“If you asked many of our participants and our leaders, ‘Which is more important to you, having a Jewish impact or having an impact in terms of sustainable food systems or the environment?’ people scratch their head and say, ‘Why do I have to choose?’” That’s Nigel Savage talking to the Forward in March about Hazon, the Jewish environmental organization he heads.

A study on Jewish outdoor, food and environmental education had just put numbers on a trend Savage had observed for a while: More and more people participate in such programs, and for many, it’s what keeps them connected to their Jewish heritage.

Savage, 53, who hails from Manchester, England, founded Hazon in New York City in 2000. Since its inception, the organization (now with offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, San Diego, Denver and Boulder, Colorado) has been a driving force raising Jewish environmental awareness.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

In 2014, Hazon’s merger with the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, of which Savage had been a longtime board member, went into effect. The enlarged organization now also includes the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality, which has been a part of Freedman since 2006, and the Teva Learning Center.

For 5775, Savage, through Hazon, has brought the obscure practice of Shmita — the biblical Sabbatical year — into the 21st century, making it accessible and attractive to Jews of diverse backgrounds. Hazon brought the idea into the wider public eye, because, as its homepage suggests, “[t]he possibilities for social change are thrilling.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount