Hazon ( ) is an American

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

that seeks to "create new vision" in the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community through outdoor and

environmental education Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discipli ...

. It was founded in 2000 by its British-born CEO

Nigel Savage Nigel Savage (born 1970) is a British environmental activist and founder of Jewish environmental nonprofit organisation Hazon. Beginning his career working in finance, in 2000 he founded Hazon and was CEO until its merger with the Pearlstone Re ...

. The organization claims to be America's "largest faith-based environmental organization". Hazon's advisory board of directors is chaired by

Ruth Messinger Ruth Wyler Messinger (born November 6, 1940) is a former American political leader in New York City and a member of the Democratic Party. She was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City in 1997, losing to incumbent mayor Rudy Giulian ...

Name and aims

In Hebrew, ''hazon'' means "vision". In March 2019, Hazon issued a cease and desist order to stop an Israeli right-wing organization that is against same-sex marriages and promotes a Jewish religious agenda from using its trademarked name. Savage has stated that the messages from the Israeli organization "radically stand against all that we have done, and all that we have tried to do, since our founding in 2000". Hazon promotes what it calls "immersive JOFEE experiences". JOFEE stands for Jewish, Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education.

Events

Hazon is best known for the Jewish environmental bike rides it organizes in the New York City region, and for its joint sponsorship of the Israel Ride, a fundraiser in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

benefitting both Hazon and the

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Arava or Aravah is the Hebrew name of a section of the Great Rift Valley between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat in Israel and Jordan. Its Arabic name is Arabah. Arava may also refer to: Places *Arava, Estonia, a village in Anija Parish, ...

. Hazon's first program was a six-week cross-USA bike ride, from

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

Washington, D.C Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

. The New York ride, which takes place during

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

weekend each year, combines a

shabbaton __FORCETOC__ The term ''shabbaton'' () may be translated into English to mean sabbatical. The concept of a sabbatical year (shmita) has a source in several places in the Bible (e.g. Leviticus 25), where there is a commandment to desist from workin ...

on the Friday and Saturday, with two days of cycling on the Sunday and Monday. The first New York ride was held in 2001. The Israel Ride has been held since 2003. Hazon also promotes programs on issues related to food. It convenes the annual

Hazon Food Conference __NOTOC__ The Hazon Food Conference is an annual meeting of farmers, culinary experts, global citizens, business, community and Jewish leaders to focus on contemporary food issues and exchange ideas on improving health and sustainability in comm ...

every December. Its ''Tuv Ha'aretz'' program sponsors Jewish communities (including synagogues,

Jewish Community Centers A Jewish Community Center or a Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is a general recreational, social clubs, social, and Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities. JCCs promote Jewish ...

, and schools) to build

community supported agriculture Community-supported agriculture (CSA model) or cropsharing is a system that connects producers and consumers within the food system closer by allowing the consumer to subscribe to the harvest of a certain farm or group of farms. It is an alterna ...

programs (i.e., farm shares), and to engage in study of Jewish sources and traditions as they relate to healthy eating. ''Tuv Ha'aretz'' is a Hebrew phrase that suggests both "best of the land" and "good for the land". The organization has created an initiative called the Seal of Sustainability aimed at promoting "sustainable lifestyles and environmental consciousness".

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hazon promoted the growing of produce in gardens which have been likened to the war time Victory gardens. In July 2020, the organization announced the layoffs of 35 percent of its staff following the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization claimed a loss of $2.5 million due to canceled events.

References

External links

* {{American Jewish environmental organizations Environmental organizations based in New York City Judaism and environmentalism Jewish organizations based in New York City Jewish organizations established in 2000 2000 establishments in the United States