Gan Nashim

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Educator’s Guide and Session Plans


Author: Judith Belasco Contributing Authors: Deborah Newbrun, Sarah Shulman, Daniel Infeld 2012 Pilot Camps: B’nai Brith Camp, Oregon; JCC Ranch Camp, Colorado; Camp Tawonga, California; JCA Shalom, California Consultant: Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair The Hadassah Foundation has provided generous support for the creation and implementation of Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls.

Hazon gratefully acknowledges support from the following funders who sponsor our food work. 18 Pomegranates Anonymous Birthright Israel NEXT The Jewish Education Project The Covenant Foundation Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds Lisa and Maury Friedman Foundation Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund Hillel Soref Initiative Jim Joseph Foundation Lucius N. Littauer Foundation MASA Israel Journeys Mazal Foundation Nash Family Foundation Newton and Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust Oreg Foundation The Pears Foundation Rose Community Foundation The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life UJA Federation of New York And thank you to the riders and sponsors of the New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride, California Ride, and the Arava Institute Hazon Israel Ride, all of which significantly support our food work. Hazon 125 Maiden Lane, Suite 8b New York, New York 10038 212 644 2332 www.hazon.org Copyright © 2011 by Hazon, Inc. All rights reserved. Hazon works to create healthy and sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond. Jewish inspiration. Sustainable communities. 2 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Table of Contents Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Goals and Benefits ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Note for the Camp Director .................................................................................................................... 7 Note for the Program Leader ................................................................................................................. 8 Curriculum Structure ................................................................................................................................ 10 How to Cook with Campers .................................................................................................................... 11 Unit One Shmirat Ha’guf - Taking care of our Bodies........................................................................... 12 Cooking: Yummy Icey Pops ...................................................................................................... 15 Unit Two Power of Brachot & Mindful Eating ........................................................................................ 19 Cooking: Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies ............................................................. 24 Food Blessings .............................................................................................................................. 27 Brachot Charade Cards .............................................................................................................. 28 Unit Three Fueling Our Amazing Bodies ................................................................................................... 29 Cooking: Popcorn Taste Test ................................................................................................... 33 Portion Distortion ........................................................................................................................ 35 Portion Distortion Answers ...................................................................................................... 42 MyPlate.Gov handout ................................................................................................................. 44 Unit Four Go for Healthy Eating ................................................................................................................. 45 Cooking: Rainbow Salad with Goodness-filled Dressing ................................................ 49 Go-Slow-Whoa Cards .................................................................................................................. 52 Gan Nashim Placemat ................................................................................................................ 55 Appendix Gan Nashim Song Sheet ............................................................................................................ 56 Gan Nashim Chocolate Chip Cookies from Bnai Brith Camp ........................................ 58 Gan Nashim Cinnamon Oat Bars from B’nai Brith Camp ................................................ 59

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Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls Overview During camp, girls spend more time outdoors and in physical proximity to each other, as girls eat, sleep, and play together for weeks and months. Camp can provide an opportunity to create a positive, supportive community instead of an environment where girls compare bodies, wondering how they measure up, or fall short, against their bunkmates, and fostering a breeding ground for disordered eating. In the spirit of supporting camps to be sources of primary prevention against disordered eating, Hazon developed Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls. Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls is a health and cooking program which draws upon Jewish tradition to address contemporary challenges of having and maintaining a healthy diet in today’s world. The program specifically focuses on teaching conscious and healthy eating with a Jewish spirit and is designed to be used in camps in a variety of different formats. With an overt focus on healthy eating, Gan Nashim includes hands-on activities and exercises which build skills that the girls can bring back home to support healthy eating throughout their lives. By embarking on the Gan Nashim program as a group, they will create community around food and Judaism. After leaving the residential camp setting, Jewish tradition will continue to serve as a source of guidance as they navigate adolescence and beyond. Gan Nashim can be used as an independent program or it can be used in conjunction with Bishivili For Me: A Jewish Guide to Full of Ourselves, a wellness program to advance girl power, health, and leadership. Goals of the Program •

Support raising strong, healthy Jewish girls by drawing on Jewish wisdom about caring for our bodies and healthy eating;

Strengthen Jewish girls’ ability to make healthy food choices by strengthening girls’ connections to Jewish values, rituals and practices;

Increase the knowledge that campers have about healthy eating and create a Jewish framework for food choices;

Support summer camp experiences that are deeply rooted in Jewish values and connected to Jewish girls’ everyday lives, leaving them with a strong foundation to draw upon as they grow into Jewish adults.

Benefits from Gan Nashim For the campers, Gan Nashim demonstrates how vitally relevant Jewish tradition is today as they consider the importance of healthy “normal” eating in their lives. Gan Nashim strengthens campers’ identity by linking something they do every day – eating! – with Jewish tradition and values. 4 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


For the counselors, this program provides an outlet for conversations about healthy food, Jewish tradition, and the world around us. It is a supportive framework for counselors to ensure that campers have a healthy summer. In addition, it can create a supportive framework for counselors, outside of the actual program, who often struggles with these issues. For the camp, Gan Nashim offers an innovative way to engage campers. Gan Nashim taps into girls’ interest in food and stimulates important conversations about healthy eating and reframes the role of Jewish tradition in their lives. For the families, we hope that their daughter’s experience with Gan Nashim is one that they carry forward with them as they continue to develop a mature Jewish identity and establish healthy habits that may last a lifetime. Curriculum Summary Unit One Shmirat Ha’guf - Taking care of our Bodies focuses on the big Jewish idea that shmirat ha’guf derives from the teaching that human beings are create in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Since we are created in the image of God, then we must be careful with our bodies and take our health seriously. The campers explore what they are already doing to care for themselves as a foundation for learning more about healthy eating. Unit One Cooking is Yummy Icy Pops. While the ice pops you buy are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made only from ingredients you can recognize. These homemade pops encourage campers to enjoy the sweetness found naturally in fruit and the individual pops allow for easy understanding of an appropriate portion – one pop is the serving size. Unit Two Power of Brachot & Mindful Eating explores that brachot teach us to see many of the elements of our daily life – including (or especially) our food – as gifts and to express appreciation for them. As campers uncover the power of saying brachot, they can develop a greater appreciation for their food – not just what we eat but also how we eat. Some find that blessings help them to eat more mindfully and savor every taste and smell and texture. Brachot charades and a mindful eating exercise allow campers to engage in the exploration of brachot. Unit Two Cooking is Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies. While the cookies are still just that – cookies – and need to be eaten in moderation, these cookies are also loaded with healthy ingredients such as whole wheat flour, oats, cranberries, and pecans. Campers will both be mindful of how to balance cookies with a diet filled with lots of other healthy foods and campers will determine the appropriate bracha for the various ingredients – thus considering how each of them are grown. Unit Three Fueling Our Amazing Bodies allows campers to reflect on the role of the Asher Yatzar blessing when we give thanks to God for good health as it acknowledges the ability to go to the bathroom, for without it, we wouldn’t be able to live. The blessing is an expression of our awe for God’s creation (us). In addition, an exploration of Jewish texts in relation to idea about how and how much we eat opens up a conversation about the super-sized portion distortion that we encounter all around us and how to better balance our plates. Unit Two Cooking is Popcorn Taste Test. At camp, we have lots of opportunities to choose between food that is healthy, and food that is not so healthy. How do we make those choices? Popcorn can be a healthy, whole food snack that you can regularly enjoy or it can be covered with salt and butter, like at the movie theater, and become a snack that is best to avoid. Campers will do a popcorn taste test, comparing the different popcorn flavorings, and 5 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


then visualize what popcorn portion distortion really means before deciding how much popcorn to eat. Unit Four Go for Healthy Eating considers the idea that Jewish tradition recognizes that how we eat is impacted by the food choices around us. If there are vegetable gardens in town, you are probably going to eat more veggies – by extension probably have a healthier life – than if there were no fresh vegetables available in town. An exploration of Go, Slow, Whoa foods presents an easy-to-understand system for making healthier food choices. Cooking Unit Four is Rainbow Salad with Goodness-filled Dressing. Salad is too often thought of as a food that is good for you but doesn’t actually taste good. If you make sure to use the freshest ingredients possible (a trip to a local farmers market could be a great addition to this unit) and involve the campers in the process of building the salad, you should be happily surprised at how much they enjoy it! Bishvili: For Me and Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program Advancing Girl Power, Health and Leadership (FOO) Gan Nashim was inspired by the work done by Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair in Bishvili: For Me and Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program Advancing Girl Power, Health and Leadership (FOO). Dr. Catherine SteinerAdair is a clinical psychologist and school consultant, Director of Eating Disorders Education and Prevention at McLean Hospital, and in the Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. Full of Ourselves is an upbeat educational program that aims to sustain girls in their mental, physical, and social health and to decrease their vulnerability to the development of body preoccupation and eating disorders. As a primary prevention program, Full of Ourselves targets a general (healthy) population of girls; no one need be at risk for an eating disorder to participate. Full of Ourselves has been successfully implemented by schools, after-school programs, town libraries, and synagogues. In partnership with Hazon, we are excited to present a residential camp program built off of this work. For more information about Bishvili or Full of Ourselves, visit www.bishviliforme.com.

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Note for the Camp Director Camp is where we find camp food and where we find ourselves regularly eat together surrounded by rituals, from traditional brachot (food blessings) to particular camp songs sung in the dining hall. Gan Nashim takes what you already have, regular meal times and mealtime culture, and gives you an opportunity it to link healthy and mindful eating with Jewish tradition and identify. Jewish summer camps have faced and continue to face issues surrounding girl’s poor body image, eating disorders, and most recently, cutting. Additionally, you may be facing the same issues with your counseling staff. We all may have our days when we feel awkward or uncomfortable in our bodies, but the key to developing positive body image is to recognize and respect our natural shape and learn to overpower those negative thoughts and feelings with positive, affirming, and accepting ones. People with negative body image have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of anxiety, body size and shape preoccupation, obsession with weight loss, isolation, depression, and overall low self-esteem. This curriculum aims to encourage and support healthy eating choices. It is not written to help camp staff diagnose and treat eating disorders. However, through the curriculum, there might be heighten sensitivity about someone suffering with an eating disorder, encourage your staff to acknowledge and refer suspected problems to the mental health professionals in camp. By providing a supportive Jewish environment for your young people, you will be engaging in the act of Tikun Olam, healing the world. The Foundation for Jewish Camp, in response to these serious problems in our camps, has compiled a resource guide for camp directors to assist you in training your camp counselors in these areas. While using Gan Nashim, there might be a heightened sensitivity to someone who has an eating disorder. Beyond Miriam is a fantastic resource that will help you to ensure that your camp is prepared if these issues come up. You can access Beyond Miriam here: http://www.jewishcamp.org/static/website/uploads/Beyond_Miriam_pdf_form_for_website.pdf If you want a wellness program to advance girl power, health, and leadership, you might want to think about implementing Bishvili For Me (http://www.bishviliforme.com).

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Note for the Program Leader Thank you for leading Gan Nashim in your camp this summer, we are so excited that you will be going on this journey with your girls. It is important to remember that your role as the leader of these sessions is critical to the success of the program and the girls’ experience. You should use the curriculum as a guide; there was a lot of thought put into the specific language used. You should “digest it” and then speak in a way that is natural for you. Always remember that you are a role model to these girls, and they will soak up your every word. Resist the temptation to talk about your own experiences with diets, unconscious eating, and other unhealthy eating experiences as you may unintentionally plant a new negative behavior into the campers thinking. Take time to plan each lesson, and know how and when to activate your support system. We have included some notes below, from the Beyond Miriam section entitled “What can we do to create a healthy eating and positive body image environment?” which was created by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. It will help you think about your role as a leader of this program. Counselors must see themselves as professionals doing a job to take care of young emerging women. As it says in the Talmud, “If you save one Jewish life, it is as if you are saving an entire world.” (Sanhedrin 4:37) In the Book of Genesis we learn that our bodies are on loan to us from God. (Gen 1:27) We can accept and enjoy the body we were given and take care of it throughout our lives. As a role model, consider the following: • • • • •

The importance of eating balanced healthy meals beginning with breakfast every day. Don’t put down camp food. Listen carefully to conversations where campers talk negatively about camp food. Help re-frame the conversation about how we need food to refuel our bodies. Complaining about camp food isn’t a reason to not eat a meal. Modeling enjoyment and moderation of food when there are parties: take a healthy scoop of ice cream or piece of cake so the girls see you participating. Take a small bite or two in front of the girls so they see you eating, even if you aren’t going to eat the whole thing. Refrain from talking about being “bad” in relation to eating. Too often girls hear adults say, “Let’s be bad and have ice cream for dessert.” We don’t want campers to judge their goodness and badness based on what they do or do not eat. Re-define “good.” Instead of “being good” meaning “I resisted eating the dessert or not using salad dressing,” “being good” should mean trying something new, mastering a skill, making a new friend, working out a disagreement. These are the actions that should be praise worthy in the camp setting.

Create a counter-culture where your cabin group is not obsessed with body image. You can do this by: • Do not hang pictures of super models all over the bunk or cabin. It reinforces the stereotypes that are unattainable. • Take down full-length mirrors. Trust your own body messages and your own inner mirror. • Do not allowing self-loathing comments such as “I look so fat!” Usually the response is “No, you don’t. Look at me!” Replace it with, “What’s bothering you?” It is fake to bond over put downs. Encourage the campers to help one another stop body put downs and foster other means of creating connections. 8 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


• •

Collect all the pop culture magazines and have a ceremony where dump them into the recycling bin along with some statements of self-loathing. Inform your campers that on average after reading a fashion magazine for 15 minutes, girls begin to compare themselves to the images, start to feel worse about their bodies, and will approach eating in a less healthy frame of mind. Provide new role models by checking out the Cool Jewish Women on Jewish Women’s Archive website. http://mybatmitzvahstory.org/cool-profiles Pack up the hair dryers and make-up. (Try it for a few days or a week)

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Curriculum Structure Each unit in Gan Nashim follows a similar structure. Opening / Transition time: The first few minutes should allow the campers to transition from their other activities into this one. Two elements – opening movement and opening song – are presented at the start of each unit. You might find that both work or just need one element. Movement and song will not only help the campers’ transition from where they were to being present, but also help them get into their bodies as they use their voice or move their limbs. Activities to Engage in the Big Jewish Idea: Each unit contains 2 – 3 different activities that engage with the big idea of the unit. You might find that just one of the activities is necessary for the campers to “get” the idea or all three activities might be necessary. Use your judgment as you review the units and plan for the program. Cooking Portion: The Cooking Portion is woven into each unit; however, it can also be a stand-alone piece. See the How to Cook with Campers section to learn more. Closing Circle and “Whips”: The last few minutes are a key time to reinforce and clarify the big ideas of the unit and to have a sense that an end has been reached. By “whipping” around the circle, allowing everyone to say a final thought it ensures that everyone’s voice is heard including adding comments that weren’t able to be said earlier. You might want to create a tradition of passing around a particular “sacred” object for each camper to hold during the closing circle. A closing circle will also ensure that no campers ask, “Are we done yet?” It will be clear that the program is over when the circle is done. Timing It is easy to adapt each unit to fit your particular time structure. If you present the entire unit, including the cooking portion, it will take approximately 1 ½ hours. If you present the unit without the cooking portion, it will take approximately 45 minutes. If you present the cooking portion of the unit, including time for making connections to the big Jewish idea in the unit, it will take approximately 45 minutes. Some camps may choose to run Gan Nashim in four large blocks; others may run the program twice a week with separate learning and cooking components, while others will have it run once a week for eight weeks. We encourage you to determine the structure that fits best with your camp programming.

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How to Cook with Campers One of the best ways to put discussions about healthy eating into practice is to actually cook! For each unit, a recipe is provided that both reinforces the learning of the unit, allows the girls to gain important cooking skills, and taste health(er) foods than what they might be used to eating. Cooking is also about celebrating making the choice to be part of the process of nourishing themselves. The recipes selected are intended to be delicious and to allow the campers to connect healthy foods as part of snacks, parties, and everyday life. Before you begin to cook, here are two important items to review with your campers: Encourage campers to practice good manners while eating. This means, “do not yuck my yum!” Ask the campers to explain what they think this means. When you say “yuck” to a food, the person next to you who is enjoying the food might not like it as much. It is the same idea as, “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Campers should not be obligated to eat everything that they make, but they do need to keep quiet if they think something is “yucky.” As the campers eat, encourage them to use all of their senses  Taste: How does each ingredient taste? Spicy? Savory? Salty? Sweet?  Sight: What do you see? What colors are in our food? Are colors important? Do you think about colors when you are eating?  Texture: How does the texture of your ingredient change as it cooks?  Smell: What do you smell? Cooking on fire in oil enhances the smell of food. Finally, advance preparation is essential. Each cooking section includes as section entitled Organizing Cooking with Campers which includes tips and suggestions about how to organize the recipe and set up stations so that the campers can start to cook upon arrival – and even have time to help with clean up. Cooking Program Recipe Overview Unit One: Shmirat Ha’guf - Taking care of our Bodies – Yummy Icy Pops Unit Two: Power of Brachot & Mindful Eating – Power Popcorn Balls Unit Three: Fueling Our Amazing Bodies – Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies Unit Four: Go for Healthy Eating – Rainbow Salad with Goodness-filled Dressing

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Unit One Shmirat Ha’guf - Taking care of our Bodies Big Jewish Idea Shmirat ha’guf is the Jewish concept for taking care of our bodies. It is about how we care for our physical bodies, like through regular physical activity, proper eating, and getting enough sleep, and how we maintain a healthy relationship to our bodies, like through respecting our and others’ bodies. Shmirat ha’guf is about taking care of our inner selves and not about how we “package” the outside of our bodies with make-up and getting dressed up in fancy clothing. The big Jewish idea of this first unit is to appreciate that shmirat ha’guf is the practice from the teaching that human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Since we are created in the image of God, then we must be careful with our bodies and take our health seriously. The big idea from this unit is the foundation for Gan Nashim as Units 2-4 focus on how we care for our bodies. Materials • Flip chart paper or other way to record brainstorm (or provide each camper with their own piece of paper) • Tape to put up flip chart paper • Markers • Gan Nashim Song sheet – optional • Cooking – See Yummy Icy Pop – optional Advance Preparation • On large paper, write out the B’tzelem Elohim pasuk (verse) from Genesis 1:27 and questions found in section 3 below 1. Get into Your Body, Get into Your Self (5 minutes) Opening Movement Stand in a circle – we are going to move our bodies to help us feel them. If you know a few stretches, lead the group. For example, touch your toes and then reach for the sky. You can also start by doing a wiggle dance. Start by wiggling your feet, and then your legs, and then your hands…slowly move up your whole body. Or go around the circle and have each camper lead one move – it could be a stretch or your campers could each lead a dance move! Opening Song Opening with a song can help to knit the girls together. If there is already a culture of singing at your camp, select a favorite or choose one from the Gan Nashim Song Sheet. To maintain continuity, you may choose to use this song during all the sessions.

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2. Caring for our Bodies (10 minutes) Introducing the Big Jewish Idea Ask the question, what do you do to take care of your body? Write down all responses. Prompt them to create a complete list by asking, what do you do to take care of your physical body? And what do you do to have a healthy relationship to our body? For example, the list can include everything from walk, run, dance to sing in the shower or write in my journal. You should also add some of your own ideas, especially if there is something that you do that you think the campers might want to model as a healthy way to take care of themselves. Be sure to include the following idea: Shmirat ha’guf is the Jewish concept for taking care of our bodies. It is about how we care for our physical bodies, like through regular exercise, proper eating, and sleep, and how we maintain a healthy relationship to our bodies, like through respecting our and others’ bodies. 3. B’tzelem Elohim (10 – 15 minutes) Introduce the idea that B’tzelem Elohim is the concept that each person is created in the image of God. The idea of B’tzelem Elohim is the foundation for the practice of shmirat ha’guf. While we should care for our bodies because it, hopefully, makes us feel good about ourselves, we should also care for our bodies because they are a special gift. B’tzelem Elohim connects our bodies directly with Godliness. Post the flip chart paper with the following pasuk and questions: And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 - What do you think the Torah means when it is written that people are created in God’s image? - Shmirat ha’guf is the obligation to care for our bodies. How should we care for our bodies if we are created in God’s image? - What is one decision you made today about food or exercise that reflects this value? Ask everyone to find one other person discuss the pasuk and questions with together. (5 – 7 minutes) Bring the group back together and summarize: What does it mean to practice shmirat ha’guf? Why should we practice shmirat ha’guf? 4. Cooking: Yummy Icy Pops (15 - 20 minutes+ freezing time of 2 hours) Eating in a way that cares for our bodies can still be delicious!

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Ice pops are sweet, colorful, lickable cold treats that can be filled with good things that are good for you. While the ice pops you buy are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made from ingredients you can recognize! These homemade ice pops encourage campers to enjoy the sweetness found naturally in fruit. Also, the individual pops allow for easy understanding of an appropriate portion – one pop is the serving size. Seeing the Cooking Section below for complete instructions on how to organize and make the pops. 5. Closing Circle (5-10 minutes) Gather everyone in a big circle for a closing “whip” circle. Have each person share one way they want to practice shmirat ha’guf. “Whip” around the circle. Make sure to include yourself in the circle, either you can go first and model an answer or you might choose to go last and also reflect on the campers answers and the time together. Closing song (either a repeat from the opening song or another familiar song)

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Cooking: Yummy Icy Pops Ice pops are sweet, colorful, lickable cold treats that can be filled with good things that are good for you. While the ice pops you buy are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made from ingredients you can recognize! Organizing Cooking with Campers Before the campers arrive, set up a station for each ice pop you will make and have all the ingredients and cooking equipment already at the station except for the blender. The blender should be in a central location since all the groups will be using it and it should be used under adult supervision. 2-4 campers should be assigned to each recipe. They should follow the recipe putting all the ingredients into the large bowl at their stations. When they are ready, they can use the blender with adult supervision. Depending on the size of your group, plan to make 2 – 4 different ice pops – either the ones below or be creative and make your own combinations! Introducing the Recipe & Shmirat ha’guf Give a short explanation of how the activity is organized – review what is happening for making the icy pops. Explain that while the ice pops you buy in a supermarket are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made from ingredients you can recognize! Everyone will be able to enjoy the sweetness found naturally in fruit. Also, the individual pops allow for easy understanding of an appropriate portion – one pop is the serving size. Shmirat ha’guf is the caring for our bodies. How do we practice this idea when we choose our homemade ice pops over processed, store bought ones? What are other examples of practicing shmirat ha’guf that happen when you cook your own food? Note about Ice Pop Molds If your camp doesn’t have plastic molds, just pour the ice pop mixture into paper cups and stick them in the freezer. After about an hour, insert a wooden stick into each cup - the mixture will have solidified enough that the stick should stay upright. Continue to freeze until totally solid – about 1 – 2 hours. To remove the pops from their molds, run them under cool running water for a few seconds to loosen them. If you're using paper cups, just tear the paper away. Unmold and lick away!

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Watermelon Wowzers Makes 6 large pops or 12 smaller ones Ingredients • 4.5 cups watermelon • 3/4 cup water • 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice Cooking Equipment • Measuring cups – 1 cup, ½ cup, ¼ cup • 1 cutting board • 1 knife • Large bowl • 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Cut the watermelon's soft insides into chunks and remove the seeds with your fingers. Put watermelon, water, and orange juice in a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours – or until solid. Berry Yogurt Pop Makes 6 large pops or 12 smaller ones Ingredients • 2 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and sliced bananas, mixed • 2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt • 3 tbsp honey or ¼ cup white sugar Cooking Equipment • Measuring cups – 1 cup, ¼ cup • Measuring spoons – 1 tablespoon • Large bowl • 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Put berries, bananas, yogurt, and honey or sugar into a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Then stir in the peanuts for texture. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours – or until solid.

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Honeyed Peach and Blueberry Pops Makes 6 large pops or 12 smaller ones Ingredients • 2 cups peaches • 1 tbsp water • 1 tbsp honey • 1 pint blueberries • 1/4 tsp sea salt Cooking Equipment • Measuring spoons – 1 tablespoon, ¼ teaspoon • Vegetable peeler • Knife • Large bowl • 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Peel the peaches, cut in half and remove the pit. Put peaches, water, honey, blueberries, and salt into a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours – or until solid. Orange Cream Makes 6 small pops Ingredients • 2/3 cup 1 % milk • 1 1/3 cups orange juice • 3 tbsp sugar • ½ tsp vanilla Cooking Equipment • Measuring cups – 1 cup, 1/3 cup • Measuring spoons – 1 tablespoon, ½ teaspoon • Whisk • Large bowl • 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Whisk together milk, orange juice, sugar and vanilla until the sugar dissolves in a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours – or until solid.

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Unit Two Power of Brachot & Mindful Eating Big Jewish Idea Our tradition provides us with a whole system of brachot, blessings. The big Jewish idea for this unit is to understand that brachot teach us to see many of the elements of our daily life – including (or especially) our food – as gifts and to express appreciation for them. As campers explore the power of saying brachot, campers can develop a greater appreciation for their food. It’s important to be conscious not only about what we eat but also about how we eat. Some find that blessings help them to eat more mindfully and savor every taste and smell and texture. Mindful eating is also extending more broadly into the American consciousness. After years of “fast food,” the Slow Food Movement has been taking root with a focus on celebrating the amazing bounty of food that is available, and working to strengthen the connection between the food on our plates and the health of our planet. Connecting the Jewish tradition of saying brachot with the contemporary Slow Food Movement links our past and present. Advance Preparation • On large paper, write out the Food Blessings (or print out copies of Food Blessings page 26) which will be used in section 3 below Materials • Flip chart paper or other way to record brainstorm • Tape to put up flip chart paper • Markers • Two slices of bread • Gift wrapping and tape to wrap one slice of bread • One copy per camper of the Food Blessings handout – optional • Brachot Charades Cards divided into two separate bags – optional: write additional charade cards • Apple slice (or other similar piece of fruit) for each camper • Cooking – See Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies – optional • Gan Nashim Song sheet – optional 1. Get into Your Body, Get into Your Self (5 minutes) Opening Movement Take a moment for everyone to get into bodies by leading a few stretches or wiggles or by going around in a circle and asking each camper to offer up one quick stretch. Another option is to take a short walk to a park or a different site on camp where you can hold the lesson. Before or after the walk, briefly discuss the benefits of walking (form of exercise, stress management, promotes overall health, allows for time outside). Opening Song To maintain continuity, once again open with a song. You may want to use whatever song you chose for the previous session. 18 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


2. The Gift of Bread (5 minutes) Introducing the Big Jewish Idea Hold up one slice of bread (or something similar) and an identical slice of bread that is gift-wrapped (campers don’t know that it is the same as the unwrapped item). Ask the following questions. What the difference is between them? (Take guesses, hunches) What if I unwrap one? (Unwrap; slowly and dramatically; let them see that they are identical) Now, what’s the difference between them? (Take answers) Be sure to include the following idea: Both are gifts. The only difference is one of world view - one looks like a gift; one looks more ordinary. Most people see a slice of bread but the person who says a bracha over the bread sees a gift. 3. Food Blessings/ Brachot and Creating Mindfulness Eating (5 - 10 minutes) It’s important to be conscious not only about what we eat but also about how we eat. Eating is not only nutritional, it’s sensational. We get to smell food with our noses, taste it with our taste buds, feel the texture of food in our mouths and the warmth and weight of food in our bodies after we have eaten. How many of you are fast eaters? Have you ever slowed down to really notice and savor every bit of the food you eat? Jewish tradition teaches that we should say brachot or blessings before and after we eat our meals. Reflect on your camp’s practices around saying food blessings before and/or after meals. This is also an opportunity to share ways that you have found saying food blessings to be meaningful in your life. Post the flip chart paper with the Food Blessings for all the campers to see. Read through the blessings. What is the blessing we say for eating an apple?

ֵ ‫בָּרוּ� אַ תָּ ה ה' אֱ �הֵ ינוּ מֶּ לֶ� הָ עוֹלָם‬ .‫בּוֹרא פְּ ִרי הָ עֵ ץ‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam borei p’ri haetz. Blessed are You, eternal God, who creates fruit of the tree. What is the blessing we say for drinking apple juice?

.‫בָּרוּ� אַ תָּ ה ה' אֱ �הֵ ינוּ מֶּ לֶ� הָ עוֹלָם שֶׁ הַ כָּל נִהְ י ֶה בִּדְ בָרוֹ‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam she’hakol n’hiyeh b’dvaro. Blessed are You, eternal God, through whose word all things come into being. What are the differences between these two foods? You can distinguish an apple as an apple when you eat it as a whole food; the apple loses its features when it is processed and turned into apple juice. 19 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Notice that when you think about which prayer to say, you’re thinking about how the food you ate grew and how it was prepared. What else does saying a bracha make you mindful of? 4. Brachot Charades (10-20 minutes) Divide the campers into two groups. Review food blessings on large chart paper and/or hand out Food Blessings handout. Hand out a bag of Brachot Charades Cards to each group. Campers take turns pulling a card, and performing it as a charade to their group; others in the group guess what is being acted out and then find the matching bracha on the Food Blessings handout. While still in groups, act out something YOU are grateful for. Team members guess what it is. 5. Mindful Eating Exercise (5- 10 minutes) For some people, blessings help them have a greater appreciation for their food. Others find that blessings help them to eat more mindfully and savor every taste and smell and texture. To be “mindful” is to be very aware and to pay very close attention to everything around. As an exercise, mindfulness is a practice of trying to be very aware of all the details of a situation. A mindfulness eating exercise will allow us to think about the taste, texture, and feel of a food; it gives us time to think about all the people and things that are required to get the food from the farm to our table. Everybody get comfortable. It's difficult to enjoy food if we're anxious or tense. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, get quiet, and notice how you feel inside. Let your thoughts just drift through your mind like clouds through the sky. Follow each breath you take, the inhale and the exhale... Everyone open your eyes, and look closely at your apple slice… Notice its shape, its colors, its curves, the core, the seeds, all of its details... Now smell your apple slice... Now consider for a moment all of the people involved in getting this apple into your hand. Apple farmers, truck drivers, storekeepers, men and women… Imagine how hard they are working to support themselves and their families… Now consider all the ways in which God has supported the creation of this apple by creating fertile soil, clouds and rainwater, energy from sunshine, air…

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Finally, think about the tree from which this apple grew. Think of the tree’s roots reaching down into the soil, think of the strong trunk and rough bark, and think of the branches that stretch to the sky. Think of the whole tree. Now, together we will say the bracha and bless the trees where apples come from and eat just a bite of the apple. ֵ ‫בָּרוּ� אַ תָּ ה ה' אֱ �הֵ ינוּ מֶּ לֶ� הָ עוֹלָם‬ .‫בּוֹרא פְּ ִרי הָ עֵ ץ‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam borei p’ri haetz. Blessed are You, eternal God, who creates fruit of the tree. Allow the campers to fulfill the mitzvah of blessing and eating the apple. Before they continue to eat the apple, continue to guide them through the mindful eating activity. Now bite into the apple again and take in the flavors... Notice the physical sensations of chewing, the movements of your jaw… Swallow your bite of apple and pay attention to the sensation of swallowing... How far down your esophagus (throat) can you still feel the apple? Allow a few more minutes of quiet as the campers finish their apple slices. Provide time for debriefing after the activity. Do you know anyone who eats this mindfully in their daily lives? Does eating one apple mindfully change how you think about apples? How would meals be different if we did always eat mindfully? If campers feel frustrated by the slow pace of eating, it is important to acknowledge that this feeling is okay, too. Slowing down in a fast pace world isn’t what everyone is used to and can feel awkward at first. 6. Slowing down with Slow Food (5 – 10 minutes) Few people eat as slowly in their daily lives as we did during the food meditation. The meditation helps us to remain as awake and aware as possible when we eat so that the experience is as sensesational as possible. This means making an effort to eat without external distractions such as watching TV, reading, or having an emotional discussion during a meal. We live in a world with a lot of fast food. Why is it called “fast food”? Does it have something to do with how fast we actually eat the food? There is a global movement called Slow Food. What do you think is the idea behind “slow food”? How is eating slow good for our bodies? Farmers? Our planet? To learn more about the Slow Food Movement, visit http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

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7. Cooking: Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies (30 minutes + baking and cooling time) What foods do you eat mindlessly? At home, do you ever open a big bag of chips, sit in front of the TV and suddenly find the bag empty? Do you munch on snacks at night without really thinking about what you are eating? It is often “junk” food that we eat the most mindlessly. Slow, mindful eating isn’t just about eating fruit and veggies but about how to enjoy all the food we eat. Today we will make oatmeal cinnamon cranberry cookies, which are a delicious treat and at the same time, incorporate healthy elements like dried fruit and oatmeal. By taking the time to make them from scratch ourselves, we will be able to see that these cookies should be savored and enjoyed slowly! Eating more slowly and mindfully also allows our stomach time to send a message back to our brain that we are full! When we eat too quickly, our stomach doesn’t have time to send this message and we can end up feeling “stuffed.” Seeing the Cooking Section below for complete instructions on how to organize and make the cookies. 8. In Our Chadar Ohel – Dining Hall (10 minutes) How can we bring the idea of eating mindfully into our dining hall here at camp? Allow the campers to come up with and consider different options. If the group is from a bunk or group that regularly eats together, encourage the group to select one or two ideas they want to try. Here are a few suggestions: • Eating silently as a table for one meal. • Chew each bite of food twenty times. • Instead of taking food for yourself, serve the person next to you and get them a “healthy” plate full of food from the buffet line. • During the next meal a bunk has in the dining hall the leader should eat with the girls to lead a mindful eating meal. After the communal blessing and before they start eating, the leader asks them to: o Smell the food item by item. o Ask what they will eat first and why? o Ask them to eat deliberately slowly at this meal, putting their fork down between every three bites. o Debrief outside Dining Hall after the end of the meal: Did you feel different after eating that meal? Did you like eating slowly? Could you do it again? How might you remember to slow down and notice your food and how it is making your body feel? If the group comes from different bunks or does not regularly eat together, the campers can reflect on a personal action they might take while in a very social eating setting. Here are a few suggestions: 22 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


• • •

Try to eat more slowly – you might not feel comfortable eating as slowly as during a food mediation, but explore slowing down just a little bit more and enjoying your food just a little bit more. Pause before you take second servings of food. Take a moment before you start eating a food to think about some of the hands that helped to bring the food to your plate. Share what you learned during this program with the people that you eat with and see if they want to try a food meditation, too.

9. Closing Circle (5 minutes) Gather everyone in a big circle for a closing “whip” circle. Have each person share one way they want to be a more mindful eater. “Whip” around the circle. Make sure to include yourself in the circle, either you can go first and model an answer or you might choose to go last and also reflect on the campers answers and the time together. Closing song (either a repeat from the opening song or another familiar song)

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Cooking: Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies The cookies are still just that – cookies – and need to be eaten in moderation and balanced with lots of other foods that are eaten during the day. By using some healthy ingredients, we are able to make sure that a treat is still sweet but also provides us with energy that will keep us going and staying healthy. See the More Recipes section for additional recipes that replace higher fat and calorie ingredients with healthier options with a delicious result. As campers spoon out the batter, they will be able to decide how big (or small) the cookies should be in size. Once the cookies are cooled, the campers should create an environment to enjoy the actual cookies fully and mindfully. Organizing Cooking with Campers Set up a Dry Ingredients Station, assign 3-4 campers to the station; a Wet Ingredients Station; assign 34 campers to the station; and a Glaze Station; all campers will make glaze while the cookies are baking. Introducing the Recipe & Moderation Review the recipe steps for each station. Each station should work independently on their part of the recipe. Once the cookies are in the oven, all campers will make the glaze (optional) and cleanup their work area. Each camper is responsible to clean up their work stations. When we say a bracha (blessing) for our food it helps to remind us that we are receiving a gift. Review the various ingredients. Ask the campers to name which bracha is said for each item. Note about Set Up Print out a copy of the Station Instructions for each station. These instructions modify the recipe instructions so that groups of campers can work together on the one recipe and help to clarify some of the steps in the recipe, like lemon zest. Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies Adapted from The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook by Leah Koenig Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies Ingredients Dry • ¾ cup all-purpose flour • ½ cup whole wheat flour • ½ teaspoon baking soda • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 2 cups rolled oats (not instant) • ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins • ½ cup pecans, chopped (optional) Wet • ½ cup unsalted butter or nonhydrogenated margarine, softened

• •

1 cup packed brown sugar ½ teaspoon lemon zest (or orange zest) • 1 large egg • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Glaze • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon • 1 tablespoon milk (or dairy-free substitute like soy or almond milk)

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Cooking Equipment • Oven • Measuring cups: ¼ cup, ½ cup, 1 cup • Measuring spoons: ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon • Medium bowl • Zester/ fine grater/ microplane (or knife and cutting board) • Standing mixer or wooden spoon • Baking pans • Whisk Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. 3. In a standing mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix well to combine. 4. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until incorporated. Fold in the oats, cranberries or raisins, and pecans, if using. 5. Drop mounds of batter (about 1 tablespoon) onto an ungreased baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. Using your hand or the back of a spoon, flatten the cookies slightly. Bake for 1215 minutes until lightly golden around the edges, but still slightly soft in the center. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing. 6. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth. Drizzle on top of cookies once they cool. Station Instructions Dry Ingredient Station Ingredients & Cooking Equipment • ¾ cup all-purpose flour • ½ cup whole wheat flour • ½ teaspoon baking soda • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 2 cups rolled oats (not instant) • ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins • ½ cup pecans, chopped (optional) • 2 Medium bowls – 1st bowl for first 5 ingredients listed above, 2nd for last 3 ingredients above • Mixing Spoon Instructions 1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. 2. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the oats, cranberries or raisins, and pecans; set aside. 3. Join with the Wet Ingredients Team and follow the rest of their directions. 25 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Wet Ingredient Station Ingredients & Cooking Equipment • ½ cup unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, softened • 1 cup packed brown sugar • ½ teaspoon lemon zest • 1 large egg • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Standing mixer or large bowl and wooden spoon Instructions 1. Prepare the lemon zest either by using a zester or by carefully cutting off the outside yellow (don’t include the white pith of the lemon) and cut up very finely. 2. In a standing mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, 2-3 minutes. 3. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix well to combine. 4. Join with the Dry Ingredients Team 5. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until incorporated. Fold in the oats, cranberries or raisins, and pecans, if using. 6. Drop mounds of batter (about 1 tablespoon) onto an ungreased baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. Using your hand or the back of a spoon, flatten the cookies slightly. Bake for 1215 minutes until lightly golden around the edges, but still slightly soft in the center. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing. Glaze Station (Optional) Ingredients & Cooking Equipment • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon • 1 tablespoon milk (or dairy-free substitute like soy or almond milk) • Small bowl • Wire whisk 1. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth. 2. Drizzle on top of cookies once they cool.

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Food Blessings

Before eating bread:

.‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ּ ָתה ה' אֱ לֹהֵ ינ ּו מֶ לֶ ְך הָ עוֹ לָ ם הַ ּמוֹ ִציא לֶ חֶ ם ִמן הָ ָא ֶרץ‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz. Blessed are You, eternal God, who brings forth bread from the earth. Before eating non bread foods made from wheat, oats, rye, barley, and spelt: .‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ּ ָתה ה' אֱ לֹהֵ ינ ּו מֶ לֶ ְך הָ עוֹ לָ ם בּ וֹ ֵרא ִמינֵי ְמזוֹ נוֹ ת‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam borei minei m’zonot. Blessed are You, eternal God, who creates many kinds of nourishment.

Before drinking grape juice or wine (but not eating grapes or raisins): .‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ּ ָתה ה' אֱ לֹהֵ ינ ּו מֶ לֶ ְך הָ עוֹ לָ ם בּ וֹ ֵרא ּ ְפ ִרי הַ ּג ּ ֶָפן‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam borei p’ri hagafen. Blessed are You, eternal God, who creates fruit of the vine.

Before eating fruit from a tree and certain vines (grapes, raisins, apples, oranges, walnuts, almonds, but not bananas or peanuts—and not juice): .‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ּ ָתה ה' אֱ לֹהֵ ינ ּו ּ ֶמלֶ ְך הָ עוֹ לָ ם בּ וֹ ֵרא ּ ְפ ִרי הָ ֵעץ‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam borei p’ri haetz. Blessed are You, eternal God, who creates fruit of the tree.

Before eating produce that grew from the earth (most vegetables, rice, corn, bananas, pineapple and berries—but not juice or processed foods like chips): .‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ּ ָתה ה' אֱ לֹהֵ ינ ּו ּ ֶמלֶ ְך הָ עוֹ לָ ם בּ וֹ ֵרא ּ ְפ ִרי הָ ַא ָד ָמה‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam borei p’ri ha’adamah. Blessed are You, eternal God, who creates fruit of the earth.

Before eating anything else (milk, meat, eggs, candy, potato chips): . ֹ‫שהַ ָּכל נִ ְהיֶה ִ ּב ְדבָ רו‬ ֶ ׁ ‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ּ ָתה ה' אֱ לֹהֵ ינ ּו ּ ֶמלֶ ְך הָ עוֹ לָ ם‬ Baruch atah adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam she’hakol n’hiyeh b’dvaro. Blessed are You, eternal God, through whose word all things come into being. 27 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Brachot Charades Cards

Eating bread

Eating watermelon

Eating spaghetti

Eating a banana

Eating an ice cream cone

Eating an apple

Eating a lollipop

Eating a carrot

Drinking milk

Eating corn

Eating a hamburger

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Unit Three Fueling Our Amazing Bodies Big Jewish Idea This unit builds on the idea of b’tzelem Elohim, that we are created in God’s image, which was introduced in Unit 1. The idea is further explored in relation to both how our body functions and how we fuel our body for optimal functioning. Campers reflect on the role of the Asher Yatzar blessing which allows us to thank God for good health as it acknowledges the ability to go to the bathroom, for without it, we wouldn’t be able to live. The blessing is an expression of our awe for God’s creation (us). If the campers are not familiar with the Asher Yatzar blessing, you should expect some giggles in the beginning. You might need to re-focus the group; however, the seeming “silliness” of talking about going to the bathroom can result in this unit leave a lasting impression on the campers. In addition, an exploration of Jewish texts in relation to ideas about how and how much we eat opens up a conversation about the confusing food messages we receive. Maimonides probably couldn’t have imagined the “super-sized” food culture that surrounds us today. These huge portions are part of the portion distortion and deceiving food advertising that we encounter all around us. Materials • Asher Yatzar blessing • Large flip chart paper • Signs: Totally Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Totally Disagree • Tape • Portion Distortion Cards and Portion Distortion answer key • Gan Nashim Song sheet – optional • Cooking – Popcorn Taste Test – optional Advanced Preparation • Create and post Totally Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Totally Disagree along one wall or using trees or other outdoor objects • On large paper, write out the Asher Yatzar text and questions found in section 2 below 1. Get into Your Body, Get into Your Self (5 minutes) Opening Movement Take a moment for everyone to get into bodies by leading a few stretches or wiggles. You can also go around in a circle and ask each camper to offer up one quick stretch. Opening Song To maintain continuity, once again open with a song. You may want to continue to use one song or take this opportunity to learn another one together. 2. Asher Yatzar: Our Complex Bodies (10 – 15 minutes) Now that you are warmed up, ask, what is one amazing physically activity you did with your body? Go around in a circle, allowing each camper to answer. You can start the circle by being self- disclosing first or complete the circle by sharing last. Our bodies are incredible! 29 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Big Jewish Idea Introduce Asher Yatzar. The purpose of this blessing is to thank God for good health. It expresses thanks for having the ability to go to the bathroom, for without it; we wouldn’t be able to live. This prayer is a continuation on the idea of b’tzelem Elohim, that we are created in God’s image and the ability of our bodies to properly function is an expression of our awe for God’s creation (us). Post the flip chart paper with the blessing and questions: Praised are You, our God and creator of all things, who made our bodies wisely, that our openings open and our closings close, arteries, gland and organs all awesome in structure and intricate in design. Should just one of them fail by being blocked or opened, it would be impossible to exist. Praise You, our God, healer of all flesh who sustains our bodies. -

What do you think about a blessing for after you go to the bathroom? The blessing reminds us about how amazing the work of our bodies is, bodies are really good machines at getting rid of waste. What are other examples of “ordinary” things we do that could remind us that our bodies are incredibly examples of God’s creation?

Ask everyone to find one other person discuss the blessing and questions with together for about 5 minutes. Bring the group back together for discussion. There will most likely be a mix of reactions to this prayer if they are not already familiar with it both in terms of feeling strange and different and feeling amazed that Judaism even has a blessing for this moment. It is okay to not all agree, but you want to make sure that everyone understands how this is an expression of B’tzelem Elohim. You should also share your thoughts on what this blessing does and doesn’t mean to you. “Ordinary” things that are actually amazing might include being able to see, smell, taste, touch, laugh, cry, etc. 3. More, Less, Moderation (15 – 20 minutes) Building on the previous discussion about the amazing things our bodies can do, the campers will now explore Jewish texts that reflect different advice on how to take care of our bodies. More, Less, Moderation Activity Explain that you will be saying a statement and everyone needs to move in front of the sign that represents what they think about the statement – point out the five signs (totally agree, agree, neutral, disagree, totally disagree). After each statement is read, ask a 1-2 people from each point along the continuum to share their point of views. Here is a practice one – I love to go swimming. Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die. – Isaiah 22:13 Eat to live, do not live to eat. – Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra Work before eating, rest after eating. Do not eat ravenously, filling the mouth gulp after gulp without breathing space. – Maimonides One should never eat unless one is hungry, nor drink unless one is thirsty... – Maimonides 30 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Reflection (5 minutes) Ask participants to spend a few minutes sharing what they learned during the activity. What surprised you about making a choice along the continuum? What do you think about these Jewish thinkers writing about how to eat? What surprised you about someone else’s choice? As the group leader, does one of these statements particularly connect to you? Share your thoughts with the group. 4. Portion Distortion (15-20 minutes) There is a lot of conflicting information about what, where, when, how, and how much we should eat. Today we have “super-sized” portions of food that we can’t imagine Maimonides would have considered possible as every day food. We are going to do an exercise to better understand portion distortion and how much we should eat. Show the campers the Portion Distortion Cards. A "portion" can be thought of as the amount of a specific food you choose to eat for dinner, snack, or other eating occasion. Portions, of course can be bigger or smaller than the recommended food servings. Let’s see if we can guess how large the sizes are for a few portions. Show campers each Portion Distortion Cards. Ask them to make guesses about how many more calories the current portion contains. Note: Campers are just as likely to guess that the larger food has way more or way less calories as it actually does. This exercise isn’t about learning how to count calories or to encourage campers to think about calories. It is a way to get them to think about how much food they put on a plate or get on a plate at a restaurant. Portion Distortion Cards are based on Do You Know How Food Portions Have Changed in 20 Years? By National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Obesity Education Initiative So, what created portion distortion? There are a lot of reasons. Here are two reasons. What are some others? 1/ Food is a business. Food companies aren’t trying to keep you healthy, they are trying to make money by having you buy as much of their food as possible. Food businesses started to give more food in order to charge more money! 2/ Food advertising is designed to make us think that a food is healthy even when it is not. A turkey sandwich 31 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


can be a very healthy lunch, but with portion distortion, one sandwich can be half the calories you need in a day. Other examples of food advertising giving mis-leading “healthy:” food messages are “zero” calorie sodas that are carbonated water and chemicals; “100 calorie snack packs” that give the message that because it is just 100 calories, it is healthy even if you are eating cookies and chips. What are other examples of misleading food advertisements? How do you avoid portion distortion? Show the campers the MyPlate image. How can following this picture help us present portion distortion? Sample answers: Enjoy your food, but eat less. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Meat or chicken is not the main food on the plate. MyPlate doesn’t have room for regular dessert! 5. Cooking: Popcorn Taste Test (20 minutes) In our everyday lives we are sent confusing food messages. The marketing departments of food companies and grocery store sales managers want us to purchase certain products, which often are less healthy than fresh, homemade versions of the same foods. For example, popcorn could be a salty, buttery, unhealthy food that you find at a movie theater, or it could be a healthy, whole food popped on the stove with interesting toppings, like we are going to make today! By measuring out 5 cups of popcorn (serving size 20 years ago) and 11 cups of popcorn (serving size today), the campers will be able to directly visualize what portion distortion really means. The campers can then decide how many cups they want to take for snack. Some campers might be hungry and eat more while others eat less. It is important to create a space where it is safe to eat the amount that you want to eat and at the same time allow campers to be empowered to decide exactly how much they want to eat based on their hunger and not others. Remind the campers about the Mindful Eating exercise in the last unit. Together or on their own the campers should slow down to savor the first popcorn bite! Seeing the Cooking Section below for complete instructions on how to organize and make the Popcorn Balls. 6. Closing Circle (5 minutes) Gather everyone in a big circle for a closing “whip” circle. Have each person share one thing they enjoyed about the session. “Whip” around the circle. Make sure to include yourself in the circle, either you can go first and model an answer or you might choose to go last and also reflect on the campers answers and the time together. Closing song (either a repeat from the opening song or another familiar song) 32 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Cooking: Popcorn Taste Test Popcorn can be a healthy, whole food snack that you can regularly enjoy or it can be covered with salt and butter, like at the movie theater, and become a snack that is best to avoid. Today we will make popcorn and use herbs and spices to create healthy toppings without all the salt and butter. We will do a popcorn taste test, comparing the different popcorn flavorings, and then visualize what popcorn portion distortion really means before the campers decide how much popcorn to eat today. Organizing Cooking with Campers Before the campers arrive, set up the popcorn station and the four different seasonings stations. • Set up prep station: Popcorn Station (should be room for whole group to watch) o Stove o Dutch oven or 8 Quart pot with lid o Popping corn • Set up prep station: Seasoning Stations o Sweet: cinnamon and sugar o Savory: Zaatar o Spicy: paprika and garlic powder o Salty: sea salt Introducing the Recipe & Popcorn Portion Distortion Give a short overview of the four components of the cooking session: 1/ making and flavoring popcorn; 2/ popcorn taste test; 3/ popcorn portion distortion comparison; 4/ enjoying our snack! Explain that popcorn could be a salty, buttery, unhealthy food, or it could be a healthy, whole food popped on the stove, like we are making today! Remind campers that we have a tradition that both has says “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.” (Isaiah 22:13) and “Eat to live, do not live to eat.” (Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra) Finding a balance among eating healthy, enjoying celebrations with special foods, and sometimes waiting until dinner instead of having a snack, is not totally straightforward. As you make the popcorn, think about how you balance these two ideas in your life. Note about Popcorn Taste Test Each camper should take just enough popcorn to taste the flavor of each one. Campers can vote for their favorites and talk about why they liked that one the most. This is not about “yucking someone else’s yum” but rather an opportunity to explore our reaction to different flavors. Encourage the campers to try each combination. How does the salty taste differently than the sweet? The savory vs. the spicy? Which is your favorite? How is eating fresh, homemade popcorn different than microwave butter popcorn? Note about Popcorn Portion Distortion A camper should measure out 5 cups of popcorn (serving size 20 years ago) in one bowl while another camper measures out 11 cups of popcorn (serving size today). Now that the campers can see the actual difference, ask, what is your reaction? What would your reaction be if you knew that the portion sizes are even bigger in another 20 years? The current U.S. standard serving size is actually 3 cups.

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The campers should be invited to decide how many cups they want to take for snack. Some campers might be hungry and eat more while others eat less. It is important to create a space where it is safe to eat the amount that you want to eat and at the same time allow campers to be empowered to decide exactly how much they want to eat based on their hunger and not others. Making the Popcorn Adapted from My Nutrition Kitchen by Julie Negrin Makes enough for 8 – 10 campers + taste tests Ingredients • 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup popcorn kernels • Flavorings o Sweet: ½ tablespoon cinnamon and ¼ cup sugar o Savory: ½ cup Zaatar o Spicy: ½ teaspoon paprika and 1 tablespoon garlic powder o Salty: 1 teaspoon sea salt • Olive oil in a spray can or “misto” Cooking Equipment • Stove • Dutch oven or 8 Quart pot with lid • Measuring cups – 1/4, 1/2, 1 cup • Measuring spoons – ½ tablespoon, 1 tablespoon, ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon Instructions 1. In a Dutch oven (or 8 quart pan), heat oil on medium to high heat. 2. When it starts to shimmer (after a few minutes), add a popcorn kernel. 3. When the oil starts to sizzle around the kernel, add the rest of the kernels. (If you use a full cup in a Dutch oven it will overflow a little when it’s fully popped.) 4. Cover with tightly fitted lid. 5. Jiggle the pan just a little bit while the kernels start to heat up (you might need to use hot pads to hold the pan). 6. When they all start to pop at once, jiggle the pan with more force so that the bottom pieces don’t burn. 7. As soon as the popping sound starts to slow down, lower heat, jiggle for another minute or so and pull it off the heat. 8. Lightly spray the popcorn with olive oil spray – this will allow the seasonings to stick to the popcorn. You might need to divide the popcorn into smaller batches in order to more easily spray the popcorn without putting too much oil on it. 9. Season and enjoy.

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Gan Nashim – Portion Distortion

Movie Theater Popcorn 20 Years Ago 270 calories 5 cups

Today ???


Chocolate Chip C ookie 20 Years Ago

Today

55 calories 1.5 inch diameter

???

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Bagel 20 Years Ago

Today

140 calories 3 inch diameter

???

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Spaghetti & Meatballs 20 Years Ago 500 calories 1 cup spaghetti with sauce and 3 small meatballs

Today ???

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French Fries 20 Years Ago

Today

210 calories 2.4 ounces

???

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Soda 20 Years Ago 85 calories 6.5 ounces

Today ???

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Turkey Sandwich 20 Years Ago 85 calories

Today ???

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Movie Theater Popcorn 20 Years Ago 210 calories 5 cups

Portion Distortion Answer Sheet Today 630 calories 11 cups

Calorie Difference: 360 Calories How long will you have to do water aerobics in order to burn the extra 360 calories? * Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes *Based on 160-pound person Chocolate Chip C ookie 20 Years Ago 55 calories 1.5 inch diameter

Today 275 calories 3.5 inch diameter

Calorie Difference: 220 calories How long will you have to wash the car to burn those extra 220 calories? * 1 hour and 15 minutes *Based on 130-pound person Bagel 20 Years Ago 140 calories 3-inch diameter

Today 350 calories 6-inch diameter

Calorie Difference: 210 calories How long will you have to rake leaves in order to burn the extra 210 calories? * 50 minutes *Based on 130-pound person Spaghetti & Meatballs 20 Years Ago 500 calories 1 cup spaghetti with sauce and 3 small meatballs

Today 1,025 calories 2 cups of pasta with sauce and 3 large meatballs

Calorie Difference: 525 calories How long will you have to houseclean in order to burn the extra 525 calories? * 2 hours and 35 minutes, you will burn approximately 525 calories.* *Based on 130-pound person


French Fries 20 Years Ago 210 Calories 2.4 ounces

Today 610 Calories 6.9 ounces

Calorie Difference: 400 Calories How long will you have to walk leisurely in order to burn those extra 400 calories? * 1 hour and 10 minutes *Based on 160-pound person Soda 20 Years Ago 85 Calories 6.5 ounces

Today 250 Calories 20 ounces

Calorie Difference: 165 Calories How long will you have to work in the garden to burn those extra calories? * 35 minutes *Based on 160-pound person Turkey Sandwich 20 Years Ago 320 calories Calorie Difference: 500 Calories

Today 820 calories

How long will you have to ride a bike in order to burn those extra calories? * 1 hour and 25 minutes *Based on 160-pound person

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Unit Four Go for Healthy Eating Big Jewish Idea As b’tzelem Elohim, created in God’s image, if we want to take care of our bodies by eating healthy food, we should make sure to have healthy food options all around us. The big Jewish idea is that Jewish tradition recognizes that how we eat is impacted by the food choices around us. If there are vegetable gardens in town, you are probably going to eat more veggies – by extension probably have a healthier life – than if there were no fresh vegetables available in town. If you lived in a part of a city where there was no fresh produce available in your neighborhood, you would probably eat less fresh fruits and veggies than a person who can get them at their local store or community garden. When we have a salad bar in the dining hall or a delicious fresh salad that we have made ourselves, it is easier to choose the food that will help us to take care of our bodies. A further exploration of Go, Slow, Whoa foods presents an easy-to-understand system for making healthier food choices. This unit also ties together the entire Gan Nashim curriculum as the campers create place mats that tie together the big ideas presented in each unit. Materials • Flip chart paper or other large paper to post and use for brainstorm • Tape to put up flip chart paper • Markers • Go, Slow, Whoa cards for Dining Hall Relay – or make your own with foods that are found in your dining hall! • Copy of placemats • Crayons • Gan Nashim Song sheet – optional • Cooking – See Rainbow Salad with Goodness-filled Dressing– optional Advance Preparation • On large paper, write out the Vegetable Garden text from Jerusalem Talmud, Kiddushin Ch.4, 66b, Halakhah 12and questions found in section 2 below • Post Go, Slow, and Whoa signs on large flip chart paper • Print and cut out 1 set of Go, Slow, Whoa cards for each team of 5 campers 1. Get into Your Body, Get into Your Self (5 minutes) Opening Movement Take a moment for everyone to get into bodies by leading a few stretches or wiggles. You can also go around in a circle and ask each camper to offer up one quick stretch. Opening Song To maintain continuity, once again open with a song. Since this is the final gathering of this group, you might want to choose a favorite song. 45 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


2. Vegetable Gardens in Your Town (10 – 15 minutes) How we eat is often impacted by the food choices around us, if something isn’t around, we don’t eat it and if there is a lot of something around, we tend to eat more of it. Go around in a circle, allowing each camper to answer the question, what do you eat because it is (in the dining hall, at the canteen) but don’t usually eat if it isn’t there? You can start the circle by being self- disclosing first or complete the circle by sharing last. Big Jewish Idea Introduce the idea that Jewish tradition recognizes that how we eat is impacted by the food choices around us. If there are more vegetable gardens in town, you are probably going to eat more veggies – by extension probably have a healthier life. As b’tzelem Elohim, created in God’s image, we want to put food around us that will help us to take care of our bodies. Post the flip chart paper with the pasuk and questions: Rabbi Hezkayah and Rabbi Kohen (said) in the name of Rav: It is forbidden to live in a city in which there is no healer, no bathhouse, and no court which is recognizable and wise; Rabbi Yosi said in the name of Rabbi Bon: It is even forbidden to live in a city in which there is not a vegetable garden. – Jerusalem Talmud, Kiddushin Ch.4, 66b, Halakhah 12 -

Do you agree that a city needs to have a vegetable garden in addition to a healer, bathhouse, and court? What is similar and different about each of these things? Do you have access to healthy food on a regular basis? Who makes that healthy food available? For kids that don’t have access to healthy food, how do you think they eat? How might this affect their bodies? What messages are around camp about healthy eating? What messages could we create?

Ask everyone to find one other person discuss the text and questions with together. (5 – 7 minutes) Bring the group back together for discussion. Ask them to share if they agree or disagree with the need for a vegetable garden in every city. You should share your thoughts, too. 3. Go- Slow- Whoa Foods (10 minutes) Your grandparents or great-grandparents might remember what it was like to have to wait for a food to grow from the garden before they could enjoy it. Now we can get any food we want at any time of year. Do you think your grandparents would remember when you could only eat locally? Would your great-grandparents? What would they think about a major supermarket today with every fruit and vegetable available? Should we have everything all the time? Right now it is summer and most farms are in full production, how would it feel to only eat locally during the winter? What would you miss? What would you gain from only having a strawberry during strawberry season when it was fresh and local? 46 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Introduce the idea of Go-Slow-Whoa Go – great to eat any time (green light), such as vegetables, fruits, water beans, whole grains Slow – to be eaten sometimes, less often than “go” foods (yellow light), such as dairy, nuts, fish, meat Whoa – to be eaten only once in a while/ on special occasions, in small portions (red light), such as juice, cake, French fries, doughnuts, potato chips Point out the three signs in the room – Go, Slow, and Whoa – you will have about 5 minutes to walk around and add different foods to each of these categories. As the campers write down foods, you should add some foods, too. Then come back together as a group. - Are there any foods in more than one category? - Are there any foods in one category that you think belong in another? - Do you agree or disagree with the categories? Note: The concept behind Go-Slow-Whoa was developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services and is part of the We Can! campaign. 4. Dining Hall Relay Race (15 minutes) We are now going to run a relay race, to see if we understand how we can take responsibility about eating Go Slow Whoa foods. Split up into teams with about 5 people per group. When it is your turn, you will run down to the cone, and you will see a number of different options of things that you could eat in a meal here at camp printed on cards. Select the GO food to eat, show it to me, and then run back and tag the next girl on your team. If you select a SLOW food, you will need to walk back to tag the next girl. If you select a WHOA food, you will need to freeze for 10 seconds before you can run back to tag the next girl. The first team to get 10 GO foods wins. 5. Cooking: Rainbow Salad with Goodness-filled Dressing (30 minutes) Salad is too often thought of as a food that is good for you but doesn’t actually taste good. You should make sure to use the freshest ingredients possible. If there is a camp garden, you can pick your own produce or plan a trip to a local farmers market as great additions to this unit. When you involve the campers in the process of building the salad, you will be happily surprised at how much they enjoy it! Remind the campers of the Mindful Eating exercise in Unit Two. Slow down together to appreciate all the hands that went into making the salad they are about to enjoy. Together slowly savor the first bite. Seeing the Cooking Section below for complete instructions on how to organize and make the salad. 47 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


6. Go Healthy Placemats: Putting it all together (10 - 25 minutes) Over the course of the past three sessions plus today, we have discussed a lot. We have talked about b’tzelem Elohim in relation to shmirat ha’guf and caring for our bodies, saying brachot and mindful eating, eating in moderation (including sometimes eating too much and sometimes eating not enough), and finally today we walked about having healthy food choices – like a vegetable garden – around us to help us eat in a way that honors our bodies. As a final project, we are going to bring it all together by creating a placemat. Each of you will get a piece of paper with some questions on it. Write your answers to the questions and take the time to decorate your placemat and make it beautiful. You will have about 10-12 minutes to make your placemat. When the placemats are done, you can either laminate them so that the campers can use them during mealtimes at camp or have the campers put them up in their bunks, above their beds or by their cubbies. Placemat questions: What is one way that I practice shmirat ha’guf and take care of my body? When I bless my food, what is something about the food or someone who helped make it I want to remember? What does MyPlate look like? This is how I would fill my plate. If I could grow any food in my garden so it would be convenient to eat, this is what I would grow in my garden. Alternate Culminating Projects • Create a Gan Nashim cookbook – start with providing a copy of each Gan Nashim recipe, add some favorite healthy camp recipes, add a cover for the campers decorate and have all the campers sign. • Create a healthy eating collage – gather old magazines and photos, provide glue and paper and let the campers create their own visual image about what healthy eating means to them. • Send a note to yourself – give each camper the opportunity to write a note to themselves in the future about what they want to remember about Gan Nashim and healthy eating. Have the campers put the notes in envelops and address them to their home addresses. Mail the letters after camp ends so they get the reminders when they are home. • As a group, create a “go healthy” guidelines. 7. Closing Circle (5 minutes) Gather everyone in a big circle for a closing “whip” circle. Have each person briefly share their placemat design with the group, and in particular, ask that each camper share what they want to take home. “Whip” around the circle. Include your final thoughts on what you are taking away from the group. You might also want to mention your appreciation of the campers’ willingness to share and learn together. Closing song (either a repeat from the opening song or another familiar song) 48 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


Cooking: Rainbow Salad with Goodness-filled Dressing Salad is too often thought of as a food that is good for you but doesn’t actually taste good. If you make sure to use the freshest ingredients possible (a trip to a local farmers market could be a great addition to this unit) and involve the campers in the process of building the salad, you should be happily surprised at how much they enjoy it! The presence of different nutrients can influence the color of fruits and vegetables. By creating a salad with all the colors in the rainbow, all the different nutrients will be included. Organizing Cooking with Campers Plan that 2-3 campers will help to either prepare one of the salad ingredients or make one of the salad dressings. Set up a station for each ingredient which includes cutting boards, knives, other utensils needed for preparing the food, and a bowl to put in the prepped ingredient. Based on the complexity of preparation, determine which stations need 2 or 3 people and put out the appropriate number of knives and cutting boards. The station with the salad “base” such as the greens should have a very large bowl that all the other ingredients can be added into. Introducing the Recipe & Vegetable Gardens Review the instructions for preparing the vegetables for each station. Each station should work independently on their part of the recipe. Each camper is responsible to clean up their work stations. As b’tzelem Elohim, created in God’s image, we want to put food around us that allows us to make healthier food choices, which in turn help us to take care of our bodies. When we have a refrigerator filled with good, healthy foods that is what we are more likely to choose to eat. When we have a salad bar in the dining hall or a delicious fresh salad that we have made ourselves, it is easier to choose the food that will help us to take care of our bodies. Rainbow Salad Adjust quantities below to the size of your group Ingredients– select at least one item from each color group • Red: red pepper, tomatoes, red onion, watermelon • Orange: carrots, orange pepper, orange tomatoes, apricots • Yellow: yellow pepper, yellow tomatoes, yellow squash, pineapple, mango • Green: arugula, spinach, Romaine, watercress, green cabbage, scallions, cilantro, parsley • Blue/ Purple: purple cabbage, figs, beets, olives Cooking Equipment • Knives for each camper • Cutting board for each camper • Small, medium, or large bowl for each camper (depending on what they are preparing) 49 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


• • •

Grater (optional: for beets or carrots) Whisks Plate and fork for each camper to use to enjoy their salad

Instructions Chop, slice, or dice each ingredient. Combine into one large bowl. Sample Salad: Very Veggie Rainbow Salad Makes about 8 – 10 small servings Ingredients • 1 head Romaine, shredded • 1-2 Red pepper, sliced • 2 Carrots, grated • 1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes cut in half • 2 Beets, peeled and grated Sample Salad: Watermelon and Tomato Salad Adapted from Mark Bittman in the NYTimes Makes 8-10 small servings Ingredients • 2 1/2 cups seedless watermelon, in 1-inch cubes or balls (cut over a bowl to catch the juice and reserve it) • 1 1/2 cups orange or yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half • 1/2 cup finely diced or crumbled feta cheese • 1/2 cup minced scallions • Salt • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or red wine or sherry) • Pinch cayenne • 1/2 cup cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped Instructions 1. Combine the watermelon, tomato, cheese, scallions and salt in a bowl. 2. Whisk or blend together about 2 tablespoons of the watermelon juice, oil, vinegar and cayenne. To serve, dress the salad with this mixture and garnish with cilantro. Do not refrigerate and serve within 30 minutes. Goodness-filled Dressing Tahini Salad Dressing Makes enough for 8-10 small servings of salad Ingredients • 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste) • 1/2 cup olive oil 50 Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012


• • • • • • •

1/2 cup water 1/4 cup tamari (dark soy sauce) 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root 2 cloves garlic, pressed black pepper to taste

Directions 1. Blend the tahini, olive oil, water, tamari, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and black pepper together in a blender until smooth. Honey Mustard Salad Dressing Makes enough for 8-10 small servings of salad Ingredients • 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise • 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1 tablespoon honey Directions 1. Combine ingredients. Stir well until completely blended. 2. Chill 20 to 30 minutes and serve on their favorite salad.

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GO CARDS Whole wheat pita bread

1% Milk

Water

Corn

Low fat yogurt

Carrots

Tofu

Zucchini

Lettuce

Blueberries

Beans

Chicken without skin

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SLOW CARDS Pretzels

Almonds

Tuna canned in oil

2% milk

Hard-boiled Egg

Low-fat hot dogs

Pancakes

Peanut Butter Turkey with skin

Low-fat frozen French toast yogurt

Sports drink

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WHOA CARDS Butter

Whole Milk

Hamburgers

Turkey cold cuts

Regular Soda

Chicken nuggets

Croissants

Chocolate

Cream cheese

Canned peaches in syrup

Buttered Microwave Popcorn

Swiss cheese

Muffins

French fries

Sugar cereal

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Gan Nashim What are some ways I practice shmirat ha’guf which is taking care of my body?

When I sit down to eat, it is good to remember where our food comes from and who prepared it for us. Who or what do I want to keep in mind when I bless my food?

Now that I know what mindful eating is about, something that I learned from Gan Nashim that I want to take home is…

If I had a garden, here is my wish list of what I would like to grow:

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Gan Nashim Song Sheet

Adamah v’Shamayim Adamah v’shamayim, chom ha-esh, tzlil ha-mayim Ani margish zot be-gufi, b’ruchi b’nishmati. Love the earth, love the sky, heat of fire, drop of water I can feel it in my body, in my spirit and in my soul Hey-ya hey-ya hey-ya hey-ya hey-ya, hey-ya hey-ya ho! Hey-ya hey-ya hey-ya hey-ya hey-ya, hey-ya hey-ya ho! Hey-ya hey-ya, hey-ya hey-ya, hey-ya hey-ya, hey-ya ho! (Hebrew words by Shimon Lev-Tahor, adapted from a Rainbow Gathering melody) B’rich Rachamana B’rich rachamana malka d’alma ma’arey d’hai pita. B’rich rachamana malka d’alma ma’arey d’hai pita. You are the source of life for all that is and your blessings flow through me You are the source of life for all that is and your blessings flow through me (Words from Brakhot 40b, music from a traditional gospel song) B’tzelem Elohim Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (4 times) We all got a life to live. We all got a gift to give. Just open your heart and let it out. We all got a peace to bring. We all got a song to sing. Just open your heart and let it out. Yeah… When I reach out to you and you to me, We become b’tzelem Elohim When we share our hopes and our dreams, Each one of us b’tzelem Elohim. We all got a tale to tell. We all want to speak it well. Just open your heart and let it out. We all got a mountain to climb. We all got a truth to find. Just open your heart and let it out. Yeah… (chorus) B’reishit ba-ra E---lo---him (4 times) B’reishit bara Elohim, all our hopes, all our dreas, B’reishit bara Elohim, each one of us, b’tzelem Elohim B’reishit bara Elohim, all our hopes, all our dreams B’reishit bara Elohim, each one of us, b’tzelem Elohim, Yeah… (chorus 2 times, last time 3 times) (Written by Dan Nichols and Rabbi Mike Moskowitz )

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Gan Nashim Song Sheet

The Ocean There is so much magnificence in the ocean Waves are coming in, waves are coming in. Halleluyah... Sanctuary Oh lord prepare me To be a sanctuary Pure and holy Tried and true And with thanksgiving I’ll be a living Sanctuary For you Shehecheyanu Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh. Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-mein (Words from Jewish liturgy, music by Tzvika Pik) Tree of Life Shalom, shalom, shalom, shalom Shalom, shalom, shalom, shalom Eitz-chayim hi lamachazikim bah, v’tom’cheha m’ushar Eitz-chayim hi lamachazikim bah, v’tom’cheha m’ushar. It is a tree of life to those that hold fast to it, and all of its supporters are, happy! It is a tree of life to those that hold fast to it, and all of its supporters are, happy! (Lyrics from Proverbs 3:18, music by Richard Silverman)

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Gan Nashim Chocolate Chip Cookies By Lora Mednick at B’nai Brith Camp Youth Camp Ingredients • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or wheat flour • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar or substitute • 1 cup Smart Balance (non-dairy margarine) • 1 banana • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats • 1 ½ cups (12-oz. pkg.) Chocolate Morsels/Raisins/Craisins Instructions 1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. 3. In a smaller bowl, combine margarine, egg (or banana) and sugars. Beat in mashed banana and vanilla (add cinnamon). Combine with flour mixture and stir in chocolate chips or other substitute. 4. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto non-greased baking sheets and bake cookies in batches in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool cookies on racks.

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Gan Nashim Cinnamon Oat Bars By Lora Mednick at B’nai Brith Camp Youth Camp Ingredients • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or wheat flour • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar or substitute • 1 cup Smart Balance (non-dairy margarine) • 1 large egg • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats • 1 ½ cups (12-oz. pkg.) Chocolate Morsels/Raisins/Craisins Instructions 5. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. 6. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. 7. In a smaller bowl, combine margarine, egg (or banana) and sugars. Beat in mashed banana and vanilla (add cinnamon). Combine with flour mixture and stir in chocolate chips or other substitute. 8. Press dough into 9X13 baking pan in a thick layer. Place in middle of oven for 15 to 20 minutes until top and edges begin to harden.

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About Hazon

Hazon means vision.

We create healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond. Hazon effects change in the world in three ways • Transformative experiences for individuals and communities. • Thought-leadership in the fields of Jewish and environmental knowledge. • Support of the Jewish environmental movement in North America and Israel. Hazon serves a national and international population; members of every denomination and those who are unaffiliated; intergenerational from children to seniors, families to singles. Our programs and resources are designed as entry points for Jews of all backgrounds who are concerned about the environment and the world.

Transformative Experiences Encouraging Jewish people to make a difference in the world, and enabling them in the process to renew and reframe their own Jewish journeys The Hazon CSA network was launched as the first Jewish Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in North America in 2004, and now has nearly 60 sites. In a CSA, members purchase a share of food from a local, sustainable farmer and pick it up at their Jewish institution each week throughout the growing season. Newsletters and programming at pick-ups explore connections between Jewish tradition and contemporary food issues. We are using our CSAs to start to deepen people’s understanding of American food systems – not just about personal health but also about food justice, urban food deserts, and the politics and economics of farming.

Hazon bike rides serve as fundraisers for the work of Hazon and our partners and are intended to be powerful experiences for all participants. Our rides in New York (Labor Day) and California (Memorial Day) feature two riding days and a Shabbat retreat for riders and non-riders to relax, learn, eat, and pray together. The Cross-USA Ride (summer) is a 10-week tour from Seattle to Washington DC, with smaller segments available. Our Israel Ride (November) is a week-long tour in partnership with the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, where riders experience the beauty and challenges of the region. All of our rides are supported, including mechanics, food, luggage transport, and more

The Hazon Food Conference brings together foodies, educators, rabbis, farmers, nutritionists, chefs, food writers, and families who share a passion for learning about and celebrating food. The 2012 conference is being held at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, in CT, in December. Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012

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Thought-Leadership This includes writing, speaking, teaching, curriculum development and advocacy. We are catalyzing and inspiring the new Jewish Food Movement and building intellectual bridges between Jewish tradition and key contemporary issues. Our ethos: “the Torah is a commentary on the world, and the world is a commentary on the Torah.” The Jewish Food Education Network (JFEN) offers resources, curricula, and training about food and Jewish tradition, to help you navigate sustainable food issues in a Jewish context. JFEN enables educators to tap into the passion of food and the environment in their communities and use food as a platform for innovative Jewish education. Hazon’s Sustainable Shabbat and Holiday Guides provide information and resources for celebrating Shabbat and the Jewish holidays in line with our values. These resources can inspire a theme for a holiday, activities for families, or events for communities.

Our blog, The Jew and the Carrot (www.jcarrot. org), a partnership between Hazon and the Forward, serves as a public front page for the new Jewish Food Movement. The next shmita year begins at Rosh Hashanah 2014. Shmita means release, and the Torah outlines a seven year agricultural cycle, in which the seventh year is a shabbat for the land. How can we apply the wisdom of shmita to our lives today, and what does it mean in the context of modern agriculture? Over the next year, leading up to shmita, Hazon will be providing resources that will help your community begin to answer these sorts of questions.

Capacity-Building Supporting and networking great people and great projects in North America and Israel We support a range of Jewish environmental organizations and projects with grants from our bike rides, and local community funds. Since inception we’ve raised over $2,000,000 for organizations in Israel and the US. Past grants have funded: • • • •

the down payment on the house where fellows live at the Adamah Jewish Environmental Fellowship a garden at Camp Na’aleh, which now provides produce to the camp kitchen the Israel Bike Association, which promotes active transportation in Israel roof gardens, solar panels, and other green upgrades to Jewish institutional buildings

Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls ©Hazon 2012

Hazon offers fiscal sponsorship to a small number of first-stage organizations. Graduates include Challah for Hunger and Urban Adamah; current members are Jewish Farm School and Wilderness Torah. In 2011 we launched Siach, a conference to build relationships between environmental and social justice leaders in the US, Israel, and Europe. Hazon launched Makom Hadash, a shared office space in New York for second-stage Jewish nonprofits.

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