Eco-Judaism Taste of Limmud Experience

Having gone to a Limmud Colorado event, I knew Eco-Judaism would be a fun and educational experience. My first session was Blessings and Action: Jewish Environmental Learning on One Foot in which we were exposed to music, food, and understanding how we might be individuals but we are interconnected in a deeper level. My second session was Three Horsemen of the Dessert Apocalypse. This was by far my favorite and not solely due to chocolate being served. I knew that hydrogenated fat and slave labor chocolate were bad but I didn’t realize that high fructose corn syrup, even in moderation, was still toxic. What I learned was that the corn syrup, like hydrogenated fat, is artificially modified which can cause health problems. In the end I learned something new and got a great recipe for Chocolate mousse with pomegranates.
The next session I attended was The Spiritual Sourcing of Eco-Kashrut in which we learned about plates made from corn starch can be used and simply dissolved in water as opposed to being thrown into a land fill. My final session was Food Justice, Tuv Ha'Aretz, and Judaism. Here we discussed appropriate methods of dealing with hunger. We covered how food can be properly given to the hungry homeless in a way that follows health codes. This was taught in comparison to the Torah verse of leaving a portion of produce grown to orphans, widows, and strangers. Overall the event was great and the vegan Indian cuisine hit the spot.