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.