Our Shabbaton (intensive leadership retreat) was a lab for community building, political education, and making environmentally sustainable decisions. 

Thanks to Hazon's generous support of our work as a Hazon Seal of Sustainability Site, the Shabbaton weekend was full of yummy, locally sourced snacks and reusable DJJ water bottles made from recycled materials. The support from the Seal empowered us to invest in sustainable snacks and materials that would have otherwise been cost prohibitive. We enjoyed Aunt Nee's tortilla chips, Fruit Belt sparkling fruit tonic, & other goodies from family-owned, cooperative, or mission-driven Detroit and Michigan-based vendors. 

We're so grateful for DJJ leader Hayley Sakwa for connecting us to these awesome vendors and want to lift them up. Check out the document below to learn more about the handful of businesses whose products nourished our leaders during the retreat.

In addition to the above, the Shabbaton team was intentional about making sure the retreat was environmentally friendly as holistically as possible. Our host for the weekend, Camp Tavor, helped us with paper recycling and composting (they have a small vegetable farm!). We packed out all of our non-paper recycling goods, had a sleep-outside option for leaders who felt comfortable tenting or hammocking, and carpooled to the venue.

We're excited to continue the process of aligning our core principles with our purchasing and event planning practices. This is a long-term commitment and we're learning so much as we go along. If you want to learn more about the Hazon Seal of Sustainability, click here. Got a hot sustainability tip for us? Click here to reach out to our Program Associate.