You can support the Israel you want to see. All American Jews can vote in the World Zionist Congress election going on right now. One of the most common questions, we get is why it costs $10 to vote. As Mirele Goldsmith, a Green Israel slate member answers: “The American Zionist Movement has contracted with an independent company to run the online election.  This is to insure that the election is fair.  The registration fee is being used exclusively to pay for the election.  It is not a donation to the WZO.  I wish there was no fee, but it is a small price to pay to make a real difference in the future of Israel.”

Green Israel Platform: Peace for All • Green Energy • Sustainable Development • Diaspora Relations • Air Quality • Ecological Ecology • Animal Rights • Food Justice • Water Conservation • Schmita • Recycling • Encourage Environmental Start-Ups

Green Israel Slate: Eli Bass, Ellen Bernstein, Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Karin Fleisch, David Fox, Matthew Frankel, Ilana Gauss, Brett Goldman, Mirele Goldsmith, Wendy Kenin, David Krantz, Frances Lasday, Evonne Marzouk, Hody Nemes, Morgan Prestage, Shira Rosen, Richard Schwartz, Jacob Schonzeit, David Sher, Garth Silberstein, Marc Soloway, Lawrence Troster, David Weisberg, Eric Weltman, Laurie Zoloth

Please vote Green Israel. Go to http://jewcology.org/2015/03/votegreenisrael/ or worldzionistcongress.org for more info.

Still, it surprised me recently how I metaphorically fell apart when the government literally did.

There were reasons why the folding of the current government affected me.  After two years of hard work to promote a meaningful Shmita year and raise ethics at a national level, winning the commitment of three ministers and a deputy minister and partnering with Knesset members of all parties – all of a sudden there was nothing, a vacuum.

But this reality did not break my spirit.  My difficulty was with the political atmosphere but normal life continued in the social justice arena. When I set up the “Israeli Shmita Initiative” I planned this year as one of unity, of connecting people, of joint mobilization to highlight the good that we share. The reality of elections achieves pretty much the opposite of this, and the current election system is particularly harsh.

It took me a while to realize that elections affect us only at a superficial level, leaving intact the many choices each of us makes on an inner level every day. The values of Shmita reside within us, where they retain the potential to influence society for the better. And I had a tool – our Israeli Shmita Tent.

So what is this Israeli Shmita Tent?  It is, as the name suggests, a huge tent with which we travel around the country, offering people a space for relaxation, eating fruit, swapping books (our ‘Take and Keep’ library), and a space for shared discussion about our social dreams. With our Tent we will go anywhere we are invited, and stay a few days, getting to know the place and its people, and discussing the possibilities of positive action arising from the values ​​of Shmita.

The Tent’s journey began early in the year, but the election made us raise our game – really plowing the length and breadth of the country, reminding us how good it all is. Here are some of the stories I’ve collected along the way:

On the pilgrimage “Connections on the Road to Jerusalem”, I pitched my tent next to the Teva employees, who took part in the march as representatives of the business sector: a commercial company which chooses to invest in sending its employees on a two day march calling for unity in Israeli society. Definitely exciting.

At Festival Indie-Negev, which I went to for the local culture (not for corporate sponsorships), I came across an interesting choice made by one of the festival’s producers who made teshuva, but did not cancel the event (which takes place on Shabbat) but placed alongside it a ‘Jewish complex’ where people could pray, hear Kiddush and engage in spiritual activities. It was packed throughout the whole of Shabbat, and I got into deep conversations of inestimable value.

In Yeruham I met a community which chose not to give in to the stigma attaching to many a southern town. Cultural and intellectual life is vibrant, there is huge social entrepreneurship in evidence, and a variety of institutions combine learning and practice: these are the result of just some of the wonderful choices of the local people.  If I had not settled in the Galilee, for sure I would pack my bags and move.

In Jerusalem we pitched our tent at the First Station complex – a commercial complex which is trying to reinvent itself as Jerusalem’s latter-day ‘forum.’  In seven sessions around seven themes we met many residents of the Holy City, and found creative ways to imbue the values of Shmita in their lives.

There were more: the ecological farm in Modi’in which completely recycles all its waste; the Zionist Youth Congress which continues to bring relevant meaning to Zionism today; the Emek Hefer march that brings people closer to nature; and many more.

So whether you are happy with the result of the Israeli elections or not, I hope that all of us remember that the real choices which matter are those we make every day – not just at election time, and that the values inherent in Shmita invite us to choose good!

About Eden Village Camp: Eden Village Camp aims to be a living model of a thriving, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and inspired Jewish spiritual life. By bringing the wisdom of our tradition to the environmental, social, and personal issues important to today’s young people, we practice a Judaism that is substantive and relevant. Through our Jewish environmental and service-learning curricula, joyful Shabbat observance, pluralistic Jewish expression, and inspiring, diverse staff role models, we foster our campers’ positive Jewish identity and genuine commitment to tikkun olam (healing the world). Our 3 acre educational farm and orchard are based on principles of permaculture, sustainable and organic farming. We produce annual vegetables, perennials, and tend educational gardens as well as animals.

About the Farm Educator Apprenticeship: This is a paid six-month apprenticeship for young adults seeking hands-on experience. In the Spring build your knowledge based on agriculture, farm-based education and Jewish community. In the Summer, work at our 8-week intensive summer camp as Jewish Farm Educators. In the fall, take ownership and integrate your new skills by diving deeper into independent projects.  Live on-site at our beautiful camp, one hour north of New York City. By joining the farm staff at Eden Village, apprentices will hold two main responsibilities – tending our growing spaces and educating in our all of our programming through the spring, summer and fall. Apprentices will also have an opportunity to dive deeper into one of four focus areas: perennials, annuals, animals, and educational gardens. In these specialties apprentices will gain a deeper understanding of certain aspects of farming and will take on leadership and special projects to booster their learning and the learning of campers and program participants.

Details: April 14th, 2015 – October 22nd 2015, Apprentices receive full room and board at Eden Village, as well as a modest stipend. Extensive experience is not necessary but experiential curiosity is required. We recommend you explore our website thoroughly to get more information about our apprenticeship, farm, camp, and more at Eden Village Camp.

More questions? Explore the FAQ page. For all other questions, contact farm@edenvillagecamp.org

An election has started that gives you a chance to have a say about Israel’s environmental future. While most Jews are unaware of it, they are entitled to a voice about Israel’s future. That voice is the World Zionist Congress, which meets every four years in Jerusalem with the mandate to fund programs and create policies that will help achieve the goals of the Jewish People.  The Congress was initially set up by Theodor Herzl and led directly to the establishment of the State of Israel.  It has been a partner with the Government of Israel since that time but sadly, very few Jews know that they have a chance to speak up through their vote. if you are Jewish and over 18 years of age, you can make your voice heard by voting!

The voting takes place from January 14, 2015 through April 30, 2015.  Every Jewish person over age 18 is entitled to vote for the slate of his or her choice.  As with the first Zionist Congress held in 1897, there is a nominal charge to vote ($5 for persons under the age of 30 and $10 for those above the age of 30).  The charge is used to defray the costs of the election.

The 37th Zionist Congress will meet in October 2015 and will include 525 delegates representing Jews in many nations around the world. The United States will field 145 delegates who represent a variety of political organizations.  My slate is called Green Israel, which includes Ayztim–Ecological Judaism;, the Green Zionist Alliance, Jewcology.org, and Shomrei Breishit. We are focused on taking action to protect Israel’s environment, increase the country’s use of renewable energy, and to help Israel become a global leader in sustainable practice.

Why Vote for Green Israel?

Many groups will be competing to participate in the 37^th World Zionist Congress but few can have the impact that Green Israel can. While competing groups would like to have their voice heard on political issues involving Israel and its foreign or religious policy objectives, they may not have any significant impact because the Israeli Knesset has exclusive control over these issues. The Green Israel slate can make a difference on issues regarding land since the World Zionist Organization controls the Jewish National Fund, which owns over 14% of the actual land of Israel. What is done on that land (which includes nature preserves as well as cities) can be directly influenced by the World Zionist Congress. In other words, Green Israel can make a real impact and not just a symbolic one. We can create more environmentally friendly practices and help Israel be more energy independent if we can garner enough votes.

The Green Zionist Alliance (GZA) is the first environmental group to ever participate in the World Zionist Congress. Now Green Israel, which has become the umbrella slate for Aytzim, the  GZA and our other Jewish environmental partners, has been embraced by all streams of the Zionist movement — left to right, secular to religious, Reform to Orthodox. From the early Zionist pioneers to Israel’s modern environmental, water-saving, and renewable energy technologies, ecological sustainability has been a fundamental tenet of Zionism. Those who love the land of Israel must work to protect it. Voting for the Green Israel slate will help ensure that environmental sustainability stays at the forefront of Israel’s future.

To learn more about GZA’s past work and past legislation as well as about the resolutions we are planning to bring to the 37th Congress, please see: http://www.aytzim.org/congress .

Please vote for a green Israel by voting for the Green Israel slate at: http://worldzionistcongress.org .

Thirteen Jewish organizations, under the umbrella of the Green Hevra, have issued the following joint statement today publicly calling on the U.S. government to reject the Keystone XL pipeline:

It has become abundantly clear that we are consuming far too many fossil fuels. In this Sabbatical/Shmita year, when the Torah calls for deeper gentleness toward the Earth, we are especially conscious of the dangers to the Earth from the drilling, transporting and burning of tar-sands oil. The resources that would be devoted to the Keystone XL pipeline should be devoted instead to initiatives in clean energy, a fast-growing field in which we hope the United States will take a leading position.

Climate change, worsened by burning more and more oil that the Keystone XL pipeline would permit, poses a grave threat to the security of the United States, Israel and the world.

Jewish tradition is not monolithic, and the issues around the pipeline are complex. But the Jewish community has consistently sought to take a stand in favor of creating a better world for all. It is hard for us to believe that building the Keystone XL pipeline could possibly do so.

This is not the first time that Jewish organizations have taken a stand against Keystone XL and we call upon fellow Jewish leaders to join us in encouraging President Obama and Congress to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

Signed by the following members of the Green Hevra:

Amir

Aytzim: Ecological Judaism

Eden Village Camp

Energiya Global

Habonim Dror North America

Hazon

Jewish Climate Action Network

Jewish Farm School

Jews Against Hydrofracking

NeoHasid.org

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College / Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

The Shalom Center

Shoresh Jewish Environmental Programs

contributed by all the organizations and initiatives on “the Map” http://jewcology.org/map-of-initiatives/

Here’s a quick bit of Sukkot Torah to start us off: “The four species of the lulav represent the four types of ecosystems in the land of Israel: desert (date palm), hills (myrtle), river corridors (willow), and sh’feilah, the lowlands (etrog). Each species has to be fresh, with the very tips intact – they can’t be dried out, because they hold the water of last year’s rain. Together, they make a kind of map of last year’s rainfall, and together, we use them to pray for next year’s rains.” I hope everyone enjoys the wonderful array of activities and ideas we are generating. We are a strong and beautiful network. Please add more to this list if you like: write to rebduvid86@gmail.com and I’ll update this page. I will also be updating the format and fixing the fonts — I don’t have time Erev Yom Kippur to do more than simply share this content. Thank you to everyone who shared, and g’mar chatimah tovah! Rabbi David Seidenberg, neohasid.org

Resources

from Judith Belasco, Hazon

http://hazon.org/educational-resources/holidays/sukkot/ Hazon also has an incredible array of resources on Shmita linked at: http://hazon.org/shmita-project/educational-resources/resource-library/

from the Religious Action Center

“Eco-Friendly Sukkot”  http://resources.rj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1369

“Table Texts about Food Justice” http://rac.org/pdf/index.cfm?id=23602

from Max Arad and Rabbi Carol Levithan, The Rabbinical Assembly

“The Sukkah as Shelter: A Source Sheet” http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/jewish-law/holidays/sukkot/sukkah-as-shelter.pdf See also: http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/jewish-law/holidays/sukkot

 from Jeffrey Cohan, Jewish Vegetarians of North America

“Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and Vegetarianism” http://www.jewishveg.com/schwartz/hlydysu.html

from Rabbi Katy Z. Allen, Ma’yan Tikvah

Ushpizin for an Ecological Sukkot by Laurie Levy https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzF1ISt_50TyVG9lWE0zOXJpd1k/edit

from Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Shalom Center

14 articles on Sukkot at: https://theshalomcenter.org/treasury/114 including “Reb Zalman’s Prayers for the Earth on Hoshana Rabbah” and “Spread over all of us a Sukkah of shalom, salaam, paz, peace!”   from Rabbi David Seidenberg, neohasid.org “How-to Build a Sukkah For Under $40” http://www.neohasid.org/sukkot/a_simple_sukkah/ more links at: http://neohasid.org/zman/sukkot/ including “Eco-Torah for Sukkot”, “Hoshanot, the Original Jewish Earth Prayers”, and “Egalitarian Ushpizin with a Prayer for the Earth”

 from Canfei Nesharim via Rabbi Yonatan Neril

resources can be found at http://canfeinesharim.org/sukkot/ and on Jewcology http://jewcology.org/resources/sukkot-shemini-atzeret-resource-and-program-bank/

 also from Rabbi Yonatan Neril, for Jewish Ecoseminars

http://www.jewishecoseminars.com/let-the-land-rest-lessons-from-shemita-the-sabbatical-year/

 from Nati Passow, Jewish Farm School

Two resource sheets for Shmita to be posted on Jewcology – look for them on Monday before Sukkot

 from Anna Hanau, Grow and Behold Foods

Recipes (meat): http://growandbeholdblog.wordpress.com/tag/sukkot/

Events

We have three big regional festival events going on, Sukkahfest, Sukkot on the Farm, and Sukkahpalooza, and lots more local events:

 from Judith Belasco, Hazon/Isabella Freedman

Oct 8-Oct 12, Sukkahfest at Isabella Freedman Retreat Center http://hazon.org/calendar/sukkahfest-2014/

 from Pearlstone

Oct 8-Oct 12, Sukkahpalooza http://pearlstonecenter.org/signature-programs/sukkot/

 from Sarai Shapiro, Wilderness Torah

Oct 9-Oct 12, Sukkot on the Farm, Green Oak Creeks Farm, Pescadero CA http://www.wildernesstorah.org/programs/festivals/sukkot/   local events and projects:

from Hazzan Paul A. Buch, Temple Beth Israel, Pomona CA

Our synagogue will break ground during Sukkot on a 1/2 acre urban farm on our property, in cooperation with a local NGO. The farm will be fully managed by the NGO at no cost to us, and all workers are paid a living wage. The produce grown will be available for purchase to our congregation and sold at farmers markets in the area. A portion will be dedicated to those who are food insecure. Question for everyone: Do you know of any other synagogues who have dedicated their land in a similar way?  Please note this is not an urban garden, but a functioning not-for-profit commercial project.

from Becky O’Brien, Boulder Hazon

Oct 6, at 5:30 pm, family sukkot program, in partnership with the south Denver JCC Oct 12, at 4:00 and 7:00 pm, screenings of “Road to Eden”, co-sponsored with the Boulder JCC Oct 16, Sukkot Mishpacha, a program for young families at a local organic farm Rabbi Julian Sinclair stopped in Denver/Boulder on his recent book tour promoting Shabbat Ha’aretz; we hosted five programs with him earlier this month. We are leading a shmita hike for local staff of Jewish organizations to help them decompress from the hectic time of the high holidays. We expect that many shmita-related programs will arise throughout the year but we don’t yet know what they will be.

from Helen Bennet, Moishe Kavod House

Fri Oct 10, Shabbat in the sukkah Tues Oct 14, Sukkot Festival dinner, co-hosted with Ganei Beantown (Leora Mallach). Moishe Kavod is planning to run a series of learning and DIY sessions on shmita starting in November, with focuses on economic justice, food and ag system, and chesed/caring community principles.

 from Gail Wechsler, St. Louis Jewish Environmental Initiative (JEI)

Sun Oct 12, 4-6 PM, screening of the film “Fire Lines”, about joint Israeli and Palestinian fire fighting efforts during the Carmel fire of December 2010. The film includes environmental themes as part of the reason for the fire was overforestation of the affected area. The director, Avi Goldstein, will speak after the film.  In partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Council, Webster University and the JCC.

followed by:

Sun Oct 12, 6-7:30 PM, organic potluck Sukkot dinner. In partnership with the JCC and its Garden of Eden, a community garden that grows organic fruits and vegetables to benefit the clients of the nearby Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry. Both events at the Jewish Community Center Staenberg Arts & Education Building.

from Michael Rosenzweig, Boulder JCC

We have a great event each year called Sukkot Mishpacha, where we partner with a local farm so the children and families can learn about environmental issues, do fun arts and crafts projects, and pick their own gourds. http://www.boulderjcc.org/events/2249/2014/10/14/boulder-jcc-events-calendar/sukkot-mishpacha/ Note: I have not included narrative detail in general here, but I found Rhonda Ginsberg’s description so delightful to imagine and I just didn’t think I could condense it. So here is what she wrote to me, with some minor editing:

from Rhonda Ginsberg, teacher, Carmel Academy, Greenwich CT

For Sukkot we do a 4 year rotation focusing on different aspects of the holiday.  The first year of the cycle we invite the ushpizin and have the 7 species at a festive meal.  The second year we look at wind with kite flying as a major activity, the third at rain and water, and the last year at stars and shade. Each exploration is done both from the Judaics side with text study and from the science/experiential side. This year we are looking at water.  For the K to 3rd graders, teachers act out the story “Why Does it Rain on Sukkot”, MS. Frizzle (science teacher) comes to teach about rain & why it’s needed, then students rotate through stations that are led by 4th graders and teachers.  At the stations they investigate kosher tops for pipework sukkot, create rain sticks, have various water activities & races, sing songs & learn the dance “Mayyim”.  For the 5th to 8th graders, they start with an appropriate text study.  Then, the 6th through 8th graders become the instructors teaching the other grades about the aspect of water that they researched and created a project for.  6th graders look at the water cycle, which they present through posters, dioramas, etc.  They also perform a song and skit on the water cycle.  7th graders research water pollution – causes, effects, and possible solutions.  8th grade engineering students investigate flooding – causes, effects, how engineers have created solutions.  8th grade honors biology students investigate droughts, concentrating on trouble spots in the Western US, Israel & the Middle East, and Africa.  They also look at causes, effects, & possible solutions.  Then we have a Simchat Beit HaShoava – the biblical Water Libation ceremony which took place during Sukkot in Temple times, with students singing, dancing, juggling, filling pools with golden pitchers, etc.

Founding Members include:

 Articles and other Resources related to the Green Hevra

• Op-Ed: Jews should work to reduce fossil fuels, not ally with gas and oil companies (JTA)
• 2012-13 Slingshot List of the 50 Most Innovative Jewish Organizations in North America! (Slingshot Fund)
• Jewish Environmentalists Green the Slingshot 50! (Jewcology)
• Is U.S. Jewish green movement at a tipping point? (Haaretz)
• New Network Strengthens Jewish Environmental Collaboration (Yale’s Forum on Religion and Ecology)
• Jewish Environmental Movement Receives Funds for Collaboration and Strategy (eJewish Philanthropy)

The Green Hevra is currently administered by Hazon.

The structure of the conversation was intended to help audience members hear about the exciting new successes of the Jewish environmental movement in the Federation space. So, the panel included presentations about the Jewish Greening Fellowship (a program of the UJA-New York), the Associated Sustainability Initiative (Baltimore), and federation based activities in Cleveland. The panel also included a presentation by Rafi Rone of the Meyerhoff Family Foundation in Baltimore, explaining what motivates funders to invest in Jewish environmental organizations and activities. The session also included an unexpected visit from Michael Siegel, new chair of the JFNA, and brief breakout discussions on Jewish Environmental Education and Greening Your Jewish Community.

Other Jewish environmental leaders at the session included David Krantz of the Green Zionist Alliance, Jonathan Lane of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and Nati Passow of the Jewish Farm School.

My role in the session was to lead the breakout session on “Greening Your Jewish Community.” During that session, many participants expressed a common theme: I want my community/Hillel/synagogue to go green, but where do I start? What tools can I use? Several Jewish environmental organizations had provided suggestions to address these questions, and I had the opportunity to share about several resources from the field, including:

The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) is focusing on energy with the Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign. The goal of the campaign is for Jewish institutions to reduce their energy use 14% by 2014, which is the beginning of the next Shemittah year in the Jewish calendar. COEJL’s Jewish Energy Network is cultivating a team of Jewish energy champions that will lead energy reduction and advocacy initiatves in synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout the country. COEJL’s Jewish Energy Guide will provide a comprehensive approach to the challenges of climate change and energy independence, with policy, communal action, Jewish teachings, and tips for reducing your energy use. COEJL is providing webinar briefings and a community organizing training, March 13-14 in Washington, DC, in partnership with JOIN for Justice.

Hazon uses food as a platform to create innovative Jewish educational programs. The Jewish Food Education Network (JFEN) is a way for educators from around the world to connect with, share and learn from each other with the help Hazon. JFEN Membership is open to all, whether you’re a full time Jewish educator or an individual looking to connect to a larger community. Currently, there are over 160 members of this growing network. JFEN members have access to training and networking opportunities with other educators in their field, and have the first access to Hazon educational resources.

Canfei Nesharim has been coordinating a Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, with comprehensive learning materials (articles, study guides, videos and podcasts) on a wide range of topics where Jewish wisdom can inform today’s environmental challenges. Fourteen materials have been released to date. The project will conclude on Tu b’Shevat 2013, when Canfei Nesharim/Jewcology will launch a Year of Action, focusing on the mitzvah of bal tashchit and the actions of saving energy and reducing food waste. Jewcology also offers a Public Narrative Training to empower Jewish environmental leaders to educate their communities.

The Jewish Farm School is developing Feast Forward, a web video series that raises awareness around important food and environmental issues. The series promotes Sustainable Agriculture, Eco-friendly Recipes, Environmental Action and Delicious Jewish Traditions. Through downloadable online resources for individuals and educators, Feast Forward provides additional Jewish and environmental content connected to the theme of each video. The first video, “A Prayer for Rain,” has already been released, and future videos will be available soon. The target audience is young adults interested in food related issues.

On behalf of Jewcology and On1Foot, I also had the opportunity to announce the launch of the new Online Jewish Environmental Source Library at On1Foot! Jewcology and On1Foot have collaborated to create a comprehensive library of more than 400 Jewish source texts, along with ready-made source sheets and divrei Torah, to empower Jews to learn about Torah and the environment. This is one of the many resources granted to the entire Jewish environmental field through our Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment. The new resource was launched on that day, timed for the JFNA-GA.

This session was also one of my first opportunities to try “live-tweeting” from an event. Using the Jewcology twitter account, I reported on the conversation, scrambling with my fingers to capture the most salient thoughts and engage the twitter audience. Here is the Storify with some of the tweets and retweets from this activity.

For me personally, the opportunity to be part of a GA session on Jewish Environmentalism was a great opportunity to meet new people, promote my work, and launch the new Online Jewish Environmental Source Library in the context of the JFNA-GA. I also got to learn new things, like how to live-tweet and how to use Storify!

I want to offer my huge thank you to the ROI Community for making my participation in this session possible via a “Go Speak” Microgrant. It was great to participate – thank you ROI, for making this possible!

Here are the Green Hevra organizations recognized by Slingshot:

Eden Village Camp

Eden Village Camp was selected by Slingshot because we are bringing Judaism to life in a way that is uniquely impactful. Our campers and staff actually live in an immersive Jewish environmental community where values from the Torah are transformed into bold actions that speak to today’s most pressing questions. Eden Village is the only Jewish camp in the world that has caring for the earth as a foundational value.

Mission: Rooted in the Jewish vision of creating a more environmentally sustainable, socially just, and spiritually connected world, Eden Village Camp fosters an incredible summer experience for our campers that empowers them to promote a vibrant future for themselves, their communities, and our planet.

Jewcology

Jewcology was selected by Slingshot because it is utilizing innovative social media tools to strengthen coordination across the Jewish environmental movement. Evaluators also considered Jewcology a potential model for collaboration in other sectors in the Jewish community. Jewcology is proud to be a catalyst and partner for the recent field-building in the Jewish environmental world.

Mission: Jewcology is building a multi-denominational, multi-generational, regionally diverse community of Jewish environmental activists, who are learning from one another and from an expanding set of Jewish-environmental resources, how to educate their communities about our Jewish responsibility to protect the environment.

Jewish Farm School

With a nod to like-minded Slingshot organizations, one evaluator definitively states, “The Jewish Farm School has done innovative and pioneering work. Others have now copied them, but it is still the standard.”

Mission: The Jewish Farm School teaches about contemporary food and ecological issues through innovative, skill-based Jewish agricultural education. Driven by Jewish traditions, we address the injustices embedded in today’s mainstream food systems and work to create greater access to sustainably grown foods that promote both ecological and social well being.

Hazon (Slingshot Standard Bearer)

Hazon has been at the forefront of putting sustainability on the agenda of the Jewish community and the wider world. We effect change in the world in three ways: Transformative Experiences: Our programs directly touch lives in powerful ways; Thought-Leadership: Writing, speaking, teaching, and advocacy; and Capacity-Building: Supporting great people and projects in North America and Israel. Our programs are having a greater impact each year as more and more people become concerned with personal and environmental health issues and issues of food safety and sustainability.

Mission: Hazon works to create healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond.

The Pearlstone Center

The farm at the Pearlstone Center is the original prototype success model of a locally-based Jewish green center providing outdoor Jewish eco-agricultural experiential education to a local community.

The farm at the Pearlstone Center is a pioneering organization in the Jewish food and Jewish farming movements, and is consequently a leader in the Jewish environmental movement in general. Our entrepreneurial approach has enabled us to establish a Jewish green center serving the Baltimore Jewish community with great success, demonstrating a model and paving the way for other community-based Jewish green centers to establish themselves elsewhere around the country. Our focus on applying and teaching ancient Jewish agricultural laws is unparalleled anywhere in North America, and even farmers and scholars in Israel have contacted us due to our unique pluralistic commitment to Jewish agricultural learning.

Mission: The Pearlstone Center ignites Jewish passion. Our retreat center, farm, and programs enable and inspire vibrant Jewish life. Engaging Jewish, faith-based, and non-sectarian organizations, individuals, and families, Pearlstone serves all ages and backgrounds throughout Baltimore, the Chesapeake region, and beyond.

Urban Adamah

Urban Adamah is a community organic farm and Jewish environmental education center located in Berkeley, CA.

Each spring, summer, and fall, we select twelve to fourteen Urban Adamah Fellows to operate the farm and participate in a three-month residential leadership program that integrates organic farming, direct social justice work, and progressive Jewish living and learning. As part of the experience, fellows teach visitors to the farm about sustainable agriculture and are placed in internships with local anti-poverty and food security organizations.All produce grown on our farm is distributed to members of the community in need, primarily through local food banks and our own Free Food Farm Stand.

Mission: Urban Adamah uses the tools of sustainable agriculture, Jewish tradition, mindfulness and social action to build just, compassionate and sustainable communities

Wilderness Torah

Wilderness Torah is driven by a mission to awaken ancient earth-based Jewish traditions and to foster multi-generational community aligned with the cycles of nature and the cycles of our lives. Wilderness Torah has developed a cycle of land-based festivals to celebrate our holidays in their original land-based context, and has developed groundbreaking nature-based rites of passage experiences, including B’naiture, a nature-based B’nai Mitzvah Nature Mentorship program. Furthermore, Wilderness Torah is developing a community-building model that empowers its participants through shared leadership and community investment opportunities. As Slingshot stated, “Wilderness Torah is the long awaited missing piece in the lives of many Jews who feel connected to the environmental movement but do not find relevancy in traditional Jewish observance.”

Mission: Wilderness Torah awakens and celebrates the earth-based traditions of Judaism to nourish the connections between self, community, earth, and Spirit.

Mazel tov to all the Jewish environmental groups featured in Slingshot! Let’s continue our efforts to Green the Slingshot 50 in the coming years!