This is a guest post by Leora Mallach, the Co-Founder and Director of Ganei Beantown: Beantown Jewish Gardens. You can join her this Sunday April 22nd to celebrate Earth Day at the first Boston Jewish Food Conference at Hebrew College in Newton Centre, MA. When not shifting paradigms in the Boston Jewish community, she can be found doing batik.
There feels to be a lot of energy currently around the “new Jewish food movement.” It’s not new, nor a passing fad, but a logical element within the continuum of the broader Jewish food conversation.
If we acknowledge it is a movement, and the growth in both national and place-based organizations over the last few years would indicate it is, we must consider where this momentum comes from. What we eat as Jews has been discussed, dictated and consumed from the earliest of days. The story of the migration of our ancestors and their adaption to local culture and cuisine is well documented. It has produced such great rifts like the debate over whose bagels are better: Montreal or NYC. (Duh, NYC)
All religion is interested in sustainability. According to Wikipedia , “Sustainability is the capacity to endure.” Our current rabbinic tradition has origins in the preservation of culture and community after the destruction of the Temple. We are a religious continually struggling with adaption to the period of galut (exile) while still holding true to values, ritual and community. This too has manifested and morphed over the centuries. More »
Hazon has created two new scholarships for the Food Conference. The Haas Foundation has funded a scholarship for LGBT folks and their families, and Pursue (a project of AJWS and Avodah) have funded a “Food Justice Cohort” for folks in their 20s and 30s who are passionate about food justice.
In addition, there are scholarships for Rabbinical Students, Teens, people from Boulder and Colorado, and…
...anyone who needs a little extra financial assistance and who is willing to volunteer while at the conference!
Complete Scholarship info is available here.
Money need not be a barrier to attend the Food Conference. Please consider which friends, co-workers, cousins and other networks you can invite to the Food Conference and share these great opportunities with. Deadlines are approaching very soon.
Additionally, prices are rising on June 7. So now is a great time for someone to register for the Food Conference!
2011 Hazon Food Conference at UC Davis, California August 18 – 21, 2011
Use code “summer11″ for $50 off registration – expires 6/7 Register today! Join the thinkers and doers of the New Jewish Food Movement
for four days of learning and celebration!
Featured Presenters: Dr. Oran B. Hesterman, Ph.D Founder and CEO, Fair Food Network
Have you never been able to attend a Hazon Food Conference because they have always happened in December? Are you in need of a fun, educational and possibly life changing experience this summer? Then you are in luck because the date and venue of the 2011 Hazon Food Conference has been finalized and registration is now open.
From August 18-21 educators, rabbis, farmers, policy makers, chefs, nutritionists, Jews of every shape, size and walk of life will all join together in Davis, CA to explore the connections between Jewish tradition, food, the environment and our lives.
Just to whet your appetites, here is a look at the tracks that will be offered–each featuring dozens of programs and sessions:
Do It Yourself (DIY) Food
Food Justice & Tikkun Olam
Jewish Tradition & Food: History & Culture
Food Systems and Policy
Jewish Agriculture
Health and Nutrition
Text, Values and Tradition
the following is another guest post by Andy Green, a student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. For another of his write-ups click here
And now… the exciting conclusion….:
Friday afternoon, I headed to Ted Merwin’s session on Jewish food in
pop culture. Those present were treated to an old Hebrew National hot
dog radio jingle, the classic yiddish song “Romania”, the deli scene
from “When Harry Met Sally”, and more. I found especially interesting,
the discussion recognizing the routine conflation of gastronomic
pleasure and sexual pleasure in representations of Jewish food
consumption in media. Also, I learned from this session that the terms
delicacy and delicatessen come from the same root suggesting that in
Eastern Europe, deli meats and dishes were consumed as rare
delicacies, far from standard fare.
Next, I hiked with a few other brave souls to the Walter Creek Ranch
Turtle Pond for a mikveh immersion in some exceedingly cold “living
waters.” The hike was about .6 miles each way and much of the trails
were muddy from earlier in the day. Before we stripped and immersed,
we paused as our certified lifeguard and fellow Hazonik Kyle Lebell
offered us some words of intention about mikveh connecting the three
traditional immersions with our experience and prayer for the past
week, present moment, and future week. However, with the exceedingly
cold temperature of the water, I was unsuccessful in retaining full
mindfulness of this intention while immersing. More »
If you’re interested in seeing what types of sessions are being offered at the Food Conference out in Sonoma County you can see the program here.
the following is a guest post by Andy Green, a student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and first-time participant of a Hazon Food Conference, who has shared some of his experiences at the conference currently in progress.
Yesterday afternoon, following our over seven hour carpool from Los
Angeles, we arrived at Walker Creek Ranch for the 5th annual Hazon
Food Conference West at the gorgeous Walker Creek Ranch in Northern
California.
We were greeted by friendly Hazon staffers and participants, provided
with schedules, snacks (including outstanding pineapple ginger
kombucha), and a short amount of time to unpack before the conference
began. An impromptu mincha minyan commenced to enable a participant to
recite kaddish.
For the first session, I briefly visited the babka making class where
I picked up the babka recipe, before heading over to the Fermentation
session. The babka class is making babka that will be ready for
dessert tonight (for our Shabbat evening meal.)
So says Aitan Mizrahi, a cheese maker at Adamah. He recently taught a group of people Hazon Food Conference East Coast how to make cheese with goat milk, and at The Jew and the Carrot you can learn how as well. On a totally different note, it’s fascinating that “goats are the Jews…” is slightly endearing, yet “Jews are the goats…” is horribly offensive.
Apparently Ben Harris at the JTA has video footage forthcoming of this cheese making session, and perhaps some reviews of the locally raised meat cholent, maybe goat?
You may have missed the Food Conference on the East Coast, but it’s not too late to register for Hazon Food Conference West Coast Dec. 23-26
As I write this, the Hazon East Coast Food Conference, which is completely sold out, is commencing. In just two more weeks, the West Coast Food Conference will get under way and spots are still available!!! In years past I have blogged about my experiences at Hazon’s Food Conferences. Unfortunately, this year I will not be able to attend either conference as my wife and I anticipate the arrival (God willing) of our first child. I will do my best to get something on the site from participants who were able to attend each conference. If you’ve never been to a Hazon Food Conference, now is a great time to check out the one Dec 23-26 on the West Coast!
Join the thinkers and doers of the new Jewish Food Movement, where contemporary food conversations meet Jewish traditions.
The fifth annual Hazon Food Conference is the only place where farmers and rabbis, nutritionists and chefs, vegans and omnivores come together to explore the dynamic interplay of food, Jewish traditions, and contemporary life.
Don’t miss four days of lectures, discussions, do-it-yourself food workshops, joyful Shabbat celebrations, and delicious, consciously-prepared food.
The Hazon Food Conference is the only place where farmers and rabbis, nutritionists andchefs, vegans and omnivores come together to explore the dynamic interplay of food, Jewish traditions, and contemporary life.
Don’t miss four days of do-it-yourself
food workshops, lectures, discussions,
joyful Shabbat celebrations,
kids & family programming, and
delicious, consciously-prepared food.
Register before October 31st and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a copy of Sue Fishkoff’s new book, “Kosher Nation: Why More and More of America’s Food Answers to a Higher Authority.” This fascinating book chronicles the growth of the kosher industry in America in the last century — and the last chapter features the Hazon Food Conference and the New Jewish Food Movement!
Hey y’all, I just posted the next part of the Jewish Food Movement series in the Huffington Post, this one focusing on growing sustainable food. My goal in writing these pieces has been to get the word out to people about all the amazing food work happening in Jewish circles: farming, social justice, spirituality, etc…
I’m trying to include all the great work that’s going on, but if there’s anything I missed please let me know in the comments. Last time I posted up the social justice and food piece there was some helpful stuff.
This last decade has seen a burgeoning of awareness into the source of our food, our lack of connection to our food systems and the environmental and health problems inherent in factory farm methods.
The Jewish community, like many communities around the country and globe, became much more active and involved in their food systems and spent much of the last decade establishing the foundations for real change that will bring us into the next decade with a better posture to protect our food security and protect our environment.
In 2000, a book came on the scene that, at the time, received little attention, but soon would be on many reading lists. I’m referring to Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America by Stephen Bloom, who wrote of a small group of New York Lubavitcher Hasidim who ventured to Postville, IA to run the Agriprocessors meat plant in 1987. No matter which way you look at it, this last decade in food in terms of Jewish community and involvement is most notably marked by the emergence of reports of worker and animal abuse and illegal activity in America’s largest kosher slaughter house. More »
Editor’s note: The following guest post is by Rabbi Matt Carl. Rabbi Carl serves Congregation Mt Sinai in Brooklyn Heights and teaches and writes independently. His work and projects can be found at www.rabbimoshe.net.
My first Hazon Food Conference was a wonderful experience. Unable to make it due to scheduling for the last three, I was excited to participate this year, especially since my synagogue will be host to Hazon’s Avodah-AJWS CSA in Brooklyn. This year, I believe for the first time, the conference was held over a weekend that included Asara B’Tevet, a “minor fast” day. Yesterday was a strange experience, as the Food Conference ended with a very different relationship to food than it had the first three days.
I came to the conference with my own opinions and practices about the minor fasts. As a spiritual and contemplative practice, I am a big supporter of fasting on these days. As a Zionist and a realist, I question the practice in this era. That being said, I was quite interested to learn about the fasts from the perspectives of those teaching workshops at the conference. As Shabbat was ending, Rabbi Seth Mandel (the OU‘s head of shechita), Rabbi Ahud Sela (of Conservative congregation Temple Sinai in Los Angeles) and Julie Wolk (founding co-director of Wilderness Torah) presented a panel conversation on fasting, moderated by Dorothy Richman. Julie spoke of her experience on a vision quest and Rabbi Sela of his experience doing a “fast for Darfur,” while Rabbi Mandel spoke more generally of the role of fasting in Jewish spiritual life. Yesterday, during the fast, Rabbi Steve Greenberg taught “The Hunger Artist: Fasting as Body Cleansing” with Biblical, Rabbinic and contemporary texts on the experience, meaning and purpose of fasting. More »
As readers might remember, dlevy and I like to cook. And we’re all about the organic, free-range food in our kosher kitchen. Okay, so one of us is all about the organic and free-range, and the other likes food that’s, well, gross. Sugary, deep-fried, processed, in a can? That’s dlevy’s idea of delicious. My influence can only go so far.
For what it’s worth, only one of us plucked and kashered free-range, local, nearly-organic chicken this year, and it wasn’t TWJ. Enjoying deep-fried, sugary goodness and caring about the planet and what goes into our body don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
But we were thinking: While others who care about Jewish food are affirming their views, and giving themselves pats on the back, at the Hazon Food Conference in California, what can we do from Jamaica Plain, MA? And then dlevy found his inspiration: Organic Batter Blaster! On many a grocery shopping trip, dlevy has lusted over this product, while I’ve laughed and mocked. The only thing stopping him from purchasing it in the past was the lack of hecksher. (Un)fortunately, that is no longer a hindrance as Organic Batter Blaster is now OU certified.
Shabbat at the Hazon Food Conference is an exceptional experiment in pluralism. I wish I had the time to comment on it, but perhaps that will be saved for reflections tomorrow evening once I’m back home. For now, I will report on the sessions I sat in on today. The first involved a private meeting with current and future rabbis (and the occasional educator) and Nigel Savage, the director of Hazon and a true visionary. The second session, titled “The Vegetable Monologues,” after “The Vagina Monologues,” focused on the stories of three Jewish, female farmers. Before Havdallah, I attended a session of the status of Genetically Modified Organisms in Halakhah put on by Zelig Golden, an environmental lawyer with the Center for Food Safety and Rabbi David Seidenberg. More »
The second day of the 2009 Hazon Food Conference is another GORGEOUS, sunny California day. This morning I was able to attend two sessions. The first was focusing on kosher slaughter, specifically regarding the chickens which were slaughtered and prepped by volunteers at the conference a few days ago. The next session I attended was focused on how, as individuals and communities, we can better situate ourselves in the fight against hunger. More »
It is so wonderful to be on the idyllic central California coast with 630+ people all interested in discussing the relationship between issues of food justice, nutrition, and the environment, and how it relates to the Jewish community. The participants here represent 5 countries, 29 states in the US, come from all sorts of backgrounds and identities, and are all here to forge community for the next three days.
The breathtaking drive from Los Angeles to Monterey distracted me to the point that I was not able to make it to the conference center in time for the afternoon sessions that kicked off the conference, so below is a write-up of this evening’s events.
As this is a Jewish food conference, we were treated this Christmas Eve to Chinese food and movies. While there were amazing movies to choose from, I chose to go with a documentary on the Jewish community of Petaluma, CA called “A Home on the Range,” which was directed and produced by Bonnie Burt and Judy Montell. More »
Tomorrow afternoon commences the fourth, not third as I previously wrote, Hazon Food Conference.
Beginning tomorrow evening (local time), I will be blogging on the sessions and workshops I participate in, along with my thoughts. I will do my best to attend sessions from a diverse array of perspectives. Looking forward to seeing anyone out there who will be present or is already there!
Enjoy this video from last year’s conference featuring our own Ari Hart.
And if you’re already near Monterey, CA or feeling particularly spontaneous, it’s still not to late to register.
In just one week, hundreds of people from around the world will be gathering on the gorgeous central California coast near Monterey is learn about and discuss the roles of Jewish communities in regards to issues of food security, food justice, nutrition and environmental protection, just to name a few. Hazon is continuing what has become an annual tradition of a kosher slaughter of sustainable and locally raised animals. The first year, a goat was slaughtered; last year people enjoyed a whole slew of turkeys. This year, Hazon is stepping it up a bit and having volunteers purchase and assist in the slaughter and preparation of chickens before the conference begins.
In addition to incredible workshops and informational sessions on topics related to food, the Hazon Food Conference exhibits inclusiveness and pluralism at its best, featuring numerous minyanim to suit any affiliation, a Shabbat friendly environment (and maybe even an eruv this year!). A couple of examples of topics people will be learning about are:
Do-It-Yourself Food
Food Justice
Jewish Tradition and Food: History and Culture
Health and Nutrition
Food Systems and Sustainability
Israel: Food & Agriculture
Jewish Food Education
Fasting and the Holiday of Asara B’Tevet
This year’s conference looks really exciting. Here’s a sampling of what type of programs will be offered at the conference from the Hazon website:
Do-It-Yourself Food
Before there was a frozen food aisle in the supermarket, people enjoyed nutritious, naturally preserved food…This year sessions will be more hands-on than ever, covering everything from making your own cheese, pickles, pastrami, and more.
Food Justice
There is a need for a response from the New Jewish food movement to address root food justice issues and to link the food movement with the vibrant Jewish culture of social justice organizing….This track will examine the role of power and privilege and how it plays out in the food industry. Issues include justice, workers rights, greenwashing, and how we can all be more responsible consumers.
Jewish Tradition and Food: History and Culture
Whether it’s the fact that our religion is an agricultural one at its core, or that the myriad of holidays have spawned world renowned culinary traditions, Jews have a rich and vibrant food history and culture. This track will cover the history of Jewish farmers, explore the importance of the knish among other Jewish staples, and offer a “101” session on kashrut (kosher laws) and more.
Health and Nutrition
Sessions in this track will guide participants in discovering new ways of thinking about the foods we choose to put in our bodies from physical, social, mental and spiritual health perspectives. Gain new wisdom and share your experiences with nutritionists, chefs, activists, and doctors who will offer information and expertise on food and its effect on the body during pregnancy, while exercising, and as a child. A highlight in this track is the veggie chef roundtable and a special session for gluten-free attendees.
Food Systems and Sustainability
This track will address farmers and farming methods (including urban farming) as well as issues around food distribution, food policy, and the connections (or lack thereof) between rural and urban food systems. Meet innovators, policymakers, farmers, and entrepreneurs who are working to increase access and food that is produced without depleting natural resources, compromising biodiversity, or contaminating the soil, air, and water necessary for our planet’s survival.
Israel: Food & Agriculture
Explore the growing food movement in Israel with a focus on permaculture, politics, and people. Explore Israel, farmland, and transitioning from the early idealism of the kibbutz (collective farms) to current privatized agribusiness. Learn about Israel’s soup kitchens and food pantries serving low-income families on Shabbat and the chagim (holidays) . Hear about the advances and struggles within the sustainable agriculture movement and farming industry in Israel from the Israeli and Palestinian perspectives.
Jewish Food Education
From composting in the classroom to picking parsley at a farm, food and farming is being used as a platform for innovative Jewish education. This track is targeted at Jewish professional and lay educators who want to learn more about how to connect food and farming to formal and informal learning environments.
Food for Thought
On Saturday afternoon, the entire community will come together to learn from Food for Thought, Hazon’s sourcebook on Jews, food, and contemporary life.
Fasting and the Holiday of Asara B’Tevet
This year, the Food Conference falls over Asara B’Tevet, a minor fast day in the Jewish calendar. Attend sessions discussing the meaning of fasting and what fasting represents for Jews in the context of a food conference and of our changing relationship to food. Develop a deeper understanding of the Jewish tradition of fasting and its role in contemporary life.
Questions?
, but please don’t blame him for this video.
Shabbat at the Hazon Food Conference is an exceptional experiment in pluralism. I wish I had the time to comment on it, but perhaps that will be saved for reflections tomorrow evening once I’m back home. For now, I will report on the sessions I sat in on today. The first involved a private meeting with current and future rabbis (and the occasional educator) and Nigel Savage, the director of Hazon and a true visionary. The second session, titled “The Vegetable Monologues,” after “The Vagina Monologues,” focused on the stories of three Jewish, female farmers. Before Havdallah, I attended a session of the status of Genetically Modified Organisms in Halakhah put on by 
The first year, a goat was slaughtered; last year people enjoyed a whole slew of turkeys. This year, Hazon is stepping it up a bit and having volunteers purchase and assist in the slaughter and preparation of chickens before the conference begins.
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