oran hesterman for j. the jewish news weekly

The right to eat well: Access to healthy food options is Berkeley native’s dream
Growing up in two very different spots in Northern California in the 1950s, Oran Hesterman had a dual life — city kid, country kid.

During the school year he lived in Berkeley, attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth El and was active in Young Judea. But during every school vacation and the long stretches of summer, he worked with his father, a Jewish cattle rancher, on their family farm in Mendocino County’s Potter Valley. There he herded cattle, fixed the irrigation system and learned what it meant to be a working cowboy [...]

hazon for j. the jewish news weekly

Hazon: Summertime is right time for annual food confab
For the past three years the annual Hazon Food Conference — one on the East Coast, another in Northern California — has been held in December. The time of year was chosen to attract farmers, as it’s usually their downtime [...]

hazon for j. the jewish news weekly

Former longtime Camp Tawonga director Deborah Newbrun has signed on as the new Bay Area director of Jewish environmental nonprofit Hazon.

She said the national, New York–based agency — which, among other things, organizes bike rides, Torah hikes and food conferences — represents the best of both worlds.

“It takes Jews who love their Judaism and exposes them to nature and the outdoors,” Newbrun said, “and it takes nature enthusiasts and connects them to their Judaism [...]