Jewish Earth Based Festivals

TUBISHVAT ECO-JUSTICE INITIATIVE

The living waters community project: Collaborating with the Jerusalem Food Forest group, to create food forests in lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods in Jerusalem. This can revitalise not only the land but their very spirits eventually reaping the fruits of their handiwork. Another idea is to create a biodiverse sustainable forestry plantation where woods can be used in different ways.

TUBISHVAT FESTIVAL EVENT

Reviving the custom to create a Kabbalisitic fruit and wine seder. Traditionally there are a variety of fruits, blessing them, as well as four glasses of wine, a mixture of red and white with meditative intentions.There is also the awakening of the trees ( as the sap begins to rise) which is the primary focus of this festival. Tubishvat happens to be on the full moon, in which it is a great time to go for a guided sacred night hike, to feel the forest breathe. A tree of life meditation, allows one to embody the tree and feel deeply rooted and connected to our crowns. This has been a huge success both in Australia in Israel, last year pulling a crowd of over 80 particpants who left feeling rejuvanated as a unique Jewish earth based experience.

PURIM

Niggun and Heartspeaker singing circle and and meditation experience of inner joy.

Social Impact initiative:
Purim is time to visit the sick, the focus would be to create a circus edible garden for children in hospital.

LAGBAOMER FESTIVAL GATHERING IN THE BUSH

Lag Baomer is special unique time in which we tap into the holy fire of “Shimon Bar Yochai” author of the mystical Zohar text. It was at also at this period in which a plague was hitting the students of the great Sage Rabbi Akiva’s, it was known that by acknowledging each others perspectives we are able to create harmony and supposably the dying stopped.On a deeper level we really appreciate eachother’s perspectives . In the gathering, deep mystical meditation experiences and then to come listen to one another’s stories is an incredible community experience. Barriers between people are taken down, to create and appreciate.

Social Impact initiative: 
Fire prevention strategy  model  for Moshavim that have a risk of bushfires; in collaboration with leading experts of the Australian Bushfire Prevention Strategy.

FIG is in dialogue with leading experts of the Australian bushfire prevention strategy to assess a viable model to work with Israel local community and fire services. There is a current assessment of using shepherding and grazing to control fire fuel.

PESACH IN THE DESERT

An experiential heart opening seder in Sinai . Through song, group workshops, desert hikes and an experiential heartfelt Seder the keys to open the shackles of constriction will be revealed.

Social Impact initiative:
Create a green edible roof project in which the hungry can learn to feel empowered to grow their own food, such sustainable solutions allow us to break free from the system.

SHAVUOT

Shavout is a time to receive from the divine on top of the mountain. The wilderness offers  a deep space to embrace and channel the pure energy of nature. Exploring divine meditations to open up the essence of our names. Shavuot also offers an opportunity to come together as a collective spirit, no matter if your the head or the foot, but to feel as one body.

SHAVUOT ECO JUSTICE PROJECT

The Living waters community project:  As we received the Torah through Moshe, there was intense lighting and our senses were mixed seeing with our ears and hearing with our eyes. The proposed project is to do a nature based Mountain hike with the blind and deaf of Israel to foster connectivity and inclusivity in climbing mountains together.

Social Impact initiative:
Mountain hike with the blind and deaf of Israel to foster connectivity and inclusivity

ROSH HASHANAH

Connecting to the king in the field, a time of renewal.

Social Impact initiative:
We are launching the Rosh Hashanah honeybee project ethical organic beekeeping in Jerusalem forest.

YOM KIPPUR

An overnight nature retreat

Social impact initiative:
To create ethical backyard chicken growing program.

SUKKOT

Imagine the Sukkah redesigned in the urban environment offering an aesthetic, artistic and environmental flavour. The Eco - Sukka invites designers, ecologically minded professionals, creative individuals or teams, to create an Eco Sukkah design that fulfills halacha criteria, as well as  environmental criteria. It is reimagining the traditional temporary dwelling into a ecologically sound abode.

Sukkot Social Impact initiative:
To create affordable housing solutions for people in need, whether that be yurts, ecohouses or cohousing solutions and shared co-opertive land sharing. This can be carried out as a  creative 4 day workshop and ability to access and reuse resources that are available.