C CCANADIAN SOIL , J,, JJ, J EWISH ROOTS · CCCANADIAN SOIL, J,, JJ, J EWISH ROOTS. .. . Rooted in...
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CCCCANADIANANADIANANADIANANADIAN SOILSOILSOILSOIL, J, J, J, JEWISHEWISHEWISHEWISH ROOTSROOTSROOTSROOTS. . . .
Rooted in Jewish wisdom and prac�ce, Shoresh's environmental
programs respond to contemporary food and ecological issues.
Through experien�al educa�on and ac�on, Shoresh creates meaningful
Jewish life and builds a more sustainable and connected community.
Shoresh means “root” in Hebrew – grounded in Canadian soil, Shoresh
is helping community members get back to their Jewish roots!
A MA MA MA MESSAGEESSAGEESSAGEESSAGE FROMFROMFROMFROM SSSSHORESHHORESHHORESHHORESH December 2014 • Kislev 5775
This past year was one of change and growth for Shoresh and we are thriving!
A few highlights:
• We wrapped up our second year at the Kavanah Garden’s permanent home adding a compost
demonstra0on site, more raised veggie beds, an expanded na0ve pollinator garden, and with a plan
for developing a community orchard and new Jewish educa0onal signage next season;
• We started a new garden in partnership with Jewish Family and Child Services (JFCS), growing
hundreds of kilograms of fresh, local, organic produce for tzedakah;
• We harvested over 70 kilograms of honey (that’s 150 pounds!) from our bees at Bela Farm just in
0me for Rosh Hashanah;
• AND Shoresh was listed in the Slingshot Resource Guide as one of the 82 most innova�ve Jewish
organiza�ons in North America for the THIRD 0me!
For a detailed look at how we grew and achieved our mission of building a more sustainable and connected
community through educa0on and ac0on, keep reading!
The past few weeks have been a flurry of ac0vity as we prepared for the winter months. We mulched our
garlic, insulated our bee hives, pruned our fruit trees, and even organized years of files at the Shoresh
office. Now that our “spaces” are ready for a period of rest and release, so too are we as an organiza0on
ready to focus our energies inward. To coincide with Shmitah (a biblically mandated year of rest, release,
and redistribu0on that began on Rosh Hashanah), Shoresh is entering a period of strategic planning for our
young organiza0on. To internalize the Shmitah principles of restora0on and equaliza0on, we are taking
this year to reflect, re-vision, and plan so that we can con0nue to be a strong voice for change and
sustainability.
To our incredible community of staff, volunteers, program par0cipants, and donors, thank you for all of the
ways you have supported us this past year! We are so grateful to have the upcoming year for reflec0on
and planning and look forward to sharing with you all of the ways we will be actualizing our vision as we
con0nue to grow.
With gra0tude,
Andrea Most Risa Alyson Cooper Sabrina Malach
Chair, Board of Directors Execu0ve Director Director of Community Outreach
P.S. We’ve redesigned our Year-In-Review! Each sec0on reflects a different piece of our mission and
highlights some of the amazing programs and ac0vi0es we offer.
EEEEXPERIENTIALXPERIENTIALXPERIENTIALXPERIENTIAL EEEEDUCATIONDUCATIONDUCATIONDUCATION KKKKAVANAHAVANAHAVANAHAVANAH GGGGARDENARDENARDENARDEN In 2014, more than 600 community members helped care for the
Kavanah Garden, our permanent home at UJA’s Lebovic Jewish
Community Campus. Together we grew hundreds of pounds of local,
organic produce that was donated to our tzedakah partners at JFCS.
Through fieldtrips, volunteer opportuni0es, free community drop-ins and
Jewish fes0vals, we raised awareness of Jewish ways of interac�ng with
and apprecia�ng the natural world. With the help of Regional Councillor
Deb Schulte and the Regional Municipality of York, we now have a giant
water cistern and a three-bin compos0ng system! Plans for 2015 include
plan�ng more vegetable garden beds, expanding our na�ve pollinator
garden and breaking ground for our new fruit orchard.
“The Kavanah Garden is a place that brings the words
of the Torah to life.” - Program par�cipant
UUUURBANRBANRBANRBAN TTTTEVAEVAEVAEVA AAAADVENTURESDVENTURESDVENTURESDVENTURES ((((NEWNEWNEWNEW!)!)!)!)
This year we introduced a new series of hands-on programs called Urban
Teva Adventures to more than 250 community members! These guided
nature walks through Toronto’s parks and ravines give people an
opportunity to discover the plants and animals that live in Toronto’s
ecosystems, while exploring Jewish understandings of the rela�onship
between humans and the natural world.
/ralA xys ;rtv
SSSSPEAKPEAKPEAKPEAK WITHWITHWITHWITH THETHETHETHE EEEEARTHARTHARTHARTH
ANDANDANDAND ITITITIT WILLWILLWILLWILL TEACHTEACHTEACHTEACH YOUYOUYOUYOU. . . .
JJJJOB 12:8
AAAACTIONCTIONCTIONCTION MMMMAXIEAXIEAXIEAXIE’’’’SSSS GGGGARDENARDENARDENARDEN ((((NEWNEWNEWNEW!)!)!)!) Last May, Shoresh started a community garden in
Kensington Market in partnership with Jewish Family and
Child Services (JFCS). For 23 weeks, our staff and interns
met with JFCS’s Back to Our Roots Garden Group,
teaching vulnerable community members how to grow
their own produce organically. Together, we harvested
over 500 pounds of local, organic veggies and herbs that
went directly to the people growing the produce. Helping
people help themselves is the highest form of tzedakah!
“I didn't realize that the garden would be so
therapeu�c—weeding is medita�ve and I have
a deeper connec�on to the planet and G-d."
- JFCS Client
VVVVOLUNTEERSOLUNTEERSOLUNTEERSOLUNTEERS In 2014, Shoresh’s diverse and commiKed volunteers gave
over 1600 hours of their 0me to support our programs and
ini0a0ves. One excep0onal volunteer, Ryan Storm,
donated a por0on of his Bar Mitzvah giLs to our pollinator
conserva0on ini0a0ves including our growing na�ve
pollinator corridor at the Kavanah Garden and our apiary
at Bela Farm. With Ryan’s help we were able to purchase a
honey extractor and harvested over 150 pounds of honey
from our hives just in 0me for Rosh Hashanah! Thanks
Ryan and Mazel Tov!
PPPPEOPLEEOPLEEOPLEEOPLE’’’’SSSS CCCCLIMATELIMATELIMATELIMATE MMMMARCHARCHARCHARCH 2014 was the hoKest year on record. In September,
Shoresh joined 100 other Jewish groups at the largest
protest on climate change in world history. Alongside
400,000 individuals in New York and 3000 individuals in
Toronto, we marched because we believe that climate
change is a Jewish issue. As Jews, we are commanded to
be stewards of Crea0on, taking care of the earth and all its
creatures. We need to demand ac�on by world leaders to
create an economy that supports both people and the
planet.
MMMMEANINGFULEANINGFULEANINGFULEANINGFUL JJJJEWISHEWISHEWISHEWISH LLLLIFEIFEIFEIFE BBBBELAELAELAELA FFFFARMARMARMARM
Shoresh is building a rural centre for sustainable land-based Judaism at
Bela Farm in Hillsburgh, Ontario! Home to Shoresh’s bees, fruit trees,
garlic crop, and perennial spaces dedicated to our na0ve pollinators, Bela
Farm hosts a full season of transforma0ve educa0onal programs that are
rooted in Jewish values and prac0ces and open to all. In 2014, we
doubled our garlic produc�on, quadrupled our honey harvest (thanks to
our hard working honey bees) and enabled hundreds of community
members to deepen their Jewish roots in Canadian soil by exploring
Jewish prac0ce in the spectacular outdoor seMng that is Bela Farm.
SSSSHORESHHORESHHORESHHORESH FFFFOODOODOODOOD CCCCONFERENCEONFERENCEONFERENCEONFERENCE Last February, Shoresh hosted our THIRD annual (sold-out) Jewish Food
Conference bringing together over 100 foodies, farmers, rabbis,
students and ac�vists to explore the intersec�ons between Jewish
tradi�on and contemporary food and ecological issues. Par0cipants leL
feeling empowered to make food choices inspired by and aligned with
Jewish values and ethics.
“I am inspired and amazed. I felt a sense of community
that I had been missing & a new found commitment to
the path I'm on. Thank you for crea�ng a welcoming
environment that engenders such innova�ve &
transforma�onal views of the world.”
- Food Conference Par�cipant
SSSSUSTAINABLEUSTAINABLEUSTAINABLEUSTAINABLE CCCCOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITY
BBBBELAELAELAELA’’’’SSSS BBBBEESEESEESEES Honey bees are in serious trouble
as their popula0ons con0nue to
decline due to habitat loss and
widespread pes0cide use. At Bela
Farm, Shoresh is working to help
the bees through sustainable
beekeeping. We currently have
three hives and are hoping to
double our honey produc�on so
we can share the sweet nectar
from Bela Farm’s flowers with the
community next Rosh Hashanah.
What beKer way to celebrate the
Jewish holidays and seasons than
by enjoying locally grown products
from your local Jewish farm?!
TTTTZEDAKAHZEDAKAHZEDAKAHZEDAKAH
In 2014, we formed a new
tzedakah partnership with Jewish
Family and Child Services. During
the growing season, we set up a
free farmers market at the JFCS
downtown headquarters where
community members in need could
pick-up organic vegetables and
herbs grown at Kavanah Garden.
As well, we grew hundreds of
pounds of fresh, local, organic
produce (tomatoes, zucchinis, kale
and radishes to name a few!) with
and for JFCS clients through
Maxie’s Garden, our vibrant new
downtown growing space.
BBBBAYCRESTAYCRESTAYCRESTAYCREST In 2014 we scaled up our
programming at Baycrest. In
addi0on to running our regular, bi-
weekly gardening programs at the
Moutainview Day Centre we
helped Baycrest create two new
garden spaces and provided
professional development to more
than 30 therapeu�c recrea�onal
staff so that they could maintain
the new gardens. We are excited
and honoured to help Baycrest in
their efforts to become one of the
greenest geriatric centres in the
world .
AAAAWARDSWARDSWARDSWARDS & R& R& R& RECOGNITIONSECOGNITIONSECOGNITIONSECOGNITIONS SSSSLINGSHOTLINGSHOTLINGSHOTLINGSHOT 2014201420142014----2015201520152015
For the THIRD 0me, Shoresh is included in Slingshot’s annual guide profiling the 82
most innova�ve Jewish organiza�ons in North America! According to the Guide’s
evaluators, “Shoresh has successfully taken the Jewish environmental energy in the
US and become the go-to address for like-minded Jews in Canada.”
NNNNATANATANATANATAN
For the third year in a row, Shoresh received funding from Natan through their
Emerging Models of Jewish Connec�on gran0ng pool. With Natan’s support,
Shoresh is growing our agricultural spaces at Bela Farm and expanding our
experien0al educa0onal programs!
JJJJOSHUAOSHUAOSHUAOSHUA VVVVENTUREENTUREENTUREENTURE GGGGROUPROUPROUPROUP
Shoresh’s Execu0ve Director, Risa Alyson Cooper, was selected by the pres0gious
Joshua Venture Group as part of their dual investment fellowship for 2013-2014.
With Joshua Venture’s incredible support, Shoresh was able to set down roots at
Bela Farm, establishing our apiary and plan0ng our organic orchard!
GGGGENESISENESISENESISENESIS: UJA’: UJA’: UJA’: UJA’SSSS CCCCENTREENTREENTREENTRE FORFORFORFOR IIIINNOVATIONNNOVATIONNNOVATIONNNOVATION
As part of Genesis: UJA Federa0on's Centre for Jewish Innova0on, Shoresh shares
office space with other small not-for-profits like Annex Shul and Kulanu at the
Wolfond Centre.
CCCCOVENANTOVENANTOVENANTOVENANT PPPPOMEGRANATEOMEGRANATEOMEGRANATEOMEGRANATE PPPPRIZERIZERIZERIZE
Shoresh’s Execu0ve Director, Risa Alyson Cooper, was awarded The Covenant
Founda0on’s pres0gious Pomegranate Prize in 2013 which recognizes excep�onalism
in emerging professionals working in Jewish educa�onal se@ngs.
TTTTENTENTENTENT NYC: FNYC: FNYC: FNYC: FOODOODOODOOD ANDANDANDAND CCCCULTUREULTUREULTUREULTURE Shoresh's Director of Community Outreach (and resident beekeeper), Sabrina
Malach, was selected to par0cipate in TENT: Food NYC, a week-long program
exploring food and Jewish culture in NYC. The program was organized by the
Yiddish Book Center and hosted by the Center for Jewish History.
MMMMEDIAEDIAEDIAEDIA CCCCOVERAGEOVERAGEOVERAGEOVERAGE
Shoresh got LOTS of media aKen0on this year including a FULL PAGE in the Toronto
Star on Sabrina’s bee keeping venture at Bela Farm, ar0cles in the Canadian Jewish
News, Jewish Tribune and Shalom Toronto AND a shout-out in the New York Times!
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SHORESH, PLEASE CONTACT US AT
416416416416----805805805805----8382838283828382 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWWWWWWWWWWW....SHORESHSHORESHSHORESHSHORESH....CACACACA.
DDDDONATEONATEONATEONATE TTTTODAYODAYODAYODAY!!!!
2014 SHORESH STAFF
Risa Alyson Cooper, Execu0ve Director
Sabrina Malach, Director of Community Outreach
Tamar Maerim Yunger, Interim Execu0ve Director
Rachel Rosenbluth, Director of Educa0on
Yehuda Nestel, Administra0ve and Program Assistant
Claire Lipson, Lead Jewish Environmental Educator
Alysse Mathalon, Jewish Environmental Educator
SHORESH BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Andrea Most (Chair) Alexandra Kuperman
Rabbi Aaron Levy Lisa Borden
Sam Mizrahi Carolyn Ruby
Dr. Michael Schecter (outgoing) David Sadowski
Rabbi Ilyse Glickman (outgoing) Zeke Kaplan
GRANTING AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS
UJA Federa0on of Greater Toronto
Joshua Venture Group
Natan Fund
Slingshot Fund
Environment Canada: EcoAc0on Community Funding Program
Ontario Trillium Founda0on
Earth Day Canada Community Environment Fund
Buckstein Family Founda0on
Emerald Family Founda0on
Photo credits: Sabrina Malach, Risa Alyson Cooper,
Lauren Lyons, Lisa Borden
Every day we become increasingly aware of how the food we eat and choices
we make shape our rela0onship with the land, our community, and our own
bodies. Shoresh offers a Jewish response to these issues – one that seeks to
inspire ac�ve and meaningful change within our community.
Please support our work and donate today at www.shoresh.ca/donate!