2016 was a WOW-filled year. Here are our highlights. Celebrated the Bela Farm Grand Opening! Over 200 diverse community members gathered together to mark the beginning of Shoresh’s stewardship of Bela Farm, a rural centre for sustainable, land-based Judaism in Hillsburgh, Ontario.…
Why take Jewish Education Outdoors?
Bringing Jewish education outdoors has many benefits! Here are our top 4: 1. To make Jewish learning more engaging and relevant Imagine spending all day in school and then spending another few hours in a classroom as your only exposure…
The Most Important Word of the 21st Century
“As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines. Such decline is an alarming symptom of our state of mind. We will not perish for want of information; but only for want of appreciation.” -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Man is Not…
WOW for Bees and Honey!
Awe is more than an emotion; it is a way of understanding, insight into a meaning greater than ourselves. The beginning of awe is wonder, and the beginning of wisdom is awe. -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel WOW is our favorite…
Top 3 Ways to Sweeten Your New Year
We are thrilled to offer the community these three awesome ways to honor family and friends this Rosh Hashana. 1. Honey Our honey bees have been working super hard gathering and transforming nectar for Bela Farm’s wildflowers into honey and…
Sharing Our Vision
This post is an excerpt from Risa Alyson Cooper’s vision sharing at The Bela Farm Grand Opening on June 26, 2016. Bruchim ha’baim! Welcome again! We’ve arrived at Dina’s Tent, named for the only daughter mentioned in the Torah of…
Bela Farm Grand Opening
Bela Farm Grand Opening Opening Remarks by Risa Alyson Cooper Sunday, June 26, 2016 B’ruchim ha’baim. Welcome friends. My name is Risa Alyson Cooper, I am one of the Directors of Shoresh, and it is my deep honour and privilege…
If You Plant It, They Will Come
Shoresh’s favourite word is “wow” and one of our all-time-favourite sources of wonder and wow is the process of pollination. Watching a bee fly from flower to flower seeking nectar and pollen while inadvertantly spreading pollen from one flower to…
Connecting Tzedakah, Tikkun Olam & Indigenous Solidarity
Thank you to our guest bloggers, Sterling Stutz and Emily Green for writing this important post and doing the work to to support Indigenous land defence and self-determination in Canada. As you walk through the city streets of Toronto do you ever…
The Shoresh Socialite: Dr. Michael Schecter
We spoke with our dear friend, biological dentist and former Chairman of the Shoresh board, Michael Schecter from Schecter Dental to learn about the unique and inspiring ways that he connects his medical, Jewish and environmental ethics and why he’s a…