Hello! We are Mike and Laurenn Schecter. We are full time traveling with our 3 kids for 1 year (maybe more), first all across Canada and currently throughout Central and South America. We have been in the Shoresh family since it’s inception and stand for everything Shoresh has to offer.
On our homeschool/world school journey, we decided that it would be a great project for the kids to document our travels and the adventures we have been on through the children’s perspectives.
They journal often and they are now taking it one step further by sharing their stories with you in the form of blog posts.
Sahara is 10 and she will be focusing on how her first hand witnessing of environmental impacts are having a drastic effect on different indigenous communities and poor villages around the world. Her focus question is “How can I be a Shomeret Adamah” as she witenesses the world around her.
Lev is 8 and he will be focusing on the WOWness that he observes and experiences on his many adventures and encounters with different animals, cultures and the nature that surrounds him.
We hope you enjoy these series or blog posts and follow our families journey for more on Instagram @phunkylo.
Hello. My name is Sahara Schecter. I am 10 years old. Since I was a baby, I have been involved with Shoresh. Shoresh has helped to teach me about Shomrei Adamah. Even my placenta is buried there (under a Mulberry tree).
This year, I am travelling with my family for one whole year! We have been on the go for about 6 months now! I have been invited, by Shoresh, to share some of my experiences.
Currently, we are in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador! How cool is that?
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On our adventures today, we saw Caimans, which are basically alligators, but super small. Our guide taught us a bit about deforestation as we walked along in the rainforest. He told us that if you dig 60 cm into the soil you can find red clay, which means that there isn’t much rich soil left beneath the ground for the forest to continue growing. As we kept on walking, we reached a home and surrounding this home, which was in the middle of the forest, the ground was all sand. This is because all the trees have been cut down for cattle use in this area.
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From this, I deepened my understanding of the importance of maintaining forest. By cutting down trees, we are turning the most biodiverse area in the world into a desert. It is so so important to keep our forests alive because:
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a) The Amazon rainforest is considered the “lungs” of the planet and we NEED oxygen to breathe!
b) We need the forest for precipitation. Without the forest canopy, there is no precipitation. Our precious land turns to desert.
c) Many of the Indigenous communities around the world rely on their forests for food. If forests are cut down, they wont be able to feed their families in the manner that they know and are used to. There are not any grocery stores in the middle of the Amazon, that’s FORSURE!
d) If we have no forests, the animals lose their natural habitats which is super sad and a huge problem for the environment. (Read about this in my next blog).
After we visited the rainforest, I learned that The Talmudic Sages seemed to understand the importance of preserving our natural surroundings. In the Talmud Yerushalmi, Kiddushin 4:12, the sages stated: “It is forbidden to live in a town which has no garden or greenery”. This helps me think about how important it is to live in partnership with nature. Spending time at Bela
Farm, Shoresh has taught me to live with nature instead of trying to dominate nature. If we don’t preserve our trees, we can’t sustain the planet.
Farm, Shoresh has taught me to live with nature instead of trying to dominate nature. If we don’t preserve our trees, we can’t sustain the planet.