Getting Our Hands Dirty
Posted on 06/27/2010 @ 02:09 PM
PB&J
Blog written by Andrew Greenberg of Orland, Florida and the North Florida Region
Today at PB & J we went to a Kayam, a Kosher organic farm to learn and experience daily farming activities. Small groups received an insight into the different farming techniques, with a Jewish twist from the Torah; while Charity, Tzedekah, and modern technology were all added into the mix. We all learned to appreciate the foods we have, while learning hands on about Poverty, Bread, and Justice (PB&J). I am very excited to head to Capital Hill tomorrow to begin lobbying!
Havdallah in DC
Posted on 06/26/2010 @ 11:30 PM
PB&J
Tonight was my first BBYO Havdallah experience. I have always loved Havdallah services in the past, so I was really looking forward to this.
During PB & J all of the teens were able to plan a different Shabbat component: Friday Night Services, Oneg, Saturday Morning Services, and Havdallah. They worked together and used BuildAPrayer.org as their planning tool and resource.
The Friday night service and Saturday morning services were filled with beautiful stores, songs with new tunes, and text discussion. Saturday evening's Havdallah was extra special because we took a walk to the Marine Corp Memorial.
The statue of soldiers at Iwo Jima is towering and really takes your breath away. It was the perfect backdrop for this experience. Once again our teen leaders lead their peers in song, prayer and discussion. The candle light, and spices set the tone for discussions about pride, patriotism, and sacrifice. This will be a Havdallah I won't soon forget.
Blogging From PB & J - Jeremy Sherman
Posted on 06/26/2010 @ 02:03 PM
PB&J
Blog written by BBYO's Grand Aleph Gadol, Jeremy Sherman of West Bloomfield, Michigan
So far, PB & J has been a blast!
It was great learning about world poverty and hunger on the first night during an program we had called a “Hunger Banquet.” We each received an identity and were divided into three income levels: high-income, middle-income, and low-income. My name was Claude and I was in the high-income class. It was so interesting to see how unequally income is divided throughout the world. There were only about ten of us in the high-income group, while the low-income had about forty people. While we were served a nice meal of salad and lasagna, the middle and low-income groups received rice and beans in differing quantities. At some points throughout our Hunger Banquet I felt guilty eating my meal. I was tempted to get up and give my salad and lasagna to some of the poorer people in the other groups. It really opened up my eyes to the reality of hunger and poverty throughout the world.
On Friday, Marilyn Sneiderman led a program about community organizing. She told us about the power we have as a group of teenagers, and that we can accomplish so much when we organize together towards one goal. She asked to assume the role of Wal-Mart employees. She was our boss. She told us that each day we would receive a fifteen minute break, but that we could not leave the store or use our iPods! I could instantly tell people around the room were mad. So what did we do? We organized as one group of Wal-Mart employees and decided to stand up to Marilyn and give her multiple reasons as to why we should be able to use our iPods during our break. We even chanted “We Want iPods!” Although it was just a simulation, we all got really heated about something we cared about and we realized how much stronger we are when we organize and team up.
As a BBYO leader, community organizing is something I can relate to a lot, and it was a great experience partaking in that simulation to learn about more successful ways to bring people together for one cause.
Today, we took a trip to Kayam Farms, which is a small farm about five miles outside of Baltimore. We picked lettuce, garlic, potatoes, basil, & tomatoes. But more importantly, we learned about the Jewish responsibility of providing for the homeless and hungry. While picking some garlic, I realized that it’s our duty as Jews and as people to not only provide money and food for the hungry, but also to teach them and educate them about ways they can provide for themselves.
Overall, these past few days have flown by, but it’s been an amazing experience that I know I can take home with me. I can’t wait to begin lobbying my senators tomorrow!
What can a Teen do?
Posted on 06/25/2010 @ 04:02 PM
PB&J
Blog written by Jason Brillon of Roslyn, New York and the Big Apple Region
As a sixteen year old Jewish teenager, actively involved in BBYO, entering the Poverty, Bread & Justice Seminar, a five day hunger awareness program run through PANIM, I was unaware of just how much of a voice I can have in worldly affairs.
Fortunately there were a litany of keynote speakers to aid me in accessing this adolescent advocacy. Among them was Nigel Savage, founder of the renowned Jewish organization HAZON. In addition to discussing the actions others have taken to help benefit the world and environment around them, such as the efforts of contributors to the Community Supported Agriculture projects, he also pushed for us to take action for what we "Stand Up!" for.
He reminded us we are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today as well.
We are just beyond the starting line of the seminar and I already know just how much of a voice a sixteen year old can have.
Making Choices
Posted on 06/25/2010 @ 03:12 PM
On Friday morning we participated in the Telem program, Making Choices. We broke up into 8 groups; four went to mainstream grocery stores and four went to corner stores or conveniences stores. Each group was given a budget of $100 to shop for a week's worth of food for a family of four (2 parents and 2 children). As the groups walked up and down the aisles there were more than a few eye-opening moments and conversation starters.
- Does it make more sense to spend more for a big purchase that might last longer or think of the immediate short-term need?
Teens had to consider the time, space and transportation abilities of their families when choosing between regular and supersized items at their stores. - What items have to get cut; is it fresh vegetables or frozen?
The teens realized that on a limited budget and with limited access they would often not be able to get the freshest of ingredients at all times. - Where did they have to cut back on the shopping?
Many of the teen groups realized at the end of the shopping simulation that their carts had no "extras". There were no snacks, cookies or desserts! They had to make the decision to provide as much healthful food as possible before getting the typical fun food. - What is the cost of convenience?
The teens who shopped in the corner stores and convenience markets realized the high cost of convenience. By comparing prices with their peers who shopped in supermarkets they learned that while they could both find cut fruit in the store the size would be much smaller and the price much higher in the convenience stores.
This realization lead the teens to then consider choice. It suddenly became clear the disparity in access that exists in food deserts and why someone would choose a fast food meal for less than $3, than a small lunch sized salad for $7 (*real pricing). - Would their budget allow for Shabbat?
When shopping the question came up more than once, if this family observes the Sabbath, how will they afford it? Many groups made substitutes to be able to afford to maintain this tradition, like choosing grape juice instead of wine. - How does shopping with a budget affect the luxury of choice?
For many of the teens they had never considered shopping with a "budget". They acknowledged that often when they grocery shop on their own or with a parent they can grab most any item off the shelf and toss it in the cart, just because. When shopping on a budget the teens realized that the budget forced them to consider their time constraints (it takes much longer to shop when you're price checking), their meal schedule, and how to make the most out of the situation.
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