eco-bio-ezo Jews

I found myself with a bunch of goats and jewish activists during the weekend - somehow -  in the  woods of Connecticut, two hours from New York, at the Isabella Freedman Retreat Center (IF)

Even though I am in genera open to spirituality - whatever this word should mean - I tend to have some  second thoughts about this eco-bio-ezo culture - like all urban fighters - and I did not understand so much how Jewry comes into the picture. I don't say that I understood it all, but it is much more clear now that I came here. Who would not have fun in such a wonderful environment, in the middle of a forest, by a lake, where you are waken by birds singing, and you are fed by only bio food. The most compelling  was though the credibility - and seriousness - its done here: the soap, the toilet flushing, the wooden floor in the jurt, the cheese made out of the goat milk and the most efficient (German) heater system - all work according to the latest rules of ecological sustainability. Everything is simple and natural - at the same time everything is comfortable. and beautiful. All this put in the Jewish context - synagogue on the lake side, kosher food, Jewish texts, books- all provide an interesting plus - an additional point of access, point of connection - for Jews, or thos who feel connected to it. Naturally there are things that are too much / and not enough - the spiritual kabalath shabath was a bit below my expectations, but in the end of the day it was nice, too. 

On the first day I spent hours in the bookstore - I tried to understand, decipher where I am by  looking at the books, cds. It is amazing how wide the culture of spiritually alternative Jewry is in America - (renewal, spiritual, yoga, kabbalah, reconstuctioniss, LGBT, organic jewish cooking book,  Jewish meditation, etc.) and also a lot of stuff about Jewish social justice. The connection of the two is not evident - for me - the conference where I am is also trying to explain this connection with more or less success.
The shop had its effect, I spent all my money on cds, e.g. I bought the two cds of Rav Raz that I was looking for in Jerusalem, because someone told me he saw it, but I did not find it. I guess, I needed to come until Connecticut to get it...

The IF is by the way a selfsustaining organic place, with several programs during the year -  drumming, editation, music workshop, yohga, organic farming, sukot, pesach, etc. You can be recharged here - for longer or shorter time or just simply rent out the facilities for a conference. Kosher kitchen, synagogues(in one fo the a torah ark from reused materials)
or an synagoge with windows looking at the lake. The center was made in 1893 by the Jewish working gorls society. The agency was established to offer Jewish working women, primarily immigrants in the New York garment industry, an affordable vacation. The agency paid for the vacation and reimbursed campers for lost wages. In the 1940s Camp Lehman began offering co-ed summer vacations to young adults, including ex-GIs and students who could not otherwise afford a vacation. In 1956, the agency moved to its current home in Falls Village, CT, and began serving a new segment of the Jewish community, senior adults. In the early 1990s the agency began to open its doors year-round, and it became the primary retreat center for the Jewish communities of New York and New England. Each year, over 30 Jewish organizations, spanning the denominational spectrum, hold retreats at Isabella Freedman. In 1994, in partnership with Surprise Lake Camp, we developed the Teva Learning Center an innovative experiential learning program for Jewish elementary school students that integrates ecology, Jewish spirituality, and environmental activism. In the spring of 2003, Isabella Freedman developed a new program called ADAMAH: The Jewish Environmental Fellowship. ADAMAH is a leadership training program for Jewish young adults that teaches the vital connection between Judaism and environmental stewardship.

IF is a CSA,harvest is weekly, and the food is delivered to the members in the area.

Kashrut and sustainability is not always easy to reconcile.  The pickles that are made here, are put in glasses, which cannot be returned for re-use because of kashrut. All of the food that we consume here is grown here. The transportation of the food that is brought in or out are done by  trucks that run on vegetable oil.  The vegetable oil is collected from the resturants nearby.

I know this from Shamu, one of the key people running the place, who speaks Hungarian, btw. and is the cousin of  Marom's partner in Hungary, the owner of  Kőleves ...

This is funny, because we have been working together with Kőleves on our project Bánkitó, a similar project ideology - experience  - a lake + Jews + social justice + ecology /sustainability

This here is less civilised, it is not a village, but a camp, and not only for 4 days, but for the whole year . It is funny that the jewish yoga - renewal - social justice embodies a holistic philosphy of all is one - two points of the world - ánk and Falls Village can be connected through so many points.

The conference where I am is called SIACH  which means dialogue but also meditation, it is also the root of the word messiah. The participants are Jewish organizations' leaders, acitivists, who are running some kind of social justice project.  MOstly americans, but a lot of organizations from Israel, also, and some from the UK.  Yesterday, e.g. the director of AJWS, Ruth Messinger talked, who is the American star of Jewish social justice.  The american organizer of the conference is Hazon - that among others organizes biker- demonstrations, and are committed to social justice.An other linking point with Bánkitó - where we also incorporated the biker-subculture. Until now the most heated debate of the conference was about Israel - and about the relation of the Jewish social justice scene to Israel. People talk about "mccarthianism" - apparently there cannot be a helthy dialogue about Israel in America within the Jewish community, because the criticism of Israel is not accepted. This is mostly true in organizations / institutions athat are engaged in Jewish continuity, education, etc. ,as the donors of these organizations are rather right-center regarding Israel. The more liberal left wing Jewish donors usually support rather art, culture, hospital, universities, etc. Other than this there were a lot of interesting individuals, organizations here, and it was an intensive relaxing, and inspiring experience, even if there was not as much discussions about social justice issues really, as I expected - but it is to be continued.

Nachlaot - an other Jewish quarter

Nachlaot to me is a  bit like Budapest' Jewish quarter, even if there are no traces of such rich cultural life here. However, there are many similarities. It is here that you can catch the genius loci - that must have been characteristic to all of Jerusalem in the old times. The old street structure is preserved, narrow spaces, tiny squares, trees and bushes, stones of many hundred years, spectacular doors - and cats.Also, here you can find a sense of community, young people who live in alternative ways.

Some old houses are deserted, and there are poorer and richer parts next to each pther. Most of it is renovated though, and because of its central location, and its historical and architectural character - real estate prices are quite high here.



Nachlaot - means estates or privately owned lands in Hebrew. It is a small island located opposite the Jerusalem market (Machane Hayehuda). Over the borders of Nachlaot it is rather dirty, noisy, and busy traffic, reflects modern architecture - but entering the small streets here you suddenly feel like walking in a fairy-tale world, you hear stories, see birds, smell images.

The two busy roads are its boders - Bezalel and Agripas just stress the outstanding charm of this area. Agripas became quite impossible since they relocated the buses here from Jaffo - to give space to the new tram. (The tram is already running! - but noone can use it yet - so its like a ghost of the future - I heard of several versions when it will be open for the public - it seems like the latest November)

Just like in Cracow's, Berlin's, New York's or Budapest's old (Jewish)quarters, Nachlaot attracts students, artists and forever-youngs - who have here an additional hippi-religious feature. Thus, some of its street art also reflects its relation to Judaism.

Nachlaot style

Whoever is strolling here will find tiny old synagogues among the romantic buildings and hidden squares shaded by orange trees. For instance here is the community of the hasid-like, hippi-like, music-oriented rabbi (Rav) Raz, one of the coolest communities of Jerusalem. It is located on the corner of Aryeh and Mishkanot streets. You enter at a blue gate, then climb up on steep stairs. Kabalath shabbath is an absolute must here, sacharit is more fun for guys - as it is not egalitarian. The mechitsah is in the middle, the stands in front of it, right in the middle to the men and women side in the front - just like the torah ark, which is located on the center (in the front). Rav Raz is a great spiritual leader who is using his siddur partially to give the basic rythm - so while singing and moving heavily, he is smashing the book with such a force on the actual page that some pages are already quite devastated and it is hard to say where is the border between the material existence of those words on paper - and the actual meaning / concept of them.

Coming here I finally understood what is kavanah. If you go, expect a lot of singing - and a relative long service - kabalath shabath minimum 1,5 hours (sacharit 3-3,5 hours) - but time flies, and it gives you a chance to actually read the prayers while understanding and experiencing them. Spontaneous dancing, crying, laughing is frequent - and it worth to come right after candle lighting, because it gets crowded very quickly.

Not too much, but Nachlaot also has a bit of usual hip urban staff- there is a second hand clothing store and two pubs - e.g. the Slow Moshe around Nisim Bachar street.
I also have found a small community center here, called Haohel @ Nisim Bachar 25. You can get a very cool design map of Nachlaot here that marks the synagogues, shops, galleries -  even the gnizah! Haohel also organizes own events - Torah learning for men and women, open air kabalath shabath,  community centered leadership training, and much more!

The nearest dish mikveh to my house was also in Nachlaot, if you live in the center and you need one - here you go. The yellow paper warns the people toyveling not to throw the paper everywhere. Dishes can only be dipped once the papers removed - which is sometimes the most challenging part of this weird custom...

This all is of course only the surface and there are  many other small surprises in Nachlaot - this part of the city with its unique atmosphere -
a number one destination for strollers and discoverers, romantics!