Hazon Educational Library: Nature and Outdoors

There are four New Years festivals recorded in the Mishnah. You've probably heard of Tu B'Shvat, the new year of the trees, and Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year. But did you know that Judaism has a New Year for the Animals? It's called Rosh Hashanah La'Behemot, and it falls on Elul 1. Just as Tu B'Shvat has been revived as a Jewish Earth Day, Rosh Hashanah La'Behemot is a modern-day reminder of human relationships with animals. Animals provide humans with companionship, food, clothing and so much more. Rosh Hashanah La'Behemot is a time for us to honor our relationships with behemot, the animals in our lives.

Through the practice of a food waste ritual, we can find deep lessons in how we gather, cook, and scrap food. We visually express those lessons into a “visual blessing” using actual food scraps and stones or other found natural objects. Then, we craft and recite a spoken blessing. Together, this helps us rethink food waste in our homes and communities.

A Sukkot resource packet with everything you need to shake sustainable, local lulavim. Filled with relevant educational materials, practical shaking and assembly instructions, and accessible spiritual and environmental insights. Created for the Metro Detroit community.

Green the world through guerilla gardening! As partners in creation we can bring more beauty and life into the world by seeding areas with more wild flowers. We have inherited a world full of beauty and we know that there are places that could use more wildlife. Through making seed balls we can take small steps toward that more colorful future.

Life has the vitality to continue on and on - even with just a cotton ball, a plastic bag, and a seed - the plant will grow into a small wearable garden. Seed necklaces are a very simple activity to do outside or in a classroom. In a week or so, participants will be able to watch their seeds sprout and grow. The seeds can then either by planted or fed to animals in the garden.

Nature provides beautiful materials which we can create art with. Together we will create lasting art by making leaf rubbings and leaf art. Know that each leaf is different and beauty can be found in each and every leaf. In our Amidah prayer, we give thanks for the miracles that are with us every day.

In Judaism, treating animals with respect and kindness is very important. Some of our most important biblical heroes, like Jacob and Moses, were shepherds who treated their animals with love and care. Rebecca was known for her significant kindness to animals. Use a combination of recycled and natural materials to make a take-home bird feeder for your local feathered friends!

The connection between industrial animal agriculture and climate change is significant. But why and how is that so? This two-page source sheet presents a string of data that tells a concise and compelling story of the connection between industrial animal agriculture and climate change. Based on the writings of Jonathan Safran Foer in his book We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast.

There are anecdotal stories about food throughout the Torah. These food-cameos are, perhaps, even more instructive in the origins of Jewish food culture than the direct instructions about what may be eaten.