Eco Shabbat Guide “Protect the Day of Shabbat and Make it Holy.� (Deuteronomy 5:12)
We give thanks on Shabbat, we dedicate time to family and friends and we reflect on our week. Shabbat is a time to lessen our impact on our earth, and to let it rest as well. Shabbat Shalom! Content, product testing and layout by Borden Communications + Design
Shop for Shabbat Be eco “logical” about planning for your Shabbat right from the get-go. This special day each week emphasizes the significance of nature in our lives and how important it is to take conscious actions to protect our environment. Shopping locally for an organic Shabbat meal will not only help support your neighbours and community, but you will also serve a kind, chemical-andpesticide-free meal. And don’t forget, shopping tools can be as important as the food itself. What a shame it is to carry home glorious food in a toxic throwaway.
Tote the Right Thing
A Real Shabbat
The Perfect Cover Up
Plastic bags are a thing of the past, but
Make sure that you’re buying and
Ok, so not all of us can bake and braid a
if you’re toting a $0.99 reusable, you
serving a pesticide, GMO, chemical and
fresh challah, so, if you’re picking one
could be doing more harm than good.
hormone-free Shabbat dinner. It’s easy
up from the bakery, don’t suffocate it
Non-woven polypropylene reusable
to do when you get into the habit of
with a petroleum based bag. After only
bags are made from the same stuff as
shopping responsibly. Know your food,
being used for a few minutes, it then
disposable plastic bags - petroleum
and know your farmer. Better (and
almost immediately ends up in your
(ick!). It’s time to carry on (literally!).
yummier) food on the table makes for
landfill where it will remain forever -
Arm yourself with bags that will last
happier guests - and you may have
and where does that twist tie go? (oy!).
you all of your Shabbats to come. These
even inspired others to shop more
This specific fine bamboo bag holds
are colourful, durable, washable and are
responsibly too once they taste and
your bread from bakery to table and
sure to fit any family meal.
savour your local, organic goodness.
also doubles as a challah cover.
flip & tumble
Join a CSA or shop your farmers’ market
The Turtle Bag
www.flipandtumble.com
www.shoresh.ca/csa
www.bamboo-bag.com
www.youngurbanfarmers.com
www.lisabordenworks.com
Dress your Table In Judaism, the colour white signifies transformation and purity. We strive to ensure that everything is clean, neat and sparkly and we traditionally dress our tables with a white tablecloth and white napkins. In keeping with the tradition, lose the chlorine bleach and adopt safe and responsible practices. Shabbat is sacred, so make sure your personal and shared environment is safe for your loved ones, and our planet.
Hands Off!
Table Toppers
Pure + Fresh
Is it worth wearing gloves and feeling
When you pull out the “good stuff”for
Did you know that most cut flowers are
like you might pass out just to have
Shabbat, make sure it’s actually, truly
grown in South America, Africa and
shiny happy silver? Commercial (read:
good for you. Napkins and tablecloths
Southeast Asia in large controlled
toxic) silver polish has danger
that are vinyl, backed with plastic or
environments? They are heavily
warnings about inhaling it or touching
even cotton or poly, treated with
sprayed with pesticides, fungicides and
your skin. Do you want that hazard on
chemicals (you know the ones that
herbicides (with toxins that are banned
your soup spoon? Try cleaning your
claim they are stainproof or wrinkle-
in fields in Canada!) After being
silver with natural toothpaste or put it
resistant?), should absolutely be
shipped 1,000s of miles, they are
in a sink with aluminum foil on the
avoided. Of all the insecticides used
wrapped in plastic & sold with a packet
bottom - just add warm water and salt.
globally each year, 25% of them are
of chems to make them last longer. We
Same sparkly
results but fume and
used for conventional cotton crops.
thought flowers were supposed to
residue-free. For other safe tips for a
Choose natural linens like organic
signify beauty and purity?! Don’t fret,
clean and green home, buy a great
cotton, but regardless of your choice,
source local - you’ll be surprised what’s
reference book, or search online.
please make sure they are reusable.
growing in your own backyard.
Planet Home
EcoGear Table Napkins
eco|stems
www.alexandrazissu.com
www.sears.ca
www.ecostems.ca
www.lisabordenworks.com
Prepare the Meal Since you’ve already gone out of your way to shop the local farmers’ market, purchased your organic eats, and unpacked everything from your wonderful reusable bags, it’s now time to cook smart so you don’t undo all the good you’ve done! Think about your cooking method (this includes what you’re cooking with, and on) before you begin your preparations. Be efficient and plan ahead - it will save you money, time (and energy, too) which only means you will have a few extra minutes to share with your loved ones on Shabbat.
Back to Earth
Food for Thought
Get Together
Taking the time to compost your scraps
Your food comes into contact with a
Shabbat is about making a concerted
instead of throwing them in the
lot, so choose your kitchen stuff wisely.
effort to spend quality time together. It
garbage diverts huge amounts of waste
Cast iron, stainless steel, lead-free clay
doesn’t need to be complicated, in fact
from our landfills and also helps make
and glass are the ultimate choices for
some of the best meals are really easy
our gardens grow by giving it soil rich
bakeware and cookware. Say no to non-
and can be fun to prepare as a group.
nutrients. Composting also reduces
stick (ick), and keep serveware and
By cooking with your family and
methane production, a very potent
storage ware glaze-free (lead and other
friends, as opposed to cooking for
greenhouse gas that is released into
stuff) and plastic-free (BPA and
them, you gain the opportunity to be
our air from landfills. Stainless steel
phthalates). We like glass best because
creative, share tips and recipes between
composters won’t take on the smell (or
it’s safe and easy to store your leftovers
each other, and enjoy great company
colour) of your food scraps and it’s nice
in. It’s also handy for storing in the
(cooking is a lot more fun when you’re
enough to sit on your countertop.
fridge, and can go straight to the oven
not the only one alone in the kitchen).
How’s that for accessorizing?
for reheating.
Pot luck dinners are also great - give
Lee Valley Veritas Composter
Anchor Hocking Company
www.leevalley.com
www.anchorhocking.com
www.lisabordenworks.com
everyone the opportunity to contribute to the Shabbat meal.
Bless All Around Tikkun 'olam, meaning perfecting or repairing of the world, is a major theme in modern Jewish social justice theology. It must be carried out by humans in partnership with God, and it is an important concept in environmentalism. It is said, that our ignorance and our poor choices have damaged the world. The good news (in our opinion), is that this problem can be fixed by switching out bad habits for healthier and smarter ones. As you recite the blessings on Shabbat, let each be a reminder to take care of our world, and all that constantly gives and takes care of us.
Fruits of the Earth
Breaking Bread
You may think conventional candles are
The blessing over the wine (or grape
Although we like to traditionally
beautiful, serve a purpose, and provide
juice for those under-agers) is about
celebrate Shabbat with the colour
a sense of warmth and comfort to your
acknowledging the fruits of the earth -
white, keep it out of our Challah! Ask
home, but you could be endangering
so let’s make sure that’s exactly what
your local bakery to see if they can
yourself. When we burn paraffin
we are drinking - pure fruit without
make you a loaf without any white
candles, carcinogens fill the room with
pesticides and additives. There is at
stuff (sugar, flour, salt, etc). The more
toxins that coat your walls and lungs
least one form of pesticide found in
we demand of our suppliers, the more
(think second hand tobacco smoke).
every conventional bottle of wine, but
we’ll see change. If you’re taking on the
Bring pure brilliance to your Shabbat
some wines can have up to 10 different
task of baking your own, it’s much
table and bless candles made from
ones. Choose an organic drink that is
easier to sub in healthier ingredients,
100% Organic Manuka Beeswax (the
made locally, it’ll keep you healthier
or you can follow Aviva Allen’s recipe
purest and most natural of all waxes.
and make everyone happier. L’Chaim!
from her Organic Kosher Cookbook.
Orb Shabbat Candles
Guilty Men Wine www.malivoire.com
The Organic Kosher Cookbook
www.orbcandles.com
PureBlue UnWine www.leadingbrandsinc.com
www.avivaallen.com
Pure Brilliance
www.lisabordenworks.com
Keep it Kosher Whether you keep strictly kosher or not, we all want clean food that is ethically made. If you aren’t making and baking on your own (we can’t do everything!), look for certifications and symbols that reflect your values. Support ethical companies that are serving us better food and drinks and fully disclosing their practices and ingredients in all labels. Our easy shopping rule for buying packaged goods is “If you can’t pronounce it, and you don’t know what it is, (or it’s not labelled at all), it’s not for consuming!”
Sinfully Delicious
Gone Crackers
True Bliss
On Shabbat, we are supposed to
Crispy, tasty and always satisfying,
You might just find your inner bliss
minimize our activities and give up a
these bite-sized crackers can be served
from a tub (or 4) of your favourite
lot of what we take for granted on a
on their own as a side dish, or paired
flavour of kosher, organic, vegan, soy-
daily basis, but sacrificing taste does
with your favourite toppings or dips.
free and gluten-free Coconut Bliss.
not have to be one of them. Sweets
Mary's Crackers are available in a
Finally, a non-dairy frozen dessert that
from the Earth cakes are kosher, pareve
variety of delicious flavours, so you can
is creamier, richer and healthier than
pas yisroel, organic, wheat-free, gluten-
buy a few boxes and mix them all
anything you will have ever stuck your
free, dairy-free, vegan and don’t have
together, or just go with a fan
silver spoon into! Indulge with pareve
a n y G M O s . Y o u ’ l l b e s u re t o
favourite. No matter the flavour, they
pleasure and feel great afterwards. And,
accommodate any dietary or nut
are all kosher, organic, vegan, nut free,
if you use Sweets From The Earth
allergy with any of their desserts - plus,
dairy free, wheat free, and gluten free,
Cookies, the combo makes an
they really are sinfully delicious!
with no GMO's and no transfats.
exceptional ice “cream” sandwich!
Sweets from the Earth
Mary's Gone Crackers
Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss
www.sweetsfromtheearth.com
www.marysgonecrackers.com
www.coconutbliss.com
www.lisabordenworks.com
Clean it Up Now for the Dirty Talk...Whether you are tidying before Shabbat or on cleaning duty afterwards, you want your home to be truly clean.
The
average Canadian family consumes anywhere from 20 to 40 litres of toxic cleaning products (that contain known carcinogens) each year (oy!). Replace every conventional cleaner under the kitchen sink and in the laundry room with NOTHING (well, maybe not nothing, but as close to it as possible!). You do NOT have to sacrifice the cleanliness of your home. And who knows, maybe without those nasty chems you can convince your family and friends to even help you out with the cleaning!
M.I.Y.
Dirty Laundry
Get some BaaLLS
That’s right - M.I.Y. means Make It
You've spent the time purchasing
Fabric softeners, dryer sheets and even
Yourself! Most of the cleaners that you
organic cotton linens for your Shabbat
dryer balls made from PVC, contain
might think are making your home
table, so it doesn't make sense to toss
some not-so-snuggly ingredients that
truly clean, are actually dangerously
them in the wash with conventional
are taking a toll on our health and our
polluting them (and our water, air, and
detergent where they would swim in
planet. Although these products are
soil...where do you think it goes once it
chemicals. Stop overdosing on the bad
marketed to make us believe that the
goes down the drain?). Microfibre
stuff. One microdose of Berryplus will
warm fuzzy bunnies, teddy bears, or
cloths and water do a remarkable job,
get your clothes whiter, brighter, and
babies are safe, we often overlook the
but you can easily make safe and smart
cleaner than your mom's goo and
fine print telling us that they contain
cleaning products using ingredients
effectively clean a full load of laundry.
hazardous chemicals. 100% wool dryer
you can find in your own kitchen - and
Being 95% berry based and 100% plant
balls do not harbour bacteria, they are
you won’t have to sacrifice cleanliness
based, you'll become a hero just by
100% chemical-free and even reduce
(or your health!).
doing laundry.
your drying time too! Tumble Away!
Full Circle Cleaning Set
Berryplus
BaaLLS
www.fullcirclehome.com
www.berryplus.com
www.baalls.com
www.lisabordenworks.com
Purely Brilliant Fundraising Program
orb It doesn't get better than fundraising with safe and smart products that benefit your health and our world. The Orb Shabbat Candle Fundraiser is a great way to get beautiful and eco-friendly candles into everyone's hands and home. They are the perfect addition to every Shabbat Table, and make for an original and thoughtful hostess gift. Orb Candles are made from 100% Organic Manuka Beeswax and are free of the toxic chemicals that are found in many conventional candles. Each package contains 10 safe, healthy, and beautiful candles. Raise funds and shine a light on your health, on our planet, and on your Shabbat table. Pure Brilliance.
We are here to support you and get your fundraiser sparked! Please be in touch with Borden Communications + Design Inc., creator of Orb Candles to discuss your fundraiser further via orbcandles@bordencom.com or by phone at 416 484 6489.
www.orbcandles.com twitter.com/orbcandles
Orb Candles