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[Newsletter] May 24 – First Fruit Challah for Shavuot

By on May 24, 2012 in Newsletters

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First Fruit Challah for Shavuot

By Seth Fineman (Adamah Fellow, Spring 2012) & Sarah Chandler (Adamah Associate Director)

[Image: First Fruits at Adamah]In ancient times, the challah eaten on Shavuot was the first taste of the new year’s wheat. During the counting of the Omer, first barley, and then wheat, were counted in anticipation of the Shavuot festival. When the other first fruits were offered in Jerusalem, two large challot were made of the first fruits of the wheat plant. Like the first wheat plants, the Challot were also big, fluffy, and delicious!

In modern times, we are blessed with year-round access to milled grains ready to bake into delicious breads and cakes. In our climate, the wheat is still completely green – we expect these grains to be ready for harvest sometime in July. Yet, as we look toward Shavuot, we are aware that this festival celebrates more than just the giving of the Torah – it also reminds us of the seasons in ancient Israel. Shavuot only comes once a year, but Shabbat comes every week!

Continue Reading “First Fruit Challah for Shavuot…”

Healthy, Sustainable Shavuot
Resources and Menu

[Image: Milking a goat at the 2011 Food Conference]

Milking a Goat at the 2011 Food Conference


Ahhhh…Shavuot. The Jewish holiday that commemorates when Jews received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. The holiday that celebrates the first fruits of the season. And the (only?) Jewish holiday where vegetarians don’t feel marginalized by a table crammed with meat-heavy dishes.Shavuot also coincides with the annual wheat harvest in Israel, and in the days of the temple the ancient Jews would bring their first fruits as sacrifices to God. In this time of bounty we are encouraged to give of ourselves and reflect on the gifts that the earth provides.

Use Our Resources | Try Our Recipes

Bike Israel from Top to Bottom

[Image: Bike Israel From Top to Bottom] 

 

Supporting the Arava Institute as it prepares Arabs and Jews to solve the Middle East’s environmental problems.
  • Participants in Israel Ride will be staying for a night at the beautiful Kibbutz Ketura in the Negev Desert. Read about the environmental and energy work they’re doing in the New York Times and in the Jerusalem Post.
  • Scholarships available for people who have not been to Israel in five years (or ever).

Learn More | Register Today

Mini-Grants Available for Denver and Boulder-based Organizations

We are able to provide grants to strengthen the Jewish food and environmental movement in Denver and Boulder due to the generous support of our funders: Rose Community Foundation, 18 Pomegranates, and the Oreg Foundation. Together we seek to provide small grants to enable local programs and institutions to take their work to the next level. To qualify, every project must help to create healthier and more sustainable communities in the Colorado Jewish community and individual Jewish lives.

Learn More and Apply Today

The Jewish Lens Shavuot 2012/5772 Photography Contest

Students, fans and friends in grades 5-12, enter into our Shavuot Student Photography Contest!

A program of The Jewish Lens and cosponsored by Hazon.

The theme is Making a Difference. We invite you to take photographs of people doing good deeds or scenes that inspire people to make a change. Couple these photos with a Jewish text and your commentary that explains the ideal you are sharing.

The contest will run until June 11, 2012.

  • First Place: A digital camera (value of $150)
  • Second Place: A gift card (value of $100)
  • Judge’s Prize: A gift card (value of $100)

Learn More and Enter the Contest

Hazon Hosts Wilderness First Aid Class

May 31, 2012, 8 AM – 5 PM
BJE (Bureau of Jewish Education), 639 14th Ave., San Francisco, CA
June 1, 2012, 8 AM – 5 PM
Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St., Berkeley, CA

Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is the specific discipline of first aid which relates to care in remote areas, where emergency medical services will be difficult to obtain or will take a long time to arrive. Hazon is partnering with Foster Calm to offer a WFA class with lots of hands-on skills practice.

More Information

Additional Reading: Pikkuah Nefesh in the Wilderness – Saving a Life

Local Events and Features
from our Partners and Friends

Makom Hadash Presents Innovative Jewish Programs and Resources for Teens and Kids

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 Makom Hadash, a residency center for second-stage Jewish non-profit organizations, is proud to present a collection of innovative programs and resources for teens and kids, ages 6-18. In addition to Hazon’s programming for teens, such as bike rides and bar/bat mitzvah celebrations, we’re excited to include offerings from Eden Village Camp, Workmen’s Circle, Limmud NY, The Jewish Lens, Mechon Hadar, Moving Traditions, and Jewish Farm School.

Learn More 

 

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center’s
“If Not Now Society” Induction

[Image: If Not Now"]Please join Hazon at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center for their inaugural “If Not Now Society” Induction.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Central Synagogue
123 East 55th Street, New York, NY

The “If Not Now Society” will serve as a salute to visionary leaders who have made a tremendous impact on Isabella Freedman and the world.

More Information and Registration

Shavuot on the Mountain with Wilderness Torah

[Image: Shavuot on the Mountain]May 25-28, 2012

Join Wilderness Torah on Memorial Day weekend for a Shabbat and Shavuot camping festival in Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Oakland. Celebrate, learn, and connect with the natural world and community.

2, 3, and 4-day options available.

More Information and Registration

Help the Denver Jewish Day School win an Orchard

[Image: earth hug]Denver Jewish Day School will be participating in the Communities Take Root competition, with the opportunity to win an entire orchard of 25 apple trees for the school. They’re trying to turn an abandoned piece of land on the school’s property into a thriving piece of its South East Denver neighborhood. Students, families, and faculty will nurture the trees with the eventual goal of giving the fruit to local community food banks.

Learn More and Vote Today

Mother: Caring for the 7 Billion

Film Screening at the Denver JCC

[Image: Mother, Caring for the 7 Billion]Thursday, May 24th, 7 PM
JCC Elaine Wolfe Theatre
350 S. Dahlia St. Denver, CO

As a benefit to the community, the Denver JCC Edibly Fit CSA is offering a free screening of Mother, a locally produced, award winning documentary about the consequences of human population growth and over-consumption. Confirmed post-film speakers include Caryn Aviv, Senior Instructor, CU Boulder, Daniel Asher, Partner and Chef, Linger and Root Down, and Andrew Romanoff, Senior Advisor, iDE.

More Information

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