Eleven Jews are pedaling and peddlingtheir message across the country and another three dozen bicyclists will join them at segments along the way. They are participating in the Hazon Cross-USA Ride, a 10 week journey across America.
Their mission is to have the government make healthy food systems a priority. Theyre collecting signatures on a petition, which will be presented to the White House and US Department of Agriculture. They will talk with Jewish community groups about sustainable farming and meet with farmers to learn about sustainable agriculture.
This ride combines three of my major passions: Judaism, sustainable food, agriculture/environment, and cycling, said Adi Segal, 23, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, who is one of the participants. I cant think of a better way to spend the summer than raising money and awareness for this cause and riding across the country to do it.
By the time the cyclists, who began their journey in Seattle, arrive in Washington, D.C., on August 15, they will have visited 70 Jewish communities and participated in five community service days.
The Hazon Rides thrust on food systems and sustainable farming is part of a growing Jewish effort to focus on food justice, typically defined as sharing our resources in an equitable way, whether in a neighborhood, in a country or globally.
To Hazons Executive Director Nigel Savage, food justice means not only ensuring that everyone has access to nutritional food, its also about health, sustainability, local food, organic food and kosher food.
Hazon was among seven national Jewish groups that delivered a petition with nearly 19,000 signatures to the leadership of the US House of Representatives demanding a focus on food justice in the farm bill.
The Senate already has passed its version of the bill but did not include full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food stamps. The House has yet to vote on its version of the bill but may make further cuts to SNAP.
Timi Gerson, director of advocacy for the American Jewish World Service, another of the seven groups that presented the petition, said two external factors are driving the Jewish communitys growing attention to food justice. One is the national food justice movement; the other is the farm bill, which comes up once every five years.
The farm bill presents an opportunity to change the nations food system. The Jewish community, for both historic and religious reasons, has an interest in this. Jewish tradition teaches about ethical food practices and systems.
Renna Khuner-Haber, a participant on the Hazon bike ride, said, I think we need to raise awareness about the actions we can take, and also what we can ask the local, state and federal government to do.
Participants met organic farmers on the first day of the ride and harvested artichokes.
We actually went out and picked our own sustenance, Rubin said. It made me feel very connected to the source; it was very different than going to the store and buying an artichoke.
The ride provides a great platform to teach about the mission of Hazon and the greater sustainable food movement.
Jeremy Brochin, 65, loves the sense of community he feels with the other riders. Its lovely to be part of a multi-generational community where everybody pitches in.
For more information about Hazon and/or the ride, visit hazon.org.
