Hazon Food Conference Report

By Adi Segal, Coordinator, NRC Green Camp Initiative

December 31, 2008

Attending the Hazon Food Conference was truly a fulfilling experience. I spent four amazing days with over 500 participants ranging in age from six months to 75, which included farmers, doctors, lawyers, business people, and student activists. The Hazon Food Conference is at the forefront of a national movement that explores the intersection of Jewish life and contemporary food issues. Conference themes focused on Jewish food culture, food law and policy, kosher meat issues, health and nutrition, cooking and gardening, and Israeli food and agriculture (for more information visit www.hazon.org/foodconference). The conference provided me with the opportunity to expand the Green Camp Initiative curriculum and more importantly, network with professionals and lay leaders in the field.

I was inspired by the mere number of people who care about such an important cause. It was encouraging to witness Rabbi Seth Mandel, Orthodox Union Kosher Rabbinic Coordinator for Meat Facilities, sit on a panel with Rabbi Morris Allen, founder of Heckscher Tzedek, discussing the ethical failures of Agriprocessors (Rubashkin’s) and the future of sustainable meat. Farmer Michael Abelman spoke about his love for the land and society’s disconnection with what we eat today. He taught that when we don’t know, we don’t care, which leads to major global problems including environmental pollution and humanitarian abuse. The conference clearly defined the importance for a concern about our food sources through Jewish values. With food and eating as a central part of Judaism, it is our obligation to tend and to till the land responsibly.

This is relevant to Ramah in so many ways. We do a lot of eating at camp. As part of the Green Camp Initiative we must reconsider what products the camps buy, their places of origin and how they are produced. It is my vision to have most, if not exclusively, Heckscher Tzedek certified food in the camps this summer. Furthermore, with the meat industry’s carbon footprint greater than that of global transportation, we must evaluate how often meat should be served in camp. 

In addition, as we know, Camp Ramah provides one of the best educational environments. Sustainable eating is only possible through informed buyers. Hopefully, over the next few years we can plant organic gardens in every camp, not only as a sustainable food source, but more importantly as an educational center for the staff and campers. However, the plants will mean nothing without a curriculum. Therefore, I believe Ramah should run Hazon’s new Min Ha’aretz curriculum as a pilot program in at least one camp this coming summer.

Finally, the Hazon Food Conference gave me a great opportunity to meet the leaders of the New Jewish Food Movement. I have begun to build relationships and alliances with people and organizations that will play an integral roll in the development of the Green Camp Initiative. We are already working with the Reform Movement to create a joint program.  Ramah will soon be a leader in summer camp environmental education and activism.

For more information or if you would like to get involved with the Green Camp Initiative, please contact GCI Coordinator Adi Segal.