Ever since that fateful board meeting bagel brunch back in January, Hazon has been on a quest to align our mission to create a “healthier and more sustainable Jewish community” with our own food purchasing and practices. As we do in many situations when searching for guidance, we invited Rabbi Steve Greenberg into the discussion. Steve led our staff in a text study and conversation about what it means to “walk the talk” - and how doing so isn’t always so straightforward, especially when several competing values are at play, or when an organization makes a decision that doesn’t match the values of all the individuals involved.

For example - we know we want to serve healthy food at our events, but how do we respond to a bike ride participant’s dire need for a Snickers bar or Powerade when they want to refuel? Can we serve a kosher-ingredient, but non-hekhshered food at an event, as long as we have a kosher equivalent available? And just how far reaching should our food policies be? Should they only impact what we buy as an organization for participants, or should they dictate what food our staff can eat in the office, or eat out “publicly,” while at official Hazon meetings?

We think the beginning of creating a comprehensive food policy is to explore and define our Food Values, which will serve as the ideological foundation from which all strategies and recommendations will be derived. The Statement below is a draft - we welcome your comments and suggestions about how we can make it stronger. And if your organization or family is dealing with similar questions, we’d love to hear how you’re going about making those decisions.
Hazon’s Food Values / DRAFT

Hazon is working to establish a food policy that will guide all our food-related decisions both within the New York City office and for every Hazon event, whether it is a hike, bike ride, food conference, or staff meeting. The policy will encompass what foods we purchase and serve; and what materials we use to prepare, serve, and clean up afterwards.

Hazon deeply believes in creating an inclusive Jewish community; and because sharing meals is one of the most effective ways of building community, this policy will resonate with Hazon’s overall mission to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community as a step towards a healthier and more sustainable world for all. The policy will recognize that different values will take top priority in different situations, and that some of our food values are more flexible and some more fixed. With every purchase made throughout all our programming, Hazon’s overarching goal is that we always keep in mind the ethical and ritual considerations of every food purchase, and strive to meet as many of our ideals as possible.

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Hazon’s primary Food Values can be defined as follows:

Kosher – Because creating an inclusive Jewish community is central to Hazon’s values, it is vital that the meals Hazon serves/hosts are accessible and welcoming to people across the Jewish spectrum, from non-kosher keepers, to strict observers of kashrut.

Healthy – Hazon believes in serving healthy, nourishing food at our events and meetings. However, celebrations and holidays often call for “out of the ordinary” foods – especially sweets and snacks. Additionally, some of Hazon’s outdoor adventure programs, especially the bike rides, require for participants to eat out of the ordinary food to maintain their level of energy. Hazon aims to find a balance between serving foods worthy of the simcha (or sustainable for the activity), while maintaining a focus on whole, fresh and nourishing foods.

Ethical – The ethical considerations related to eating are vast and complex and cover everything from how food is grown, to how the people who grew it were compensated and treated, to what it is served on and how it is disposed of.

Low Carbon – Hazon is committed to having the lowest possible environmental impact throughout its programs, and we work with vendors (Greg Barber Eco Printing, T.S. Designs, World Centric, etc.) who help us lower our carbon footprint. Similarly, our vision for food is that the meals we serve have the lowest-possible carbon impact, including the miles that our food travels to get to our table, the amount and type of packaging that is used to contain it during transit, the dishes and utensils that we eat on, and how we clean/dispose of those after a meal.

Delicious – Food should be inspirationally delicious. Enough said!

Cost Effective – As Michael Pollan (and others) have suggested, we should not shy away from paying more than we’re used to for good-quality food that fits our values. That said, Hazon must make sure that our food choices fit into our overall budget. We believe in striking a balance between these two ends of the spectrum.

Transparent/Educational – Hazon believes in using food as a teaching tool and a conversation starter. Hazon also believes in empowering individuals to make choices according to their own values. Therefore, being transparent and explicitly educational about the food Hazon decides to serve is central to Hazon’s food values.

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