector.

Tuesday, August 23rdNetivot Shalom – Berkeley 1316 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 6:30 – 7:30 PM in the main sanctuary	Thursday, September 8thPalo Alto JCC 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 7:00 – 8:00 PM in Room E104
Wednesday, September 14thCongregation Kol Shofar – Marin 215 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon, CA 7:00 PM	Thursday, September 15thJCC San Francisco 3200 California Street, San Francisco, CA 7:00 PM

Learn More about the 2011 Israel Ride

Connect to the Land of Israel
in a
Whole New Way

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Israel Sustainable Food Tour

November 2-7, 2011

Tour Israel for six days from the unique perspective of sustainable food systems.

Visit innovative desert agriculture sites, meet small scale producers, glean produce, and tour the shuk from an insider’s point of view.

Enjoy delicious food, comfortable accommodations, and a relaxing Shabbat experience.

More Information and Registration

Setting the Table: Fall 2011

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Sustainable Food, Sustainable Families

This four-part series will teach you how to cook fresh, seasonal, and delicious meals for you and your family.

• Learn simple and accessible cooking techniques, geared toward young families
• Connect with other young Jewish families living in Brownstone Brooklyn
• Nurture your family through food and Jewish tradition
• Prepare food to freeze and eat on a hectic evening

Please note: to participate in this program, you must live in Brownstone Brooklyn, and be expecting a baby, or be a parent of a 0-2 year old.

More Information and Registration

Lunch and Learn with Dr. Jeremy Benstein

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Tuesday, September 13th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

332 Pine St. Suite 600 on the 6th floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

Topic: Tzedek and the City, Urban Issues and Jewish Values, Sustainability from Tanach to Tel Aviv

Dr. Jeremy Benstein, Associate Director of the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in Tel Aviv, is author of The Way Into Judaism and the Environment (Jewish Lights, 2006). He co-led the Hazon Israel Sustainable Food Tour.

There will be a free kosher catered lunch of delicious local organic food. We have 20 spaces available. Please email or call Deborah Newbrun, Hazon’s Bay Area Director, to confirm your space at deborah.newbrun@hazon.org or (415) 823-1302.

Co-sponsored by The Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation

More Information

Info Session for Wilderness Torah’s B’nai Mitzvah Mentorship Program

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An event from Hazon’s partners.

Free Introductory Evening – Meet the Mentors & Learn about B’naiture Beginning This Fall

Monday, September 12th, 7:00 – 9:00 PM at the JCC of the East Bay

Make your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah the adventure of a lifetime with Wilderness Torah’s B’nai Mitzvah Nature Mentorship Program!

B’naiture takes your child on a journey through nature to experience the transition from childhood into adolescence. Through immersion camping trips and bi-monthly gatherings, B’naiture weaves nature skills, personal challenge, and non-parental mentorship together with Jewish teachings and story to craft an empowering coming-of-age process.

Separate male and female cohorts honor their unique journeys. A parallel parent group explores how to best support your children at this critical time.

B’naiture supplements traditional B’nai Mitzvah education or serves the independent family journey.

To learn much more, please visit www.WildernessTorah.org

Wilderness Torah’s Children’s Jewish Nature Program Fall Season Starts September 11th

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An event from Hazon’s partners.

Gan Torah is a weekly nature-based experience for children ages 8 to 10 that brings Judaism to life with the seasons

Give your child the gift of discovering the special relationship between Adam, human, and Adamah, the earth, through:

• Nature exploration, forest ecology, and play
• Wilderness skills
• Jewish blessings, prayers, ancient stories, and values
• Teamwork and leadership skills

Fall Season – B’reishit: In the Beginning

September 11 – December 4, 2011

Redwood Regional Park in Oakland

Ariela Ronay-Jinich brings us into the second year of this special program. Year one families loved the program. Contact Ariela with questions!

Fall 2011 Registration is Open for Gan Torah

Festival of Eden at Eden Village Camp

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An event from Hazon’s partners.

September 25, 2011, 12:00 – 7:00 PM

392 Dennytown Rd., Putnam Valley, NY

www.festivalofeden.org

Eden Village Camp will be hosting its inaugural Festival of Eden, a day full of farming and greening workshops, local organic food from its own and neighboring farms, live music, art, and nature adventures on its gorgeous 248-acre site in the Hudson Valley. All of the proceeds from the day will go to the Eden Village Camp Scholarship Fund which received over $80,000 in requests this past year.

Ticketing and other festival details at www.festivalofeden.org