Galilee Fellows and Heschel Sustainability Fellows Bring Their Initiatives to the Hackathon
A few weeks ago was the last meeting of the Galilee Fellows which wrapped up the first phase of the program. Fellows are now entering Phase II of the program, during which they will begin working on joint projects. Ofer Keren, a Galilee Fellow, brought his project idea to the Upscaling Hackathon which took place […]
Some Reflections of Pesach Symbolism, or Why the Charoset is Sweet…
Dr. Jeremy Benstein Rabbi David Hartman, z”l, used to speak about how, before he made aliyah, he expected that when Pesach rolled around in Israel, talk would turn to the loftiest subjects of slavery, freedom and human dignity. That people in the streets would occupy themselves with the central values and themes of the holiday. […]
From Community to Regional Impact in the Negev
An interview with Esther Akiva, a member of the Heschel Center’s managing board and an Alumna of the Network of Local Sustainability Centers, coordinated by the Heschel Center. Esther Akiva is a religious, mother of 5, originally from Brooklyn, New York. In 2013, she and her family left the West Bank settlement of […]
At Ayanot Youth Village, Heschel Fellows Collaborate to Enhance Sustainability
It is in Noam Sheffer’s job description to dream big. As the director of the Ayanot Youth Village, he works to shape adolescents’ understanding of citizenship, social responsibility, and commitment to their communities and surroundings. Noam had a dream of turning his youth village into a completely sustainable environment, starting with a pre-army Mechina (an Israeli […]
Heschel Alumni Work Towards A Sustainable Food Revolution
Even today, many people are unaware that eating heavily processed foods and diets rich in dairy and meat have a detrimental effect both on our body and the environment. Industrial farming techniques also contribute to groundwater pollution, soil erosion, and breakdown of rural communities. Moreover, people throw away food without realizing the vast resources that […]
Netivot – A Local Sustainability Center Success Story
Esther Akiva is an orthodox mother of 5 originally from Brooklyn, New York. Three years ago she and her family left the West Bank settlement of Eilon Moreh, where they had lived for 15 years, for the southern periphery town of Netivot. As part of her new role there, she participated in the Heschel Center […]
Galilee Fellows Graduation Brings Optimism and Inspiration
It was a beautiful fall day in TAEQ’s Green Building in Sakhnin, where the Galilee Fellows gathered for one final concluding meeting where friends, distinguished guests and colleagues came to support them and celebrate their year-long fellowship. The event was honored by the presence of the Mayor of Sakhnin, Mazen Ganaim, additional municipality officials including […]
The Galilee Fellows’ First Climathon Produces Innovative Solutions
The Galilee Climate Fellows Program, a co-production of the Heschel Center and the Arab environmental education center in Sakhnin in the central Galilee ended its pilot year with a “climathon.” Just as a “hackathon” is an intense multi–day process of teams working to come up with programming or technical solutions to a predefined challenge, the […]
The 1st Sustainability and Community Conference
Despite the rain and the traffic, 170 participants and over 40 speakers gathered at the Hansen House in Jerusalem on March 1 to learn, share ideas and network to promote sustainability in their communities. The conference, hosted by the Heschel Center, The Jerusalem Municipality, the Goethe Institut, and Aroma Israel Cafe, invited the UK-based organization […]
An Exclusive Meeting with Prof. Andrew Light, Former Obama Adviser
The Heschel Center was excited to partner with the Porter School of Environmental Studies of Tel Aviv University (PSES) and the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (ISEES) in hosting Prof. Andrew Light for a series of lectures and meetings in Israel on the topic of climate change in global and local perspectives. Andrew […]