Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability

CEO Jakir Manela continues to speak with leaders from across the environmental movement at the intersection of Jewish tradition and modern life. In this episode, he spoke with Rabbi Zelig Golden, the Executive Director of Wilderness Torah on a series called Shmita Slowdown. 

Rabbi Zelig received rabbinic ordination from ALEPH, Alliance for Jewish Renewal and was previously ordained Maggid by Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi ztz”l. He holds a Masters in Jewish Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. He previously worked as an environmental lawyer protecting food and farms and has long guided groups into the wilderness.

This episode was first broadcast on the Shmita Slowdown Series. You can view this and future episodes of this series on Wilderness Torah YouTube channel and learn more about it on the Shmita Slowdown Series webpage. 

In this final live dispatch from Glasgow, Jakir and Nigel reflect on their week at COP 26. They discuss their experiences, the impact its had on them, and the hopes and challenges they see moving forward.

For more information about Hazon at COP 26, visit hazon.org.

Note: Many of the episodes in this series were not published the day they were recorded, and they may not reflect breaking news from COP 26.

Jakir and Nigel sit down with Mariana Bergovoy and Noga Levtzion-Nadan - two Israeli climate leaders. Mariana is the Deputy Head of Department and Senior Audit Manager for the State Comptroller of Israel. She co-authored a recent special audit report about climate action taken by the Israeli government. You can find the report in English here. Noga is a Managing Partner at Value^2, a responsible lending house in Tel Aviv, and the CEO of Greeneye. They discuss the impacts of the climate crisis on Israel, how Israeli civil society and the private sector have already responded, and what further action is still needed.

For more information about Hazon at COP 26, visit hazon.org.

Note: Due to the nature of live recordings and the internet connectivity in the COP26 pavilion, you may notice some variations in the audio quality of this recording.

Nigel has met up with long time Hazon friend, Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed. They discuss their experience at COP26, Tareq's work at the Arava Institute, and the nuances, challenges, opportunities ahead that lay ahead for the American Jewish, Israeli, and Palestinian environmental movements. Dr. Abu Hamed is from East Jerusalem and holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Ankara University (Turkey). In 2008, he established the Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (CREEC) at the Arava Institute. He left the Institute in 2013 to become the Israeli Ministry of Science’s Deputy Chief Scientist, and later the Acting Chief Scientist, the highest ranking Palestinian in the Israeli government. He returned to the Arava Institute in 2016 as Director of CREEC and Academic Director, and was appointed Executive Director in 2021.

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is a leading environmental studies and research institute in the Middle East. With a student body comprised of Jordanians, Palestinians, Israelis, and participants from around the world, their mission is to advance cross-border environmental cooperation in the face of political conflict.

For more information about Hazon at COP 26, visit hazon.org.  For more information about the Arava Institute, visit arava.org.

Note: Due to the nature of live recordings and the internet connectivity in the COP26 pavilion, you may notice some variations in the audio quality of this recording.

On the second day of COP 26, Jakir met up with Reverend Susan Hendershot. Rev. Susan Hendershot has served as president of Interfaith Power & Light since 2018. She was raised in a blue-collar family outside of Cleveland, Ohio. After graduate school, she moved to Iowa, where she was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and served as a pastor in local congregations, focusing on social justice. Since the year 2000, Interfaith Power & Light has partnered with thousands of congregations to address climate change by stewarding Creation.

For more information about Hazon at COP 26, visit hazon.org.  For more information about Interfaith Power & Light, visit www.interfaithpowerandlight.org/. 

Note: These episodes are not published on the same day they are recorded, some of the conversations may not reflect breaking news at COP 26.

In this series, Jakir Manela, CEO of Hazon, and Nigel Savage, Founder and Former CEO of Hazon, speak with global faith leaders during their visit to COP 26. During each episode, they will debrief the day’s events with a different leader and learn how their guests are Sounding the Call for action on the climate crisis.

“The task is not yours to finish, neither are you free to set it aside.” – Ethics of Our Fathers 2:16

The COP26 summit has brought global leaders together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Hazon will be there too — advocating for bold, meaningful action. We are not alone in this fight. Join Jakir and Nigel as they talk with leaders from around the world who are also leading faith-based climate action. This series begins on Tuesday, November 2nd, and new episodes will be released regularly throughout the COP 26 conference.

Today, Jakir is getting to know his new friend Gopal Patel, Co-Founder and Director of Bhumi Global and Co-Chair of the UN Multi-Faith Advisory Council. They discuss the events of Monday November 1, 2021, the first day of COP26. This conversation is brought to you from the floor of the COP26 pavilion, please excuse some background noise from the excitement of the event!

For more information about Hazon at COP 26, visit hazon.org. For more information about Bhumi Global, visit bhumiglobal.org.

Note: These episodes are not published on the same day they are recorded, some of the conversations may not reflect breaking news at COP 26.

The final episode features co-hosts Hannah Perez-Postman and Adam Brock and their guest speakers, Candi Cdebaca and Yoshi Silverstein. They discuss environmental justice and how to create equal access and rights to a healthy environment, including land, water, air, and food through the lens of Shmita. You will also hear what brought them to their work as activists and what we all can do to contribute to and organize for a more just society for everyone.

Candi Cdebaca- Member of the Denver City Council, 9th District.

CdeBaca is a proud fifth-generation native of northeast Denver, Colorado, and a graduate of Manual High School and the University of Denver. Raised by a single mother and grandparents, Candi understands the importance of tight-knit communities and stepping up for neighbors in need. Candi is also the first LGBTQ Latina and first Democratic Socialist to serve on Denver City Council.  She is a fierce advocate for justice and against the criminalization of poverty, environmental racism, and the displacement of Denver’s black and brown communities.

Yoshi Silverstein- Founder and Executive Director, Mitsui Collective.

Yoshi is a Chinese-Ashkenazi-American Jew and an educator, coach, speaker, husband, and father. Yoshi was Director of the JOFEE Fellowship at Hazon from its launch through its first four cohorts, catalyzing the growth and leadership of over 60 emerging professionals working across the US and Canada in the realm of Jewish relationship to land, food, culture, climate, and community. He holds over two decades of experience in both Jewish and secular outdoor, food, farming, and environmental education.

Enjoy this fifth episode, featuring co-hosts Hannah Perez-Postman and Adam Brock and their guest speakers, Renee Millard-Chacon Youth Program Development Coordinator at Spirit of the Sun, and Leora Cockrell, Organizer with Jews on Ohlone Land. They discuss Indigenous rights through the lens of Shmita, during which our guests will speak about what brought them to their work as activists and what we all can do to contribute and organize for a more just society for everyone.

Renee Millard-Chacon - Youth Program Development Coordinator, Spirit of the Sun

Writer, educator, Danzante Azteca, Xicana activist, and most importantly the mother of two sons. She is an indigenous womxn of Dine/Mexica decent, fighting for future generations and committed to relating climate justice to social justice. She has worked with the International Indigenous Youth Council, 350.org, Four Winds American Indian Council of Denver, Womxn From the Mountain, and Earth Day Live 2020, in hosting, organizing, and leading marches, workshops, and educational resources for social justice and environmental justice. She welcomes any respectful correspondence to start doing the tedious but powerful work of creating better relations in spaces that deserve to be healed because of the trauma from historical inequality and environmental racism.

Leora Cockrell - Organizer with Jews on Ohlone Land.

Leora grew up on Wopumnes-Nisenan-Mewuk land in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. Leora received their bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture and minor in Gender Studies at UC Davis. Leora is now in the Masters of Social Change Program at Starr King School for the Ministry on Lisjan, Ohlone land studying and working on right relationships with land and Indigenous people as part of the diasporic Jewish community.

Please enjoy this fourth episode, featuring co-hosts Hannah Perez-Postman and Adam Brock and their guest speakers, Paul Sherman, Outreach Manager for Mazon, and Dr. Damien Thompson, Co-founder of Frontline Farming in Colorado and Director of the Center for Food Justice and Healthy Communities. They discuss food justice and food sovereignty through the lens of Shmita, during which our guests will speak about what brought them to their work as activists and what we all can do to contribute and organize for a more just society for everyone.

Damien Thompson, PhD

Co-founder, Frontline Farming in Colorado and Director, Center for Food Justice and Healthy Communities.

Damien is an Associate Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Criminal Justice at Regis University where he directs the Community Food Systems program. In addition to his training in anthropology, Dr. Thompson also holds certification in Permaculture Design and a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teaching Certification. 

Paul has more than six years of experience in community organizing with both Jewish and anti-hunger organizations. After founding theUniversity of Denver’s chapter of Food Recovery Network, he completed a fellowship at theirnational office in College Park, Maryland. Paul has a B.A. in Religious Studies and International Studies from the University of Denver. Paul implements MAZON’s priorities on the East Coast by identifying and developing relationships with Jewish community-based organizations, including synagogues and anti-hunger organizations.

Please enjoy this third episode, featuring co-hosts Hannah Perez-Postman and Adam Brock and their guest speakers, Siena Mann, Campaign Manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and Rosa Sabido, an activist and leader in the Sanctuary movement and founder of the organization Rosa Belongs Here. This hour-long conversation will be a discussion of immigrant rights work through the lens of Shmita and the Torah's wisdom on treating "the stranger", during which our guests will speak about what brought them to their work as activists and what we all can do to contribute and organize for a more just society for everyone.

In this season, we are sharing the recordings of a six part speaker series called Acting for Change, Creating Justice produced by Ekar Farms, an earth-based Jewish urban farm in Denver, CO. We will look at how to use ancient Jewish traditions, like Shmita, to catalyze conversations that inspire individual and collective actions to work towards justice. Each episode will have a new speaker to explore the interwoven themes of Judaism, connection to land, and modern social justice movements. We hope this series will inspire you to take action on some of these issues during the upcoming Shmita Year. You can learn more about this series and other programs at www.ekarfarm.org/shmita. This series is produced in partnership with the Shmita Project. The Shmita Project is working to expand awareness about the biblical Sabbatical tradition, and to bring the values of this practice to life today to support healthier, more sustainable Jewish communities. Learn more at www.shmitaproject.org.

Featured Guests:

Siena has been active in justice movements since graduating from Haverford College with a B.A. in Spanish Literature in 2014. Siena moved back to Colorado and became an active local organizer in Colorado Springs in the deportation resistance movement. She helped found the Colorado Springs Sanctuary Coalition and was an active member of CIRC’s member group Grupo Esperanza. Siena joined CIRC as the South Regional Organizer from 2018-2019. As one of CIRC’s Organizing and Campaign Managers, Siena's work now focuses on making improvements to the SB251 Driver’s License for All program, coordinating the I Drive/Yo Manejo Coalition and fighting for data privacy for all.

Rosa has lived in the United States for more than 30 years. She works as the Secretary at the Catholic Church. For the past six years, Rosa has been granted a Stay of Removal by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) until May 11,2017, when the agency declined to grant her most recent request. Facing deportation Rosa sought “sanctuary” while she works to remain in her community in the country she calls home, and to care for her U.S. citizen parents.