A new and exciting Jewish learning opportunity for teens is coming to Metrowest Boston. J-LOFT (Jewish Learning Opportunities for Teens), in conjunction with Ma’yan Tikvah, is offering a new program for grades 8-12. Earth Judaism, led by outdoor Jewish educator Arielle Sabot, will explore relationships with the natural world through a practical, spiritual and regenerative process.
Teens will meet monthly on Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to explore Nobscot Scout Reservation in Framingham and Sudbury, where they will learn about Jewish plant medicine, Jewish environmentalism and important wilderness skills. Teens will explore how our Jewish tradition is deeply connected to Earth and nature with a culmination in an overnight trip at the end of the school year.
Rabbi Katy Allen, the founder and spiritual leader of Ma’yan Tikvah, which offers outdoor Jewish programming throughout the year, is excited about this addition to the community’s offerings. “We’ve been providing outdoor Jewish education for children for over six years and are thrilled to be partnering with J-LOFT to extend outdoor Jewish learning opportunities and offer them to post-b’mitzvah students.”
Arielle Sabot, an educator, artist, farmer and scholar of ecofeminism, is joining Ma’yan Tikvah after a year’s farming internship at Living Tree Alliance in Vermont. Arielle holds a B.A. from NYU in individualized studies, where they studied how art and religion can educate communities about the climate crisis; they recently completed their M.A. at the Jewish Theological Seminary in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies with a thesis on Jewish ecofeminist philosophy and theology. Arielle is deeply passionate about Jewish spirituality, climate justice and how the two intersect.
“Our Jewish history is based on earth-based cycles and rhythms of the universe,” says Arielle. “By reincorporating the rich past with our flourishing present, we become more mindful, engaged and connected Jewish community members and members of this beautiful planet. Stepping into and cultivating these practices and engaging in outdoor Judaism from an early age prepares teens and future adults to exist in a world that has grown further from nature connection, helping them combat this disconnect.”
Shoni Aronovich, J-LOFT’s director, adds: “As a new and growing organization, we always look for innovative ways to keep our teens Jewishly engaged by catering to their diverse interests. We are already seeing great interest in the Earth Judaism program and look forward to seeing this unique opportunity unfold.”
J-LOFT is a unique collaboration between Temple Beth Am, Congregation Beth El, Temple Beth Sholom, B’nai Torah MetroWest, Kerem Shalom, Ma’yan Tikvah and Congregation Or Atid and is also open to unaffiliated teens. In addition to bimonthly meetups, which are open to all, J-LOFT offers travel programs that are open to specific age groups and includes a service trip to New Orleans, a social justice and advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., a Jewish history trip to Berlin and Warsaw, and an exchange program with Israel (which is suspended this year), in addition to the wilderness trip.
The cost for the new Earth Judaism program is $150 for the year, plus J-LOFT membership. Registration is still open! For more information and to register, visit jloftboston.org/earth. With questions, contact Rabbi Allen at rabbi@mayantikvah.org or Shoni Aronovich at info@jloftboston.org.
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