Guest Author - Lisa Pinkus
In order to get information on Jewish farmers today, one must be persistent, willing to venture off on tangents and be creative with their choice of “Googling” words. The top pages returned by search engines include a TIME article from the 1930’s and mentions of Jewish agricultural organizations such as Jewish Farmers of America, the Jewish Farmer Journal and the Jewish Agricultural Society. But, one cannot become too excited because a click to get to one of these agencies yields dead ends, outdated articles, or agencies no longer with us today.
It seems that everything current with today’s Jewish farming efforts (at least in the United States) leads back to an organization called Hazon. According to its website, Hazon’s mission is “ to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community -- as a step towards a healthier and more sustainable world for all”.
Hazon accomplishes this mission through several programs and a motto I love: “The Torah is a commentary on the world, and the world is a commentary on the Torah”. Through bike rides and hikes to an annual food conference, Hazon provides many different avenues for raising awareness for environmental protection and sustainable farming endeavors.
Each time I clicked on another one of Hazon’s programs, I became so excited at what I was reading. The program which really ignited my passion is called Tuv Ha Aretz (Good of the Land/Good from the Land). Tuv Ha Aretz is a program which brings Judaism to Community Supported Agriculture programs. Members are encouraged to partner with local farmers by buying a share of the farmer’s crop. The community supports the farmer and sustainable agriculture in their area while receiving fresh, organic produce in return.
Additionally on Hazon’s website, you will find a program called Min Ha Aretz, an educational program exploring contemporary food issues through a Jewish lens, and Challah for Hunger, an independent project which began in 2004, that later joined forces with Hazon. Located on college campuses, participants bake challot each week, selling them to raise money for the chapter’s chosen cause (for example, Darfur).
Jews and food – two words that go hand in hand. The link between the two is obvious to any Jew, no matter their level of observance. But, most of us focus on kugels, bagels and lox, and decadent Shabbat or holiday meals. The true essence of a Jew and her food goes far beyond the unhealthy -but quite delicious - meals that Jewish mothers are always pushing.
It is actually somewhat perplexing that healthy, sustainable food choices do not come hand in hand with our religion and that one has to search hard for healthy, kosher recipes or Jewish farmers. At the same time, there is a large movement of Jewish eaters (and growers) who are reminding us of the caring philosophies so deep within our faith.
Some of these issues they are addressing and that I encourage you to think about include:
*Halacha (laws) for farming and how G-d’s laws relate to sustainable caretaking of the Earth.
*Brachot we are required to say before and after eating. Are we merely expressing our gratitude to G-d or are we considering all of the people involved in bringing us this food? How might your feelings of gratitude change when you buy your produce directly from a local farmer whom you can establish a relationship with?
*Do we consider what we purchase from the grocery store and how it is produced? Are these items produced with standards to ensure future sustainability – in packaging, materials used, the handling of the land, the waste of the land, etc.?
*If, within the Torah lies these principles of caring for the land and for ensuring future sustainability, why are we so far removed from them?
*Why aren’t there more kosher, organic options readily available to us?
In future weeks, we will explore these issues in depth. But, for now, think about your own answers and if you’d like to make any changes to how you shop, how you eat and how you express gratitude.
