New York December 13th 2012 / 5th day of Chanukah 5773 Dear All, Since our beginning in 2000, Hazon has worked to use a range of new modalities – the outdoors, food, the environment – to renew Jewish life and to create a better world for all. Mini-grants from our Rides help to raise money and awareness — we’ve given away over $2 million since 2000. Our annual Hazon Food Conference (seephotos from our most recent conference) helps us do this by networking and supporting people who are doing great work all over the country. And our merger with the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center — which we announced last week to very positive reviews from across the Jewish community – will enable us to grow our impact and reach. And we’re now thrilled to announce that we’re working with the Jim Joseph Foundation, Leichtag Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, UJA-Federation of New York, and Rose Community Foundation of Denver, to conduct research exploring how participation in immersive Jewish food, environmental, and outdoor education programs influences individuals’ Jewish growth and leads to increased Jewish involvement. This project is the first of its kind in our field, and is exciting in that it gives us the […]
Topic: Nigel
Hazon and Isabella Freedman are Merging!
Monday December 3rd 2012 / 19th Kislev 5773 New York Dear All, Sometimes our lives cross and crisscross in unexpected ways. Things that one thinks are incredibly significant prove minor; and minor or accidental decisions can change one’s life. So it was for me in the summer of 1998. That was when, for the first time, I visited Isabella Freedman; spent time at Elat Chayim (then in Accord, NY); and met people like Adam Berman (who went on to direct Isabella Freedman and to found Adamah), Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Nili Simhai (currently the director of Teva) and Rabbi Dr Arthur Waskow. Not more than a few moments’ thought went into the serendipitous construction of that summer. But encountering those people and institutions led me to found Hazon, late the following year. And today, things go full circle: we’re announcing that Hazon is merging with Isabella Freedman (which includes Elat Chayyim, following a merger a few years ago). The Teva Learning Alliance, until now a part of Surprise Lake Camp, is also going to be part of the new Hazon. (Click here to read the official press release.) Why did we do this, and what will change? At one level (happily) […]
Sukkot and the Farm Bill
New York September 28th 2012 / 12th Tishrei 5773 Dear All, Sukkot starts on Sunday. It’s one of my favorite holidays: Sitting in a succah; the lulav and etrog; celebrating the harvest; feeling exposed to the world – in good ways; thinking about relationship to place – both locally, and in relation to Israel. Celebrating the change of season. Liz and I are going to Isabella Freedman for Sukkahfest this Sunday – Freedman being the perfect place to spend Sukkot, as the New England leaves start to change color; and Sukkot being the perfect time to be at Isabella Freedman, especially since this year the succah, which is huge and beautiful, has a solid foundation, and thus won’t slide into the mud if it rains, which the weather forecast says is statistically unlikely. (Sukkahfest is almost sold-out, but to get one of the last reservations, or to join a list for cancellations, check Isabella Freedman’s website.) (more…)
The Talmud! / The power of a casual remark…
So, have you seen the new Steinsaltz?
Questions and Answers
I’m struck by how corrupting it is when people ask rhetorical questions, or questions to which they seek to elicit a particular answer
Shabbat Hazon and Senseless Acts of Kindness
Because the shabbat before tisha b’av is known as Shabbat Hazon, I’m often especially aware of this time of year.
Tisha B’Av: from Mourning to Celebration
Reflections on the period of the three Weeks, a period of mourning between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av.
It All Began with a Bike Ride
It’s as good a time as any for us to go back to basics in relation to Hazon’s work.
Thoughts on the Cross-USA Ride and Farm Bill
I’m excited to be in Israel and looking forward to Siach and the start of the Cross-USA Ride was amazing.
Something to Read Over Shavuot
Dear All, Shavuot is a rabbinic holiday overlaid upon an agricultural one: chag hakatzir (the holiday of reaping the harvest) and yom habikkurim (the day of the first fruits) which then became zman matan torateinu – the time of the giving of the Torah. And it’s the time of the giving of the Torah – and not, in its name, the receiving of the Torah because, in a sense, a person can give a gift, but only the recipient can decide if s/he wants to receive it. Thus each year, as it were, the Torah is given – and we each get to decide whether and how we receive it. (more…)
The Farm Bill: Live in Action
Work to pass the next Farm Bill is happening now. Nigel Savage, Executive Director of Hazon, believes it is important for you to act.
New vision at a dark moment
New York, Second day of Hanukkah 5772 / 22nd December 2011 Dear All, I got back from sabbatical exactly ten weeks ago. To my pleasant surprise, I’m still feeling calmer, more focused and more energized. That’s partly testament to riding my bike to work more regularly, and cutting down on sugar and junk food. But it’s also about having had the chance to step back from the day-to-day, and to think about Hazon’s work in relation to the world around us. As the year draws to a close, I want to give you a partial snapshot of Hazon, and a sense of where we’re headed. (more…)
Talking turkey
New York November 17th / 20th Cheshvan Dear All, This is the period of giving thanks. Thank you: to all the people who commented on (and re-circulated) the piece I wrote last week on Federations. There are various comments on our website, and also on Facebook and elsewhere. We welcome your further feedback. Thank you: to the 17 participants in our second Israel Sustainable Food Tour, and to our partners on that tour at The Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership. We’re really psyched to be playing a role not only in developing more sustainable food systems in the US, but also in directly and indirectly both learning from and supporting some of the amazing work that’s starting to happen in Israel. You can see photos here. (And if you’re looking for an interesting Thanksgiving or Chanukah gift for someone – check out Negev Nectars.) (more…)
Time to Write a Check to Federation
New York November 9, 2011 / 12 Cheshvan 6772 The period from the end of the Jewish holidays (i.e. now) till the end of December (the end of the tax year) is peak season for non-profits raising money. That’s no less true for Hazon than anyone else: we’re doing important work on a relatively shoe-string budget, and we need your help. Despite that, this email isn’t a request to write us a check: it’s a request that you write one to your local Jewish Federation. That’s especially true if either A. you’ve never written a check to Federation before or B. it’s a few years since you last did so and you got out of the habit. In this email, I want to say why I think this is important, and I especially want to address critiques that are made of the system in relation both to Israel and to issues of diversity, democracy, and inclusion. (more…)
![Jacopo da Ponte [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://hazon.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/774px-The_Animals_Entering_Noahs_Ark_1570s_Jacopo_Bassano-100x100.jpg "Reading Noah in 2011 – Where Do Our Values Really Come From?")
Reading Noah in 2011 – Where Do Our Values Really Come From?
Reflection on some of what I’ve been thinking about, as we look back on Hazon’s first dozen years and look forward to the future.
