JVS to attend Shmita Summit

    We are very happy to announce that our Director Lara Smallman will be attending the Shmita Summit , produced by Siach , which is taking place next month in London. What is Shmita? The sabbath year also called the sabbatical year or sheviit is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah for the Land of Israel, and still observed in contemporary Judaism. There are strong links between the concept of Shmita – a rest for the land – and vegetarianism. A vegetarian diet is much kinder to the planet as it uses significantly fewer resources, in turn enabling us to feed more people. JVS is looking forward to meeting activists, networking and learning more about how Shmita applies in 2014. ‘Six months before the start of the next Shmita year, this summit will bring together approximately 30 thought-leaders and activists from around the world, 10 each from Europe, North America and Israel, to: Gain exposure to Shmita initiatives around the world Deepen their knowledge of Shmita and how it applies in a modern context Gain inspiration from the surrounding London Jewish community Collaborate in ways that maximize the impact of social and environmental justice projects related to Shmita The first 3 days of the summit will be exclusive to the 30 invited thought-leaders / activists; the 4th day will be a symposium – an opportunity to share Shmita knowledge and action through engaging with the London Jewish community, culminating in a very special event: ‘ Give it a Rest ‘ at JW3 .’