Register before 10/16 to get great savings and attend the 2009 Hazon Food Conference. Click here to register now. Some scholarships may still be available, check here for more info
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.
Hope to see you there! Register now!