Wilderness Torah, the Jewish environmental nonprofit that offers outdoor education and Jewish classes and retreats for adults and youth, has launched the new children’s Jewish nature program B’Hootz, an expanded, year-round set of classes for elementary school children ages 6 to 10. An information session will be held on Feb. 6.
The 10-week Sunday program will feature activities at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland led by Jewish environmental educator Ariela Ronay-Jinich. The spring program, to be held March 4 to May 13, is split into sessions for children in grades 1-2 and 3-5. They will learn about foraging, tracking, shelter- and fire-building and other survival skills in the forest, along with timely Torah stories.
B’Hootz, which means “outside” in Hebrew, is open to children of any denomination or observance level who want to combine nature-based exploration and environmental action with Jewish spirituality, tradition and ethics.
The curriculum will include mitzvah service sessions and restoration work at the park. The program can help prepare participants for B’Naiture, Wilderness Torah’s bar and bat mitzvah program that was launched last fall.
The introductory information session will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. In addition, children registered in B’Hootz will be admitted free to an interactive Tu B’Shevat seder in the redwoods on Feb. 12, with programming for adults and children, music, a nature walk and lunch.
For more information, visit www.wildernesstorah.org/programs/bhootz.