Wilderness Torah awakens and celebrates the earth-based traditions of Judaism to nourish the connections between self, community, earth, and Spirit.
Shavuot First Fruits Festival
Sunday, May 19, 2013, 10 am – 4:30 pm
The Beautiful Bort Meadow Campground
Anthony Chabot Regional Park, Oakland
Connect to Nature | Learn Primitive Skills & Nature Crafts
Discover Shmita* | Celebrate Your First Fruits
Learn More & Register Here
In addition to recalling Moses’ revelation atop Mt. Sinai, Shavuot ushers in the summer season with a harvest celebration of the bikkurim (“first fruits of the season”). This year Wilderness Torah invites you to our first ever Shavuot First Fruits Festival.
This year, join us for a one-day Shavuot Festival and BBQ for adults and children of all ages to celebrate the bikkurim, the first fruits of the season.
Sivan Levanah Moon Circle
for Girls and Women
Brought to you by Urban Adamah & Wilderness Torah
Monday, May 13, 2013, 5:30–7:30 pm
Urban Adamah, 1050 Parker Street, Berkeley
Register Here
Join us as we welcome the new moon of Sivan and approach Shavuot, the Jewish pilgrimage festival that honors receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. We will prepare for Shavuot’s celebration of the season’s first fruits by grinding wheat and making our own bread over a fire, and partake in other workshops to prepare for the upcoming holiday. Get excited: Shavuot’s festivities often involve dairy so you should come ready to meet Urban Adamah’s newest family members… a mama and baby goat!
Learn more about Levanah and Rosh Chodesh
Youth Programs are Back in the Fall!
Learn more about B’hootz and B’naiture and meet the mentors at these info sessions for prospective kids and parents:
- B’hootz & B’naiture
JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley- Monday, June 3, 2013, 7:00–8:30 pm
- Monday, July 29, 7:00–8:30 pm
B’hootz (“Outside” in Hebrew) brings Judaism to life through a nature-based “Sunday school in the woods” for children ages 5–10. B’hootz is focused on discovery of the natural world and provides fundamental naturalist, survival, and leadership skills through the lens of Jewish blessings, prayers, and ethics.
B’naiture is a two-year, experiential program for youth aged 11–13 that uses nature as a vehicle to explore the transition from childhood to adolescence. This groundbreaking program weaves Jewish teachings, story, and song with personal challenges, outdoor skills, non-parental mentorship, peer group community building, and nature awareness activities to provide an embodied way for youth to explore coming-of-age.
Check out the B’naiture video | Apply for the B’naiture 2013–2015 Cohort
Wilderness Torah has been named one of the nation’s 50 most innovative Jewish nonprofits in SLINGSHOT 12|13, a resource guide for Jewish innovation. Slingshot organizations grapple with concerns in Jewish life such as identity, community, social justice and tradition, each with different missions, perspectives and strategies. Readers use Slingshot to identify the most inspiring and trailblazing organizations, projects, and programs in the North American Jewish community today.
Our inclusion in SLINGSHOT 12|13 is a strong validation for the work Wilderness Torah is doing. This honor exposes us to a vibrant funding community, a valuable vehicle as we work to grow our capacity and take our programming to the next level.
