Hazon, the largest Jewish environmental organization in North America, is biking across the country and the riders are spending Shabbat in the Twin Cities (7-6-12 AJW).
Participants in the Hazon Cross-USA Ride are co-sponsoring a number of events over the weekend with the St. Paul JCC, Beth Jacob Congregation and the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. Community members are invited to meet the riders, eat with the cyclists, hear about the ride and join the group for a day of riding.
The weekend’s schedule of events is as follows:
- “Breakfast with the Farmer” will take place 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, July 13 at the St. Paul JCC, 1375 St. Paul Ave. Mike Jacobs, owner and manager of Easy Bean Farm, will talk about the intersection of food, farming and politics. The cost is $10 for JCC members or $15 for nonmembers; register at the JCC or contact Beth Gendler at: bgendler@stpauljcc.org.
- A variety of activities will take place 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, July 13 at the JCC. Riders and guests will participate in Kabbalat Shabbat with preschool students, visit the St. Paul JCC’s farmers market and tour the JCC’s meditation garden. No reservations are required.
- A special lunch with Hazon will take place 1 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 13 at Heidi’s Minneapolis, 2903 Lyndale Ave. S. Guests will learn how Chef Ben Mauk, of Heidi and Stuart Woodman’s latest restaurant, Birdhouse, is using sustainable and organic foods to deliver tasty and nutritious meals. Space is limited; to make a reservation, contact Amy Weiss at: aweiss@mplsfed.org or 952-593-2323 (Heidi’s restaurant is not a kosher establishment, but the lunch will be vegetarian).
- A Community Shabbat Dinner will take place 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 13 at Beth Jacob Congregation, 1179 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights. Services will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner with Hazon riders. They will discuss why they are cycling for sustainable food systems, and share stories from their journey.
- A Kiddush Lunch will take place 12 p.m. Saturday, July 14 at Beth Jacob Congregation with the riders. A learning session will follow at 1 p.m. with Rabbi Morris Allen, who will present “Hechsher Tzedek: The Intersection of Faith, Politics and Food Production.”
There is still an opportunity to join Hazon for a segment of the Cross-USA Ride from the Twin Cities — for three weeks to Pittsburgh or to the end of the ride in Washington, D.C. For information, visit: www.hazon.org/crossusa, e-mail: crossusa@hazon.org or call 212-644-2332, ext. 332.
