Dear Families,

In this newsletter: Quotes • Upcoming Events • Hazon Food Conference

Here at Eden Village, we're celebrating that we grew, quite literally, a TON of food this past summer! We enjoyed over 2,000 pounds of tomatoes, pumpkins, carrots, peppers and so much more... from a field that just months before had been rocky and almost soil-less!

Food at the Forefront

The camp-surveying company who surveyed our campers' families from this past summer reports that we have, far and away, the highest ranking in "satisfaction with camp food" of any camp they've ever seen, out of dozens and dozens of camps! Organic, local, made-from-scratch food, which campers help harvest and prepare, is a hallmark of the Eden Village experience, and we're excited to maintain our standard of quality and expand upon our Culinary Arts program this coming summer.

Our Orchard!

At our Sukkot Harvest Festival, campers, families and friends gathered to plant twelve fruit trees in the Edible Forest Garden style: guilds of edible and useful plants working together to imitate the natural community relationships of a forest. We have American Persimmon, Summer Apple, Asian Pear, Paw-Paw, Mulberry, Peach, Hardy Kiwi, Highbush Blueberry, Gooseberry, Pink Currant, Elderberry, Cranberry, Winecap Mushrooms, Oyster Mushrooms, a host of medicinal herbs, perennial vegetables, and much more! With productive lifespans of hundreds of years, these trees will provide abundant nourishment for the next seven generations.

Please consider a donation to our Orchard Fund so we can expand this educational (and yummy) resource.

New Greenhouse

Our new cedar greenhouse is complete, so our campers can grow a greater portion of their food next summer and experience more styles of agriculture. We donated much of our late Fall harvests to the Fishkill Food Pantry, and look forward to continuing to work with them to provide local residents with fresh organic produce.

What happened at camp this Fall?

Having completed the Fall season at Eden Village — including a Jewish Introduction to Permaculture course, a Social Justice training for Jewish Educators, our Sukkot Harvest Festival, and Jewish environmental retreats for various groups — we are enjoying the spectacular Fall colors, and entering into recruitment season.

Our 2011 Dates and Rates are up on our website. Half our campers from last year have already signed up — register soon to reserve your session of choice!

One way you can help

Your help in spreading the word about Eden Village is crucial to our growth. If you would like to host a fun, inspiring info session and/or skills workshop at your home, community center, school or synagogue, please call Vivian at 877-397-3336, or reply to this email. As our most effective way of connecting with new campers, this is a major contribution you can make to camp.

Here, also, is a recruitment poster to spread the word, via email or printing and hanging on local bulletin boards.

Thank you for your support!

Warm smiles,
Yoni, Vivian and the Eden Village family

Below: Creating human installation art while digging the holes for our sukkah posts!

What people are saying...

...testimonials from campers

"I have never felt so alive, so connected to my friends, to my food, to the trees, to Judaism. And all the staff are amazing!"
~Nava S., age 11

"[A highlight of camp was...] The food! The Food! THE FOOD! Fruit pops! Making lasagna!"
~Max D., age 8

Eden Village Upcoming Events

• THIS WEEK in NYC:
  Teaching Tolerance and Ethical Behavior with Snakes
  Sunday, Oct. 31, 3-5pm
  JCC of Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave (@ 76th st)
  $10 suggested donation
  
    What can *live snakes* teach us about Tolerance, Overcoming Fears, Radical Amazement, Ethical Speech, and other Jewish values? Come find out! Families and folks of all ages are invited to join Eden Village Camp, Romemu, the JCC Manhattan, and master educator Michael Even-Esh to discover fascinating connections between Judaism, Nature, and Ethical Behavior. Click to read more....
   
• In Los Angeles, CA: Camp Info Session
  Thurs, Nov. 11 - Call camp at 877-397-3336 for details
• In NYC: Camp Fair at B'nai Jeshurun
  Thurs, Nov. 18, 5:30 - 7pm - West 88th Street (btw. Broadway and West End).
  For questions: kkersey@bj.org or call (212) 787-7600 x260
• In Northampton, MA: Havdallah and Camp Info Session
  Saturday, Nov. 20 - Call camp at 877-397-3336 for details
• In Northampton, MA: Camp Fair at the Solomon Schechter Day School
  Sunday, Nov. 21, 9:30 - 11:30am, 237 Prospect St.
  

The Hazon Food Conference on the East Coast or the West Coast!

The Hazon Food Conference is the only place where farmers and rabbis, nutritionists and chefs, vegans and omnivores come together to explore the dynamic interplay of food, Jewish traditions, and contemporary life.

Don't miss four days of do-it-yourself food workshops, lectures, discussions, joyful Shabbat celebrations, kids & family programming, and delicious, consciously-prepared food.

The Hazon Food Conference East
December 9th-12th at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, CT

Program Highlights

• Goat Milking and Cheesemaking with ADAMAH
• The Miracle of Mise en Place
• Pleased to Meat You: the story of the kosher meat revolution
• Tu B’Shvat: Trees, Torah & Mystical Wisdom
• And more!

Special Discount for Eden Village Camp Families

Eden Village campers who attend with their families, will receive free registration (they will still need to pay room and board). This discount can save families up to $150 per camper (depending on the child's age)! Use the code "EVC" to receive this discount.

Questions?

Anna Hanau (Food Conference - East) - anna@hazon.org
Renna Khuner-Haber (Food Conference - West) - renna@hazon.org

Register today! www.hazon.org/foodconference

Campers for a Healthy, Sustainable World! Eden Village Camp is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit Jewish environmental sleepaway camp, located 50 miles north of Manhattan on 248 beautiful acres. Our 3^rd–12^th-grade campers & apprentices build leadership, outdoor skills & positive Jewish identity, and awaken their sense of connectedness, purpose & joy. A close community develops through shared experience including organic farming, outstanding organic Kosher food, animal care, wilderness adventure, natural science, a zero-waste goal, pool & lake, music, arts, sports, service projects, Shabbat celebration, talented staff in a 3:1 camper:staff ratio... all in a vibrant, inclusive Jewish community.

If you've read this far, you are probably really into EVC. Thank you! Please forward this email to anyone who you think may be interested.