• Choose less meat in your diet:   Most if not all of the climate pollution that our food creates happens before we buy it. The extent of these impacts depends on how much energy, land, feed or fertilizer, processing, and transportation is required to put a particular food on our tables. Yet sometimes the food itself is the problem. Cattle, for example, produce 34% of all U.S. emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Some of the meats with the largest carbon footprint include:  Lamb, which has the highest emissions of any food, generating 86.4 pounds of greenhouse gases for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) eaten and beef, which is number two with 59.6 pounds of gases produced per 2.2 pounds consumed.  Eliminating or reducing the amount of lamb and beef in your diet will go a long way toward reducing your own carbon footprint.
• Choose grass-fed, pasture-raised and organic meats:  If you prefer not to reduce or eliminate meat from your diet, you are best off eating meat that is grass-fed, pasture-raised and/or organic and locally raised.  Meat that is organic, locally raised and/or grass fed has a lower carbon impact in terms of producing the meat as it goes from farm to your table.
•  Fish has a lesser environmental impact than beef or poultry, but it is still preferable to buy wild fish as opposed to farmed fish.  The former is both healthier and better for the planet as its cultivation uses less energy and has a lower carbon footprint.
• Also try to reduce your cheese intake, as cheese is number three on the list in terms of having a high carbon footprint. Try eating more strong flavored cheeses like cheddar and bleu. You can use less of these and still retain a distinctive cheese taste in your dishes.
• Go vegetarian:  Try going vegetarian for all or some of your meals.  There is such a wide variety of tasty vegetables readily available today at local farmers markets, conventional grocery stores or through joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.  Pick up a good vegetarian cookbook and you might not miss that meat after all.

In general, it’s no secret that the lower we eat on the food chain, the fewer impacts we’ll create.  Even making small changes to your diet can go a long way.

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

This ia a free opportunity for young adults 19-29 to come together in an interfaith setting for Jews, Christians and Muslims to live, farm and study together from June 1st – July 23rd 2015 at the Stony Point Conference Center in Stony Point, NY, with time for mentoring and vocational discernment. It is a Multifaith, Peace, Justice and Earthcare program. We seek students who are grounded in their religious tradition, serious about spriiuality and the state of the planet, and open to learnig and living in an intentional community setting. This is our 6th annual program run by the Community of Living Traditions on the Stony Point Center 32 acre campus.

For more details and to apply go to: www.stonypointcenter.org/SummerInstitute Deadline is March15, 2015

17 Cricketown Rd, Stony Point, NY 10980 845-786-5674

Young Urban Moshav is thrilled to have the opportunity to create a demonstration garden at the JCC of the East Bay. The garden is intended to serve the after school program’s garden curriculum and to function as a Jewish outdoor learning center for the community. The project site design will integrate best urban garden practices with Jewish cultural items such as traditional holiday foods and the fruits of Israel. The space will accommodate groups of learners and holiday activities. Young Urban Moshav’s participatory approach includes support with community engagement, from communications content and crowdsourcing to strategic connections with other Jewish green initiatives.

Artisan Katherine Gulley of Raised Bedlam Woodworks (left), Green Educator Ezra Ranz (center), JCC East Bay Berkeley After School Director Cassie Brown (right) enjoy the new beautiful redwood garden furniture that arrived in November.

Young Urban Moshav, a new Jewish food start-up, has been accepted into the Hazon CSA network and aims to develop a residentially-based Community Supported Agriculture program. The JCC East Bay garden will be an example of garden design and implementation that Young Urban Moshav is offering for other institutions and private residences as it embarks on its goal to grow a system of interconnected urban agriculture sites across the East Bay.

In developing this exciting demonstration garden, Young Urban Moshav is sourcing labor and products from within the community whenever possible. As of the end of November 2014, exciting progress has been made. The garden has received its first major contribution from Katherine Gulley at Raised Bedlam Woodworks in Berkeley. A beautiful redwood table and bench, including end planters and a garden box, are already on site! Katherine makes custom outdoor and reclaimed furniture. She herself grew up in Berkeley attending the JCC and proudly claims that she was at her after school program at the JCC when the big earthquake of ‘89 hit.

Chuck Weis (left), Jory Gessow of Gessow Landscaping (center), and Garden Educator Ezra Ranz (right) scope out the site for grading upgrades.

The garden site, an alley between the southwest corner of the JCC building and the adjacent commercial CVS building, is being graded during the month of December so that the main area in use will be flat. Approval has been obtained for a retaining wall and ramp, to be constructed by community member Jory Gessow of Gessow Landscaping. You might recognize Jory from the annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot events as he is an avid participant of many years!

JCC After School Director Cassie Brown has been overseeing the project. Green Educator Ezra Ranz has been coordinating between the JCC and Young Urban Moshav on a volunteer basis while already growing some starts with students in small boxes on location (pictured in the featured image of this article). Facilities Supervisor Chuck Weis is managing construction details regarding the building site. Front Desk Supervisor Selena Martinez has been filling an insightful and exemplary advisory role. The garden design has been developed by Young Urban Moshav volunteer Talya Ilovitz, who now is updating the drawings to include the newest developments.

Next major steps include construction of raised garden beds and installation of drip irrigation as well as a spiral herb garden and worm bin. Material contributions are being graciously accepted, from lumber to soil, garden equipment and planters to irrigation supplies, seeds, plants and even worms! Please contact youngurbanmoshav@gmail.com if you would like to contribute to this exciting Jewish community garden.

Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible:  Try to buy only as much food as you need and look for food that either has no container or that has a container that can be recycled.  Plan to compost any non-meat food items that can’t be eaten (such as carrot peel) or that have to be thrown out after the meal.  Also plan to use reusable cloth napkins instead of disposable paper ones.

Use local and organic products for your feast:  Most Thanksgiving meals focus on food that is in season.  Use organic and locally grown pumpkin for your pie.  Locally grown vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squash taste great and are plentiful this time of year.  Buying locally means that your food is not flown miles away wasting fossil fuels as it travels from across the country or another continent.  Eating organic food means that what goes on your plate will not contain traces of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.  If you plan to make a traditional turkey for the holiday, buy one that is from a family farm that does not use antibiotics or artificial hormones.

Celebrate at home:  Thanksgiving is one of the holidays when many people travel by car or plane.  Do your part to reduce global warming by planning to celebrate at home for a more green holiday.  Your stress level also will decline as you avoid crowds on the highways or airport terminals.

Make your own decorations:  If you plan to decorate your home (inside or outside) for the holidays, use simple compostable or recyclable materials to create your decorations rather than buying new ones.  Consider picking up pine cones and leaves and using these in a centerpiece for your table.  Have your children cut construction paper into turkeys, pilgrims or other Thanksgiving themed designs.  (The paper can be recycled when done.)

Give thanks to nature as you celebrate:  In many households, those attending the Thanksgiving meal go around the table and give an example of what they are thankful for.  Add a new twist by also thanking the natural world around you for helping to sustain and enrich your life.  Weather permitting, consider a short nature or garden walk before or after the meal to make the connections between this food-centered holiday and the earth around us more visible.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are some ideas of ways to reduce waste as you prepared for the big day.

Reduce paper use:  Consider using the Internet for all or some of your announcements about your event.  Invitations can be sent electronically.  RSVPs also can be sent to a specially designated email address rather than by using a pre-printed card.  If you prefer to use a printed invitation, use recycled unbleached paper and soy-based ink.  For a wedding or B’nai Mitzvah, consider creating your own app and/or website with information on where to stay and what to do for out of town guests, rather than printing this information.

Be eco-friendly in your decor:  Use real china plates and reusable cups and glassware, rather than items you throw away.  If you are considering flowers, order those locally grown and in season, rather than buying from a florist who will order items flown from far away.  Another alternative is to decorate with plants, which can be kept and planted or re-potted after the event.  Make your own centerpieces from recycled items.

Food:  Where possible, use a caterer who relies on locally sourced, organic food. Consider purchasing fair trade coffee and tea for the reception.  Find out if it is possible for food waste to be composted. For pre-wrapped items, such as bagels or sandwiches, do not open unused wrapped food unless or until needed.  Unused wrapped food can be donated to area food pantries if not eaten, reducing waste and helping those in need.

Energy use:  Hold the ceremony and reception at the same location or have the events at locations not far from one another, to reduce travel and minimize gas use.  Encourage your guests to carpool to your event.

Enjoy your eco-friendly simcha!

Use local and organic ingredients in your meals:  The healthiest foods for the holiday are foods that are grown locally without any pesticides.  Food purchased from local farmers or that you grow yourself will be fresher and have a higher nutritional content than food flown in from hundreds of miles or more away.  If you are planning to serve the traditional snack of apples and honey, consider that eating locally made honey has been shown to reduce the severity of allergies as well.

Turn off your gadgets:    Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are holidays that focus both on spending time in worship and spending time with friends and family.  Turning off your phone, tablet, iPod and other gadgets will keep you focused on what the holidays are about and reduce your energy use at the same time.

Decorate your holiday table naturally:   Head to your backyard or a local park and create a natural centerpiece for your holiday table.  A basket with acorns, pinecones and colorful leaves will make the holiday festive.  Avoid purchasing centerpiece items that will go right to the landfill when you are done using them.

Get to services more sustainably:  If your level of observance involves walking to services for the High Holidays, you are already doing what you can to have a transportation carbon footprint equal to zero.  If you don’t or can’t walk to services, carpool wherever possible with family, neighbors and friends.   Another option is to take public transportation if your synagogue is near a bus, train or light rail line.

Best wishes for a sweet and green New Year!   

The Urban Adamah Fellowship, based in Berkeley, CA, is a three-month residential training program for young adults (ages 21–31) that combines urban organic farming, social justice training and progressive Jewish learning and living within the setting of an intentional community.

Through the operation of Urban Adamah’s one-acre organic farm and internships with social justice organizations, fellows gain significant skills, training and experience in all aspects of sustainable urban agriculture, community building, leadership development and food justice advocacy. The Fellowship’s experiential curriculum is designed to equip fellows with the tools to become agents of positive change in their own lives and in their communities.

Now in its third year, the Fellowship has graduated nearly 100 young adults who have gone on to work in the fields of environmental education and policy, sustainable agriculture, community organizing, Jewish education and social entrepreneurship.

Upcoming Fellowships

Spring: March 2–May 23, 2014

Summer: June 8–August 29, 2014

Fall: September 7–November 25, 2014

The cost of the Fellowship is offered on a sliding scale from $1,300 to $1,800. Program fees are highly subsidized and include room, board and all other program expenses. We accept 12­–14 fellows per season. Admission is on a rolling basis, and we encourage applicants to apply as soon as they’ve made the decision to enroll in a particular season.

Visit the Urban Adamah websitetoday to learn more and to request an application.

www.urbanadamah.org|510-649-1595 | info@urbanadamah.org| See us on Facebook

The Urban Adamah Jewish Community Farm, located in Berkeley, CA, integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, sustainable agriculture, mindfulness and social action to build loving, just and sustainable communities.

by Maxine Lyons

Being a passionate gardener, I have been tending several gardens in my yard as well as many flower pots on our large deck so my hands are in dirt quite often these days. I have been transplanting yellow primroses, succulents, day lilies and sunflowers, focusing on the integrity of the roots, noticing how each root system is different. For example, some plants require a full root for transplanting while others need a partial root to survive. Succulents do not need roots at all; pieces can be immersed in dirt and re-establish their roots in soil in a short time.

So as I begin the long internal process of preparing for the holidays, I am considering the meaning of roots in our lives–when we are transplanted (as I was from the west to the east coast), would roots remain intact, and I pondered, could I plant them deep and securely enough to thrive and not merely survive the changes? I moved with my husband and two young kids, truly uprooted from my family and age-old friends and all that was known and familiar. With a lot of determination, I found that the most tenacious roots assisted me in establishing my new grounding.

What are those elements that enhance the possibility of roots taking hold firmly in new ground? I believe that we need a full root base to nurture us. I was deeply rooted in my Jewish upbringing. I went to weekly Shabbat services with my family, I attended with great delight Hebrew school, confirmation classes, and the inspiring, call-to-action in the words of the prophets, which were reinforced by our Reform temple's explicit social justice emphasis (that led to my involvement in civil rights work and anti-war activities in college). As these roots spread out, I explored my options as a spiritual seeker, going from Reform to Conservative Judaism, learning and teaching yoga, then to Jewish Renewal, and now, a combination of JewBu(ddhism) and interfaith work. My underlying support was my father's influence on my growth and development as he modeled empathy, tikkun olam, and our responsibility to be charitable in word and deed to help others. Sharing common ground with my caring, loving and supportive husband and two creative children enabled me to establish the firmest of roots.

Reflecting on the meanings of roots brought me to teshuvah. I feel a connection with plant roots. Roots are anchors; they absorb and conduct water and nutrients, storing energy for later use. This is analogous to our human needs for roots; we also need to absorb and replenish spiritual sustenance to store for use with family and friends and in all meaningful pursuits in our lives. My intimate friendships are the other anchors that also energize my life, enabling the expanse and growth of my roots. This focused awareness of opening my heart and making regular contributions allows me to continue tikkun olam, which, returning to those core values of empathy, connections and helping others, are particularly important now. Teshuvah requires that I become ever more mindful of my behavior. With ample "fertilizers" of compassion, caring and open heartedness, I can start the annual journey preparing for the Yamim Noraim in my daily practices now and throughout the year.

My father was a humble person, and his expansive root system, like those of a sturdy tree, lay underground but the tree, his personhood, flourished, benefiting everyone who was blessed to know him. I pray that his legacy will continue to influence me to grow as I tend to my gardens and reap the benefits of the abundant colorful flowers– petunias cascading, and morning glories stretching heavenward, spiraling on tomato plant stakes. (This is dedicated to the memory of my dear dad, Alex Schoenbrun, on his fifth yahrzeit).

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Maxine Lyons, retired community educator, is currently CMM (Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries) board member and co-facilitator of CMM's RUAH Spirituality Programs,

active participant in the ALEPH prison pen pal program ("connecting Jews on the outside with Jews on the inside"), member of Temple Beth Zion, Brookline,

and joyful wife of 36 years and mother of two accomplished and wonderful thirty somethings.

We’re nearing a time when the Earth will not provide as bountifully as it has in the past. In exchange for a loss of resources, I believe the Earth is pleading for us humans to return to ourselves, our deep souls, so we recognize a bounty that lives within us. Could this lead to the feeling of fertility in the human spirit, we may extend the times of plenty.

Answering this call is not easy. We cannot stop deadlines so we may each have the time return to ourselves as a form of resiliency. It’s a necessary evil to take this time. We may feel that we’re missing out on other activities, events, or conversations, or that we are not getting done as much work as we need to do. Yet there are moments in each day that we can seek the quiet retreat and go a little deeper, find a little more space.

Since I received the Elul writing project, I've decided to practice coming back to myself and following my instincts around taking time to be alone. The result has been time after work dancing, painting, hanging art, swimming, hiking, and listening! Who knew I had so much to say to myself. Some hangouts have been hard; I haven’t been the best of company at those times. But I exit these periods of time alone with a better understanding of me and my method of interacting with the world. I tune in with what my body wants, my spirit and my tongue for speech…I react with kindness to my friends and family, and say what I mean, say what I need. As a wise woman once told me, me are always working to maintain our ‘neutral.’

I think our souls are like bread dough that needs warmth to rise: our souls desire the heat of our beings to nurture our internal culture. At some point we get punched down as a test to our abilities, and need to remind ourselves of our importance, kindness, and intelligence to rise back up, overflowing the bowl. We bake the loaf, swallow a chapter of life, and start another.

Let’s bake bread with those around us—encourage our friends to take space to nurture themselves and warm the internal culture that is their ‘soul bread.’ For this New Year, let us practice feeding ourselves, for we can only effectively exchange light with others when we do.

Molly Bajgot is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst studying Sustainable Food and Farming with a concentration in Food Systems and Production. She is a strong believer in holistic systems and loves to cook, sing loudly, and live in the Pioneer Valley.

Tu Bishvat is not a biblical holiday. In Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1, the early rabbis describe four different New Years occasions. One of these is Rosh Hashanah La’ilan—the New Year for Trees—which the School of Hillel places on the 15th of Sh’vat. (In Hebrew, “Tu” is an acronym for the number 15, so “Tu Bishvat” means simply “the 15th of Sh’vat.”) Why was a New Year for Trees necessary? Leviticus (19:23-25 and 25:1-12) and Deuteronomy (14:22-15:1-6; 26:12-13; and 31:10-13) establish a number of agricultural prohibitions, tithes and other regulations (including Sh’mittah) that are calculated according to annual cycles. In order to observe these mitzvot properly, the early rabbis instituted fixed, universal starting points for determining the beginning of each agricultural year. While Rosh Hashanah (the 1st of Nisan) is the New Year for vegetables and general produce, trees bear fruit at a different time of the year. The solution was a unique New Year for Trees.

As we might expect, finding an appropriate and effective date for dividing one year’s fruit production from another’s is hardly a simple matter. The Babylonian Talmud states that the year to which a fruit tree’s tithes belong depends upon whether the chanatah of its fruits occurred before or after Tu Bishvat (Rosh Hashanah 15b). However, commentators on the Talmud disagree about the precise meaning of the Hebrew term chanatah. Rambam (Maimonides) understands chanatah to mean the stage right before the fruit ripens (Hilchot Ma’aser Sheni 1:2; Hilchot Sh’mittah 4:9). However, Tosafot argues that chanatah actually refers to the earliest stage of fruit formation, when the bud is just visible (Rosh Hashanah 12b).

In his commentary on Mishnah Ma’asrot, the 19th-century Talmud scholar and kabbalist Rav Eliyahu Guttmacher of Greiditz offered a convincing explanation for and solution to this disagreement:

The concept of chanatah held by many people is highly questionable; for they interpret the chanatah mentioned in the Talmud as meaning the buds that the tree brings forth. It seems that this error has arisen because of the fact that in our part of the world (Eastern Europe) it is somewhat common for trees to bring forth buds in the month of Sh’vat…. They do not realize that in the Land of Israel in the month of Sh’vat, though it is winter, the fruits are at the [nearly ripe] stage described in the Mishnah. I myself received from Jerusalem two partly grown pomegranates, and although they were taken from the tree (two months earlier) in the month of Kislev, they had already reached the size of a goose egg; and if they had remained on the tree, (by Sh’vat) they would have been much bigger….

Rav Eliyahu’s custom of enjoying fruit during the Polish Winter was not unique. It can be traced at least as far back as the 16th-century Tikkun Yissachar, a compendium of laws and customs related to the days, months, seasons and festivals of the year: “Tu Bishvat… is the New Year for Trees. On [that day], it is the custom of the Ashkenazim to indulge in different types of tree-fruits to honor the name of the day.” (TY Daf 25; quoted in and popularized by Magen Avraham 131:16 and Mishnah B’rurah 131:31)

Of course, obtaining such fruit was not easy. In The Rebbe’s Daughter: Memoir of a Hasidic Childhood, Malkah Shapiro recalls a Polish acquaintance shouting at people departing for Palestine, “Remember to tell our people in the Holy Land to send fruits for Tu Bishvat.” And in his introduction to Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin’s The Festivals in Halakhah, Meir Holder explains that Tu Bishvat “was the only day in the year when most Jewish families [in Eastern Europe] indulged themselves in the unheard-of luxury of eating as many kinds of fruit as were available, and especially fruits that came from Eretz Yisrael.”

The surreal situation faced by Ashkenazi Jews who wanted to enjoy fruit on Tu Bishvat will be familiar to anyone who has attempted to observe Jewish holidays or implement Jewish agricultural practices outside of Eretz Yisrael. The seasons, weather, landscape, flora and fauna mentioned in the Torah, the Mishnah and the Talmud simply do not describe temperate North America. We want to celebrate Tu Bishvat as the New Year of the Trees—a Festival of Fruit—yet doing so can seem artificial and confusing in the Winter, when the trees are bare and the ground is frozen solid.

American Jews—myself included—are increasingly embracing and reclaiming the seder as a meaningful way of observing Tu Bishvat and its connection with fruit. Yet the Tu Bishvat seder—specifically, the mystical practice of contemplative eating outlined in the Sefer P’ri Eitz Hadar—was invented by kabbalists in Eretz Yisrael. While relatively unknown in Eastern Europe until recently, the seder was popular among Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews, who lived in climates that supported a wide variety of fruits and nuts that could be enjoyed on Tu Bishvat. Although I would hardly suggest that we abandon the Tu Bishvat seder, I do think it is important for those of us in temperate North America to note that in our eagerness to form meaningful connections with fruit, trees and food, we have adopted a ritual that encourages—if not requires—us to import out-of-season fruits.

This is a dilemma that we face not just on Tu Bishvat, but every time we shop for produce. In The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter, Peter Singer and Jim Mason explain our out-of-season eating practices in sobering detail:

The average distance traveled by food that is consumed in developed nations has increased, partly because international trade in food has quadrupled since 1961. That increase has allowed people in the wealthier nations to enjoy foods all year-round that once had a limited growing season. For example, in the 1960s, North Americans ate grapes only when North American growers, mostly in California, could supply them, roughly from June through December. Now almost half of the grapes eaten in the United States are imported, many from Chile and other Southern Hemisphere countries, so grapes are available in the northern winter.

Eating locally produced food—either purchased at a farmers’ market or a food co-op, through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), or grown in a home garden—is an excellent way to reduce the massive carbon footprint associated with transporting food across such vast distances. Moreover, eating locally—learning what grows when and where—will almost certainly deepen our connection with our food and our bioregion. For those wondering what such an experiment might look like, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life beautifully chronicles Barbara Kingsolver’s experience of eating only locally produced food.

Alas, we must bear in mind that becoming a locavore is not a flawless solution. For example, Singer and Mason point out that eating out-of-season tomatoes grown in a fossil-fuel-heated greenhouse just down the road likely consumes more energy than eating in-season, organic tomatoes shipped by boat from the Southern Hemisphere. There are many variables that we must account for when making ethical food choices.

As we prepare for Tu Bishvat—and possibly begin to plan this year’s seder—may we be ever more thoughtful about the fruit that we eat. While we sanctify our food through our blessings and our reverence, may we also consecrate it through enlightened choices and honest reflection. Where was this fruit grown? How far did it come? How did it get here? Might this fruit grow near my home? How else might I obtain it in the future? After considering all these questions, does eating this still feel holy? If it does not, what must I do to make it so?

When starting a door-to-door campaign, many of the activists are weary about the results. People think that the businesses will not be receptive to them or the idea, that they will reject listening or simply not have enough time from their busy schedule. The reality of the situation is dramatically different. When we went from business to business to understand the extent and depth of their willingness to participate in this social and economic experiment their reaction was incredibly encouraging. Almost every business owner said that they would be willing to give discounts to card-holding volunteers and activists. The basis of a local sustainable economy could be built with the confidence of the community and the investment of businesses.

One falafel storeowner pledged to buy all of his monthly demand of vegetables from the farm. I asked him if he could pledge anything in addition to a discount. He told me that he wanted to teach how to make food. He served most of his adult career in the IDF and after opened “Falafel with a Wide Heart”. Not only does he serve the local falafel and shawarma flare, but also has home cooked food every day. His confidence in the community in which he works is proof that local sustainable economy is a grassroots venture.

Another specialty Russian grocery store said that she doesn’t buy too many vegetables but she said she would be willing to give discounts to local volunteers. When we asked what else she could offer, she mentioned that she could give Russian language lessons.

What we mainly learned from the canvass was that local businesses are active members of their community and willing to improve the neighborhood in order to improve their businesses.

Our next step is to canvass the community, inform them of the possibilities and explain the process, and find particularly interested activists. During the last week of January we will be breaking ground on the farm in a Tu B’Shvat celebration.

All around the world Urban Farms are emerging as a partial solution to urban food deserts, abandoned city lots, and cutting out the middle man in bringing food to our tables. Each one of these farms is unique to its particular environment. Differing climates, community needs and zoning and planning laws can affect the nature of each urban farm. One of the most impressive urban farms among many is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin called “Growing Power” (www.growingpower.org). Will Allen, an urban agriculturalist, established this urban farm. The produce from the urban farm provides nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables directly to residents in urban Milwaukee and even provides produce to farmer’s markets in Chicago. This successful model is an inspiration to many operations that are budding all around the world.

Here in Beersheba, Moran and I are working through Earth’s Promise to establish the first urban farm of its kind in Israel. In contrast to community gardens or kitchen gardens, urban farms contain an essential economic element. These farms must support themselves and provide accessible and nutritious produce to the local community. Here in Beersheba, the urban farm will be an anchor for a local sustainable economy based on community power. For instance, neighbors can volunteer hours working at the farm and receive in turn discounts at local businesses that also buy their produce from the urban farm. If a community member wants to offer a skill or service such as math tutoring, fixing up the house, or a karate class they can offer their service or skill in exchange for the produce of the urban farm. In the later stages of this process, an alternate currency will be the basis of the local sustainable economy with the Urban Farm as its economic base.

Space and design is also an important element in urban farming. According to the situation of where the farm is located and the plan of the city, different methods of agriculture are appropriate for different places. In Chicago, mini farms are planted on rooftops and public spaces. In Egypt, urban farms are built on levels allowing multiple layers of production area to be placed in a limited space. In Beersheba, neglected urban spaces are the perfect places to develop urban farms, greening the city while providing food for its residents.

Urban Farming may never replace the institution of industrial agriculture, but it will reduce the public’s dependence on large swaths of land that could be otherwise be developed into nature reserves and serve the public’s need to eat healthy and local. We at Earth’s Promise believe that as much as people are experts at picking that perfect fruit or vegetable that they have the ability to become experts at growing those same fruits and vegetables close to home.

Baruch Sienna, a Jewish environmental educator, will be leading an amazing nature/environmental tour to Israel this Feb. 26-Mar. 7, 2013. We will be hiking, birdwatching, and visiting (and eating at) organic farms, learning from environmental organizations about water pollution/restoration, waste/recycling, and alternative energy initiatives in Israel. The places we are visiting are awesome.

For a full itinerary, visit www.arzaworld.com, or call toll free: 1-888-811-2812 to register or for more information.

Email: israel.naturally2013@gmail.com.

Use local and organic ingredients in your meals: The healthiest foods for the holiday are foods that are grown locally without any pesticides. Food purchased from local farmers or that you grow yourself will be fresher and have a higher nutritional content than food flown in from hundreds of miles or more away. If you are planning to serve the traditional snack of apples and honey, consider that eating locally made honey has been shown to reduce the severity of allergies as well.

Turn off your gadgets: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are holidays that focus both on spending time in worship and spending time with friends and family. Turning off your phone, tablet, iPod and other gadgets will keep you focused on what the holidays are about and reduce your energy use at the same time.

Decorate your holiday table naturally: Head to your backyard or a local park and create a natural centerpiece for your holiday table. A basket with acorns, pinecones and colorful leaves will make the holiday festive. Avoid purchasing centerpiece items that will go right to the landfill when you are done using them.

Get to services more sustainably: If your level of observance involves walking to services for the High Holidays, you are already doing what you can to have a transportation carbon footprint equal to zero. If you don’t or can’t walk to services, carpool wherever possible with family, neighbors and friends. Another option is to take public transportation if your synagogue is near a bus, train or light rail line.

Best wishes for a sweet and green New Year!

This blog originally appeared on jewsininstlouis.org at http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog_post.aspx?id=5972

On Rosh Hashanah, we celebrate the New Year and give thanks for the creation of our world. We dedicate time to family and friends and we reflect on our past year and celebrate the start of the new year. It's the perfect time to make new goals for the year ahead and try to do better for yourself, your family, and our world.

Shopping for the holidays
Be eco-"logical" about planning your family gatherings right from the get-go. Shopping locally for an organic Rosh Hashanah meal, apples and honey will not only help support your neighbours and community, but you will also serve kind, chemical and pesticide-free food. And don't forget, shopping tools can be as important as the food itself. What a shame it is to carry home glorious food in a toxic throwaway.

Tote the right thing
Plastic bags are a thing of the past, but if you're toting a 99 cent reusable, you could be doing more harm than good. Non-woven polypropylene reusable bags are made from the same stuff as disposable plastic bags — petroleum (ick!) and have been found to have high levels of lead. It's time to carry on (literally!). Arm yourself with a bag that will last you all of your shopping to come. Try a fair-trade bag that is lab-tested, lead-free and is washable.

Dress your table
In Judaism, the colour white signifies transformation and purity. We strive to ensure that everything is clean, neat and sparkly and we traditionally dress our tables with a white tablecloth and white napkins. In keeping with the tradition, lose the chlorine bleach and adopt safe and responsible practices. Rosh Hashanah is a sacred holiday, so make sure your personal and shared environment is safe for your loved ones, and our planet.

Hands off!
Is it worth wearing gloves and feeling like you might pass out just to have shiny happy silver? Harmful silver polish has danger warnings about inhaling it or touching your skin. Do you want that hazard on your soup spoon? I would advise cleaning your silver with natural toothpaste or putting it in a sink with aluminum foil on the bottom — just add warm water and salt. Same sparkly results, but fume and residue-free. Take a whiff of that!

Table toppers
When you pull out the "good stuff" for the holidays, make sure it's actually, truly good for you. I believe that napkins and tablecloths that are vinyl, backed with plastic or even cotton, treated with chemicals (you know the ones that claim they are stain-proof or wrinkle-resistant?), should absolutely be avoided. Some consider cotton to be the world's 'dirtiest' crop due to its heavy use of insecticides. Choose natural linens like organic cotton, but regardless of your choice, please make sure they are reusable.

Pure and fresh
Some cut flowers are heavily sprayed with pesticides, fungicides and herbicides (with toxins that are banned in fields in Canada!). Then they are wrapped in plastic. We thought flowers were supposed to signify beauty and purity?! Don't fret, source local — you'll be surprised what's growing in your own backyard.

Prepare the meal
Since you've already gone out of your way to shop the local farmers' market, purchased your organic eats, and unpacked everything from your wonderful reusable bags, it's now time to cook smart so you don't undo all the good you've done! Think about your cooking method (this includes what you're cooking with, and on) before you begin your preparations. Be efficient and plan ahead — it will save you money, time (and energy, too) which only means you will have a few extra minutes to share with your loved ones on Rosh Hashanah.

Back to earth
Taking the time to compost your scraps instead of throwing them in the garbage diverts huge amounts of waste from our landfills and also helps make our gardens grow by giving it soil rich nutrients. Composting also reduces methane production, a very potent greenhouse gas that is released into our air from landfills. Stainless steel composters won't take on the smell (or colour) of your food scraps and it's nice enough to sit on your countertop. How's that for accessorizing?

Food for thought
Your food comes into contact with a lot, so choose kitchen stuff wisely. Cast iron, stainless steel, lead-free clay and glass are my ultimate choices for bakeware and cookware. I believe you should say no to non-stick (ick), and keep serveware and storage-ware glaze-free (lead and other stuff) and plastic-free (BPA and phthalates). I like glass best because it's safe and easy to store your leftovers in and to pop in the oven for reheating.

Bless all around
Tikkun 'olam, meaning perfecting or repairing of the world, is a major theme in modern Jewish social justice theology. It must be carried out by humans in partnership with God, and it is an important concept in environmentalism. It is said, that our ignorance and our poor choices have damaged the world. The good news (in my opinion), is that this problem can be fixed by switching out bad habits for healthier and smarter ones. As you recite the blessings on Rosh Hashanah, let each be a reminder to take care of our world, and all that constantly gives and takes care of us.

Pure brilliance
While you may think conventional candles serve a purpose, are beautiful to look at, and provide a sense of warmth and comfort to your home, you could be endangering yourself. When we burn paraffin candles, carcinogens fill the room with toxins that coat your walls, furniture, and lungs. Bring pure brilliance to your table and bless candles made from organic beeswax (the purest and most natural of all waxes — they glow, and clean your air, too).

Fruits of the earth
The blessing over the wine (or grape juice for those underage) is about acknowledging the fruits of the earth — so let's make sure that's exactly what we are drinking — pure fruit without pesticides and additives. Research has found that there is at least one form of pesticide found in every conventional bottle of wine, but some wines can have up to 10 different ones.

Clean it up
Now for the dirty talk… Whether you are tidying before the holidays, or on cleaning duty afterwards, you want your home to be truly clean. Studies show the average Canadian family consumes anywhere from 20 to 40 litres of toxic cleaning products each year (oy!). You can easily make safe and smart cleaning products using ingredients you can find in your own kitchen — and you won't have to sacrifice cleanliness (or your health!).

Dirty laundry
You've spent the time purchasing organic cotton linens to dress your Rosh Hashanah table, so it doesn't make sense to toss them in the wash with conventional detergent where they would swim in chemicals. Fabric softeners, dryer sheets and even dryer balls made from PVC should be avoided as they could contain some not-so-snuggly ingredients that are taking a toll on our health and our planet. Although these products are marketed to make us believe that the warm fuzzy bunnies, teddy bears, or babies are safe and comforting, we often overlook the fine print telling us that they might contain hazardous chemicals.

Rosh Hashanah is the perfect time to open up to new possibilities and be grateful for everything we have. More than anything, Rosh Hashanah offers the opportunity to turn inward, and ask ourselves, about the impact our actions have on our friends and family, our communities, and on the earth.

Welcome a fresh start and have a safe, happy, and healthy new year!

Download and share a free electronic version of the Eco Shabbat Guide, curated, written, and designed by the team at Borden Communications.

As we speak, the Senate is debating the contents of the Farm Bill, which will substantially affect the next five years of US food policy. It is upon us to call our Senators and let them know that as Jews, we and our organizations support Farm Bill legislation that:

• reduces hunger and improves nutrition in the United States.
• promotes conservation and proper stewardship of the land.
• enables farmers in both the United States and the developing world to earn sustainable livelihoods.

Every call makes a tremendous difference! The Jewish Farm Bill Working Group just delivered a petition of 18,000 signatures for a Just Farm Bill to the House. By this Shabbat, dial the Senate switchboard:(202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected with one Senator from your state, and then call back and ask to speak with the other Senator. Share who you are, what you care about, and your support for some of the following amendments in the Farm Bill:

1. The Coburn and Durbin Amendments, to limit wasteful subsidy giveaways. Senators Coburn (R-OK) and Durbin (D-IL) have introduced an amendment that limits insurance subsidy payments to the largest farmers.
2. The Cardin Amendment, to protect soil and wetlands. Senator Cardin (D-MD) has introduced an amendment that restores a requirement that farmers receiving subsidy payments follow basic environmental protections.
3.The Gilibrand Amendment, to protect healthy food and nutrition. Senator Gilibrand (D-NY) has proposed an amendment that restores billions of dollars in cuts to the federal food stamp nutrition program, and provides more funding to put fruits and vegetables in schools.

4. You may also wish to support the Brown Amendment, to support small farms and rural development, the Tester Amendment for new organic breed research, the Grassley-Conrad Amendment to reduce corporate control of the slaughterhouses, the Merkeley Amendment, to make crop insurance available to organic farmers, the Leahy Amendment, which would increase institutional support for local food systems.

At the very least, ask them to Hold the Line on Farm Bill Conservation Funding, which is severely threatened by budget cuts. Then go home and tell 2 friends about it!

Join the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn and Adamah for a teaching by Sarah Chandler
(followed by our weekly sitting meditation at 8pm!)

Soul Journeys Through Living Soil

As we move through spring time and notice the trees bloom with flowers and green, we may miss out on the life force of activity within the soil below us. The interconnectedness of organisms, ions, roots, water and air within the soil can be a window into a lifestyle of balance and cooperation. Combining soil science with mystical teachings, this session will enter universe of organic soil, allowing you to align your breath cycle with a complex source of our sustenance.

The conclusion of our sit will also include samples and sales of Adamah's kosher organic pickles and goat cheese.

$10 Suggested Donation
342 Smith Street Brooklyn, 11231

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Sarah Chandler, the ADAMAH Associate Director, is a Jewish experiential educator, community activist, spiritual leader, and blogger. From 2005-2009, Sarah served as the Director of Jewish Family Life & Learning (JoyFuLL) at West End Synagogue: A Reconstructionist Congregation. She has her M.A. in Jewish Communal and Experiential Education and Hebrew Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and serves as educator with the Teva Learning Center and the Kohenet Institute. She is currently participating in the second cohort of Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.

Support Sustainability and Community:

Purchase Your Organic and Heirloom

Plant Starts at The Gan Project’s

2nd Annual

Spring Plant Sale

CHICAGO, Ill. — Looking for locally grown, organic, heirloom plant starts for your garden or patio planter? The Gan Project will be having their 2nd Annual Spring Plant Sale with proceeds going to support the creation of a local, just, and sustainable food system in the Chicagoland region. Many varieties of vegetables and herbs will be available for purchase.

The Gan Project grows organic, heirloom produce on its quarter acre Homestead located in West Rogers Park, Chicago. Of that produce, half is gleaned by the community, in accordance with the ancient Jewish agricultural practices, and half is donated to the ARK and other surrounding food pantries.

Jill Zenoff, Executive Director for the organization explains, “Anyone can create a personal, local, and sustainable food source on their patios, in their gardens or even on their kitchen window sill. By sourcing your plant starts from the Gan Project, not only are you getting quality, organic, heirloom starts, but you’re also preserving the biodiversity of the region and making an investment in the future of local sustainable food in the Chicago community at large.”

Participants are asked to bring a box to help transport delicate plants to their new homes.

Plant starts will be for sale from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 3003 W. Touhy, at the main entrance of the Bernard Horwich JCC. Checks, cash & credit cards will be accepted as forms of payment. All donations are tax deductible. Attendees are also encouraged to contribute a donation to The Gan Project’s Seed and Soil Fund. The Seed and Soil fund helps the organization pay for seeds, soil, mulch, chicken care supplies, gardening tools, and other items necessary for running the Gan Project Homestead.

*****
As a social and environmental justice organization, The Gan Project nourishes, protects and celebrates Jewish life through the cultivation of soil and community. The organization is building a regenerative food system that enlivens Jewish tradition, embodies Jewish values and immerses the community in a rich educational and cultural experience. If you would like more information about The Gan Project please contact Jill Zenoff at (773) 516-5877 or by email at theganproject@gmail.com. You can also follow the Gan Project on Facebook or Twitter.

Listing Information:
What: 2nd Annual Spring Plant Sale
Where: The Bernard Horowich JCC, home of The Gan Project Homestead
Address: 3003 W. Touhy Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
When: Sunday, May 6th, 2012 from 9:30am to 4:00pm
Free Parking Lot – Sale Starts at 9:30am
Please bring a box in which to take your plants home.
How Much: Prices Vary, All Proceeds are Tax Deductible
All are Welcome!

I'm very pleased to invite you to my home in Manhattan for a benefit supporting the extraordinary work of Eden Village Camp, the innovative Jewish farm-to-table & arts camp an hour north of NYC.

Monday, April 30th

6:00 – 8:00pm

Near Columbus Circle in Manhattan, NYC

Local organic Kosher hors d'oeuvres & wine served

Click here to buy your ticket: http://peteryarrowedenvillage.eventbrite.com/

The happiness, excitement and heartfelt way in which the Eden Village campers and staff interact is moving and beautiful. As founding president of Operation Respect, a non-profit working to assure each youth a respectful & safe learning climate, I am delighted to know of Eden Village as a place where kindness is cool.

I plan to share some songs, and we'll auction off a guitar specially hand-painted for the occasion. I'm honored to host this gathering of music, connection, and building a world with more kindness and inspiration for our young people!

All proceeds from our fundraiser will support scholarships for the transformative Eden Village experience. Please register for the event right now. (And at latest by Tuesday, April 24th) Register here: http://peteryarrowedenvillage.eventbrite.com/

L'Shalom and off we go!

Peter

P.S. – If you can't make it, please consider making a donation to support the scholarship fund: https://eden.donortools.com/my/funds/11072-Camper-Scholarship-Fund

~

Eden Village is honored to be recognized by the "Slingshot Guide" as one of the 50 most innovative Jewish organizations in North America!

“We see the roots of Judaism grounded in the agricultural practices of our ancestors and believe that engaging in contemporary agriculture deepens our Jewish practice.” Executive Director Jill Zenoff explained. “Earth Day is the perfect opportunity for Jewish and non-Jewish community members to come together, get their hands dirty, learn, laugh and get the Gan Project Homestead ready for the 2012 growing season.”

There will be a morning work session from 9:30am – 12:30pm, and an afternoon work session from 2:00pm to 5:00pm with a BYOPL – Bring Your Own Picnic Lunch.

Both sessions will include activities for all ages:

• seeding and transplanting
• building raised beds
• composting workshops
• bicycle maintenance workshops

The majority of activities are suited for adults and children over the age of 12. Families with children under the age of 12 are invited to plant raspberry bushes during the morning work session, beginning at 9:30am, and stay for the BYOPL. Pre-registration is required for raspberry bush planting and is limited to the first 10 families that register.

Adults can also attend as a Staff Volunteers: sign up for a minimum 2.5 hour shift between 7:30am-8:00pm to help with set up, registration, logistics, clean up, and meal support. Contact volunteer@theganproject.org for more information or to sign up.

To support the Gan Project’s work, a suggested donation of $18 or an in-kind donation of a garden tool is requested. Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to donate. Please see the list of requested items on the registration page for more information.

*****
As a social and environmental justice organization, The Gan Project nourishes, protects and celebrates Jewish life through the cultivation of soil and community. The organization is building a regenerative food system that enlivens Jewish tradition, embodies Jewish values and immerses the community in a rich educational and cultural experience. If you would like more information about The Gan Project please contact Jill Zenoff at (773) 516-5877 or by email at theganproject@gmail.com. You can also follow the Gan Project on Facebook or Twitter.

What: Earth Day Mitzvah Mania

Where: The Gan Project Homestead at Bernard Horwich JCC, behind the CJE Shwartzberg building (3003 W. Touhy Ave, Chicago)

When: Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

Free Parking Lot – Festivities Start at 9:30am

How Much: Optional $18.00 donation or in-kind garden donation

All are Welcome! – Register Online

Purim is right around the corner…

Will yours be sustainable?

Purim falls this year on Thursday, March 8. Share your environmental commitment with your community by ordering Kosher Organic Lollipops for Purim!

Now for two days only (February 23 and February 24), get up to 25% off our usual low prices, in our pre-Purim sale!

(Just $6.00 for 30 lollipops, $9.00 for 50 lollipops or $15.00 for 100 lollipops. Only while supplies last! Order today.)

• These lollipops are kosher (chaf-K) and organic, individually wrapped, from Yummy Earth. See ingredients here.
• We include a Canfei Nesharim sticker on each lollipop so that you can share your eco-commitment with your friends and community members.
• Shipped to you in time for Purim! (Arrival by March 2.)

Deadline for orders: this Friday, February 24. Order today!

You can also:

• Get ideas for healthy, beautiful, waste-free mishloach manot.
• Explain to your friends why you've chosen to go green. Here are some printable cards to drop in to your mishloach manot.

Explore all our Purim resources here.

Wishing you a healthy and sustainable Purim,

Evonne Marzouk
Executive Director

Below are some tips for eco-friendly ideas for the purchase and use of personal care items. Many thanks to Jewish Environmental Initiative (JEI) Teen Group member Dena Selig for her contributions to this blog.

1. Make your own beauty treatments. This saves money and uses natural ingredients. You'll know exactly what you are using and won't have to worry about ingredients that may be harmful to your skin or your health. For example, simple and healthy facials can be made out of a mixture of ½ cup oatmeal, 2 tablespoons of honey and ¼ cup buttermilk. Recipes such as these can be found online and in health and beauty magazines.

2. Look at the label. Research what ingredients to look out for, and if you see any on a beauty product label, don't buy it. You can find out more about potentially harmful chemicals in your personal care products by going to the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetics database at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/.

3. Look for Certified Organic Products. Make sure products have certified organic labels such as Eco-Cert and USDA Organic.

4. Choose petroleum-free products. Try to avoid using products that contain fossil fuels. Excessive use of fossil fuels is harmful to the planet and increases global warming.

5. Avoid products tested on animals. Avoid products that were tested on animals by looking for the Humane Cosmetic Standard (HCS) on the label.

6. Other tips related to your personal care:
• If you use a hair dryer or flat iron, try using it for a shorter amount of time to conserve electricity. Always remember to turn it off and unplug it when finished.
• Consider purchasing a rechargeable razor rather than a disposable one. Two billion disposable razors end up in U.S. landfills each year.

By being pro-active in the use of personal care items, you can keep yourself looking good while also helping Planet Earth.

Originally posted on www.jewishinstlouis.org at

http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog_post.aspx?id=4852

Comments

I am at the halfway point of the one week Fighting Poverty with Faith Food Stamp Challenge. My personal challenge has been to spend the allotted $1.50/meal but with a twist: to eat organically. There is method to my madness.

My understanding is that 46 million Americans live on Food Stamps to ‘supplement’ their nutritional needs. I imagine that many of these 15% of Americans live food insecure lives. This means that the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable food in socially acceptable ways are limited or uncertain.

My goals in taking the challenge were to raise awareness about and advocate for those who must live on Food Stamps. Have I moved towards meeting those goals in a short 4 days? Yes.

Why eat organic? It is much healthier than a typical high carb food stamp diet. Eating organically also supports the sustainability of our earth. Fortunately there are national projects that support this thinking. Will Allen’s Growing Power in Milwaukee promotes food security in the middle of an urban desert. Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks allows Detroit SNAP recipients to double the value of their benefits by simply buying Michigan-grown fruits and veggies at local farmer’s markets. (Visit the USDA Farmers Market Search to find farmer’s markets that accept SNAP benefits!) NYC based Snap Gardens.org helps those on SNAP purchase food-producing plants and seeds so they can grow their own food.

Advocacy? Our national Farm Bill which is put into law every five years affects dairy policy, farm subsidies and nutrition programs like SNAP. According to recent media reports, the next Farm Bill is presently being deliberated by the House and Senate agriculture committees behind closed doors. Why is this the case? Why is it apparently being decided as quickly as possible? Contact your local legislative members to find out more and advocate on behalf of a fair Farm Bill that benefits your region!

“If you offer your compassion to the hungry and satisfy the famished creature, then shall your light shine in darkness.” – Isaiah 58:10

(Pam is Food Justice Coordinator of Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee. This season we have donated over 5,000 pounds of organic produce to local food banks, meal sites and food pantries.)

This year’s CSA is over, but we look forward to another great year in 2012.

On September 25, 2011, Eden Village Camp held our first annual Festival of Eden. The event was a tangible way for the community to experientially connect with principles of sustainability, environmentalism, and Jewish tradition.

Eden Village Camp nourishes the connections between self, community, earth, and spirit with socially and environmentally conscious programming that is firmly rooted in Jewish tradition. The Festival of Eden showcased this philosophy through hands-on workshops on organic cooking, fermenting, keeping backyard chickens, natural building and more. We planted a peace pole on our farm, enjoyed our petting zoo, delved into the Jewish agricultural cycles and how they relate to the holidays, made gourmet Fall soups and solar-baked cookies, embarked on a spiritual hike in the forest, enjoyed live music all day, browsed tables set up by partner organizations and a silent auction…. a smorgasbord of learning and fun!

Excellent food – harvesting, preparing and enjoying – is a major part of our ethic. The Eden Village kosher organic kitchen prepared Chimichurri Roasted Veggie Seitan Skewers with a choice of sides, as well as artisan pizza in the camp’s cob-oven, which we built last spring during the Jewish Farm School’s natural building intensive course.
The food and farm-to-table workshops at the Festival of Eden illustrate the ways in which Eden Village is redefining the conversation and practice of what is possible in institutional food. The menus are determined by what is seasonally available from local farmers, what is harvested from the Farm at Eden Village, and what available ingredients we have. All our food for summer camp and Spring/Fall programs are made from scratch, and even food staples like rolled oats, beans, and sugar are organic.

The Festival of Eden connected the broad vision of making the world a better place with the small, personal, practical steps each of us can take to live more sustainably. Participants of all ages experienced the power of creating change, and gained skills and insight: how to make kraut, how our local ecosystems and food system work, how to thrive in the outdoors, how to make fire. It was an amazing day that offered a glimpse into our deeper community – when our campers immerse themselves here for a week or more, we see their self-esteem growing in step with their awareness and awe for the organic oneness of creation.

We want to make the connective, transformative experience of Eden Village Camp possible for all kids, regardless of their ability to pay. The Festival of Eden was our first large-scale fundraiser aimed at raising money for our Scholarship Fund. We were happy that we raised about $15K! We received over $80,000 of scholarship requests last year and were not able to meet the demand by a long shot. This festival, sponsored primarily by the amazing Saul Schottenstein Foundation B, helped us tremendously in nearing our fundraising goal, and also allowed us to reach new families, campers and community partners. Wonderful all around!

We’re endlessly grateful to the many partners that make Eden Village a reality, and were glad to see, inside of the Festival, a microcosm of our camp community and vision in action. May we all be blessed with an exciting sense of purpose, resilient connections, meaningful relationships and creative fun!

In monoculture, most iconically pictured in a dense stand of identical, chemically fertilized corn stalks, modern techniques of mechanization and chemical pest control are employed to make single commodity production as ‘efficient’ as possible. In reality that efficiency is only possible through the use of fossil fuels, to power the combines that have replaced human hands, and to be converted into chemical fertilizer that has replaced living soil. Every aspect of the plant’s life-cycle is isolated and controlled.

Forest gardening does not isolate, it invites. On Sukkot, we invite ushpizin, exalted guests, into our dwelling place. According to the Lurianic Kabbalists, each of the teacher/ancestors we ask to sit with us in our Sukkah represents one of the seven ‘lower’ sefirot, emanations of divine energy. In the same way, when planting our forest garden, we create plant guilds, inviting a connected but diverse cast of characters that each bring their own strategies for survival and reproduction, their own ecological specialties, their own medicine, their own invertebrate friends, their own tastes and smells, their own unique divine presence into our community.

In addition, when starting a new plant guild, we often add mychorhizal inoculant, a concentrated pro-biotic syrup to help transform the rocky clay that makes up the majority of our land into rich dense, living, soil. These microbes (fungi, yeasts, and bacteria) allow organic matter in the soil to break down, allow tree roots to absorb nutrients and moisture more efficiently, and enable certain plants to pull nitrogen out of the air and ‘fix’ it in the soil, making it available for other plants. Trusting in their invisible power and utter precision, we can feel with great depth the immaculate orchestration of the life support systems that make our earthly existence possible.

On Sukkot, we remember the precarious balance of our existence, that all our structures are in fact temporary, even King Solomon’s Temple. At the same time, we revel in the immense abundance of the earth itself, which nurtures and supports us with utter grace and forgiveness. By planting fruit trees, by turning baseball fields and suburban lawns into little gardens of Eden, we are creating a home in the deepest sense. We are not just receiving shefa, divine abundance, but making it our practice, our way of existence. In this sense, we are students of the apple tree and the shiitake mycelium and the winter squash, and even the sun, whose very innermost nature it is to give.

Understanding this, we may choose to shift our thinking from a rhetoric of scarcity, so pervasive in the wider culture today (recession, terrorism, resource scramble), to an ethic of abundance. In fact, studies have been done that show that calorie for calorie, small scale diverse vegetable production is in fact more productive on the same land than fossil fuel based conventional agriculture. And that is just in terms of food production, without factoring in “externalities” such as climate change and poisoned water from pesticides. The ‘fact’ is that the earth wants to feed us, a lot, a lot of lots of different things! In permaculture, we call this overyielding, that by mimicking natural plant communities and working with nature, we are actually more productive than when we attempt to isolate, control, and work against her. This practice is a combination of faith, gratitude, observation, sweat, and participation in the processes of life.

On a deeper level, on Sukkot we combine the four species (myrtle, willow, palm, citron) through the waving the Lulav, in an act of theurgy, a drawing down of the divine, that celebrates this life force by mapping it onto the six directions. As in other earth based wisdom traditions, we honor the sacred directions, the Arba Ruachot, the four winds. The word ruach is commonly used in the context of the life force, or flowing spirit, within our bodies and this is precisely the energy that we invoke in the the waving of the lulav, combining the fragrant and fertile abundance of the etrog with the active, extensive quality of the lulav, traditionally the center protrusion of a date palm. We shake the lulav in mystical extension of the divine flow to the four corners of the earth, as well as outward and inward, tuning the channels of manifestation, and allowing the garden to grow, in ourselves, and all around us.

At Eden Village, our Hebrew Calendar Garden, a technology for exploring living time, is also calibrated to the directions. Large spiraling beds for the months are inhabited by symbolic and seasonal plants. Tevet and Shvat are towards the north, representing the solitary wisdom, and creative potential, of Winter. Adar and Nisan are in the East, drawing forth the inspired energy of Spring. Tammuz and Av are in the South, active and intense in the heat of Summer. And Tishrei, the season of Autumn, is in the West. Our Tishrei bed contains winter squash, an apple tree guild, bee balm, purple violas. In an individual guild, we like to map out physical correspondences between the plant personalities we are bringing in and the energies of the directions. The calendar garden thus allows us to use plants to observe living time and to explore the symbolism of the festivals and the Arba Ruachot.

Sukkot is a great gathering in, as we honor and celebrate the physical and spiritual work of the summer that has culminated in our harvest. The autumnal, westerly qualities of reflection and celebration are present throughout the month of Tishrei, and the High Holy Days in particular, but it is the harvest festival aspect of Sukkot that is most resonant to us.

The Sukkot that we build hearken back to two different ecological relationships that we have lived as Jews. During Temple times, this period was the busiest time of the year, not only sewing next year’s grain, but harvesting as well, and thus huts were built and lived in close to the field while preparing for the pilgrimage to the great harvest festival in Jerusalem. At the same time, Sukkot also carries the older mythical-historical connotation of remembering our passage from Egypt and our wandering in the desert, when we truly lived according to the precarious balance of the elements.

Rabbi David Seidenberg quotes from Yalkut Shimoni, Pikudei: “When Israel was encamped the pillar of cloud was…like a sukkah and made a canopy over the tent from without, and filled the tabernacle mishkan from within…and this was one of the clouds of glory that served Israel forty years in the wilderness: one on their right and one on their left and one before them and one behind them and one above them and the cloud of the Shekhinah between them.”

As the waving of the Lulav honors the great directions, the schach with which we cover the Sukkah reminds us of the wild itself. It must be composed of cut, live branches, and must not be bundled or secured with artificial materials. It is living, natural, wild, and yet is part of our structure. Like a forest garden, it is both wild and domestic. It both shelters us and reminds us of our balanced and temporary existence on this Earth. It must provide shade and dwelling space, and yet remain open to the stars, and open to the rain.

During Sukkot, the rainy season is just beginning in Israel, and we contemplate the joyful and precise balance of our life on this gift-planet. That the rains may come in their proper time, in the proper proportion, not too much, not too little, as we we pray in the latter passage of the V’ahavta and with great emphasis in the latter part of Sukkot. There was a time when our grandfathers and grandmothers were so connected to the rain, that it was a matter of life or death. Eating has always been a holy act for Jews, but in modern times, we have let our agriculture leave us and become industrialized, let our eating leave us and become commercialized. We have lost some of that direct connection to the earth and thus to the water, but have remained a profoundly land based people despite ourselves. Honoring the earthly rhythms in our yearly festival cycles and singing them to life, however deeply encoded in our liturgy, we practice an ancient panentheistic agricultural religion whose purpose is to elevate our earthly existence and breathe unity back into a world that keeps forgetting itself.

But the circumstances of the world are beginning to shake us out of our complacency, that tendency to forget. The wool over our eyes is quite wet, in some parts of the world, and quite on fire in others, and dry as a bone in still others. So we are beginning to feel the effects of our actions, of disconnect, of treating the water, the land, and animals as a material resource to be bought and sold and used and used up. We are feeling the effects of a hundred years of the physical and spiritual monoculture of consumer culture.

By planting trees, by restoring degraded land to garden-kingdom, and by honoring the balance of the elements by dwelling in our sukkat shelomecha, our canopy of peace, we are restoring our human potential, our ability to bring forth. Forest gardens sequester carbon, restore biodiversity, increase water availability, and feed animals and humans for generations into the future. Generational continuity and memory is a foundational principle of Judaism, and can be beautifully expressed in the planting of trees who have productive lifespans in the range of hundreds of years.

One day he was going along the road, when he saw a man planting a carob tree. Honi asked, “In how many years will this tree that you are planting bear fruit?” The man responded, “In seventy years.” Honi asked, “Are you sure that you will live seventy more years to enjoy the fruit of this tree?!” The man said, “I was born into a world with carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted for me, so I plant for my descendants.”

Talmud Bavli Ta’anit 23a

As we allow the joyous gathering in energy of Sukkot to infuse our winter with life and possibility, may we draw inspiration from the wild places, and bring them into our dwelling places, plant a wild and abundant garden for future generations, and remember and praise the source of our provenance.