aaeds/blog

Dear Parents:

I spend so much time surrounded by lights, concrete, and noises here in Los Angeles that one of the greatest gifts I can give myself is going into nature. My family and I often leave on a Friday afternoon from school, drive up into the Angeles National Forest, and go camping for Shabbat evening. The kids love hiking, falling down and getting back up again, and discovering all different kinds of pine cones, squirrels, and lizards. My husband loves building a campfire, sitting around it and talking until the kids fall asleep on our laps. My favorite part is getting to breathe clean air, NOT having cell service, and being able to be truly present with those I love.

We unplug, spend time together, and make Shabbat as the sun sets over the mountains. Then, Saturday morning, we wake up, make breakfast, and, right around the time that everyone needs a good shower, we head back home.

It's amazing how restorative that small break from LA can be. I come back feeling whole in a way that usually surprises me, though it happens every time. In his book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv talks about “nature-deficit disorder”, a phenomenon in which our human-made environments have evolved so far from the environments in which we are intended to live that we actually feel a lack of nature in our lives on a biological level. For any parent looking for a book worth reading, I highly recommend it.

As we prepare for the holiday of Sukkot, we think about what it means to connect with nature, and to live outside. The sukkot that we build are supposed to be affected by the elements; our tradition encourages us to connect with nature, to feel it and to smell it, and experience what our daily homes shield us from.

As Ori Zadok (Adat Ari El ECC Director) and I were discussing nature-deficit disorder and how it affects our children, combined with the timing of the holiday of Sukkot, we had an idea: what if this idea of taking time away, and restoring our nature-deficit, was something that caught hold in our community? How amazing would it be if we were able to establish a group of like-minded families who got out to experience Shabbat in nature?

So, Ori and I are going to take our families camping together for Shabbat on October 19, and we would love to invite any Day School or ECC families who are interested to join us. Let's try it, and see what we notice about what it feels like to truly get away. Please let me know if you would like to join us by October 12, and we will decide on a location depending on how many people are interested.

If camping isn't your thing (and I get it, it's not for everyone!), then I encourage you as we think about Sukkot, to reflect on whether you feel the effects of a nature deficit. Consider reading Last Child in the Woods, or reading some articles online, to learn more about this. And try to define: how are you being worn down in ways you might not notice, and what might build you back up?

I wish everyone a Shabbat shalom, chag Sukkot sameach, and meaningful time off. Looking forward to gathering together again as a school on Wednesday, September 26.

Shara