INTRODUCTION:

It’s time to take to the outdoors! Gather community members to explore the outdoors through a Jewish lens. This program offers a menu of creative, accessible ways to turn a simple hike into a meaningful Jewishly rooted experience. Whether it’s connecting the hike to the Torah portion, exploring spontaneous Jewish prayer, hiking snacks connected to the season of the Jewish calendar, or exploring the Jewish idea of radical amazement there is always a way to add a little Jewish learning to your hike! Each option helps root the journey in tradition while remaining flexible and community focused. Choose the path that’s right for you and your community! Happy hiking!  

PROGRAM SUGGESTION MENU:

• Explore the practice of Hitbodedut, a traditional and accessible practice of spontaneous Jewish prayer in nature! 
• Bring along some hiking snacks connected to the Seven Species and learn about these foods traditionally eaten at specific times of the Jewish year.
• Take a WOW walk and learn about the idea of radical amazement in Judaism
• Take the trail to do some Jewishly inspired community service with a local trail clean up
• Lech Lecha! Go forth and hike with a hiking guide inspired by Lech Lecha
• Explore 40 hiking questions inspired by the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert 

Hitbodedut Hike 

• Explore these resources to learn about Hitbodedut, a traditional and accessible way to pray spontaneously in nature! (Although the linked resource is titled Hitbodedut for Heshvan, there is never a bad time to engage in some spontaneous prayer.)  

Seven Species Hiking Snacks  

• The Seven Species mentioned in the Torah are traditionally eaten on TuBiShvat, Sukkot, and Shavuot—if one of those holidays are coming up this might be the program for you!  
• Take a break on the hike and use the framing, facts, and reflection prompts from this Seven Species program resource. 
• But instead of the cocktails and mocktails listed in this program, consider bringing snacks made with each of the seven species for folks to enjoy on the hike!  
  • Barley:  
    • Bake one of these treats with barley flour!  
  • Wheat  
    • Wheat crackers  
    • Trail mix with wheat-based cereal  
    • A nice, sliced bread  
  • Grape  
    • Fresh grapes 
    • Raisins 
    • Grape juice  
  • Fig  
    • Fresh figs 
    • Dried figs 
    • Fig bars/Fig Newtons  
  • Pomegranate  
    • Pomegranate seeds 
    • Pomegranate juice  
    • Pomegranate Fruit Trips/Bars/Tail Mix 
  • Date  
    • Dried dates 
    • Dates filled with peanut butter or covered in chocolate, or both!  
    • Energy bar with dates  
  • Olive 
    • To-go packs of olives  
    • Olive bread  
    • Olive tapenade to go with crackers or bread 

WOW Walk

• The acclaimed Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel coined the idea of “radical amazement.” 
• Use Abraham Joshua Heschel’s teachings (especially the first quote listed on this page), as a framing for a WOW Walk! Before the walk/hike, share the first quote (or a few) with the group and explain that you’re going to practice this idea of radical amazement while on the hike.  
• After sharing Heschel’s teaching, invite participants on the hike to practice this idea of radical amazement. Every time they see something amazing/beautiful/eye-catching/etc… invite them to stop and say “WOW!” either out loud or in their head! 
• Consider checking this book out from your library or reading this excerpt of Heschel in his own words to share a little more during the framing section.  

Clean Up the Trail Hike

• Hit the trail and put a Jewish spin on a trash clean-up with this Jewish service-learning resource!  
• Before you set out on the path, gather your community for this framing learning and then send everyone out with the necessary supplies (ie. Trash bags, gloves, etc…)  
• Consider making it a friendly competition to see who can pick up the most trash on the hike!  

Lech Lecha Hike

• Take the command of “Lech-Lecha” (Go Forth) seriously and venture outside of your Moishe House!  
• Before beginning your hike, gather your group and explore the text of Parashat Lech Lecha with this framing resource and disucssion questions!   

40 Years 40 Questions Hike 

• The Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert before entering the promised land! Explore these 40 hiking questions inspired by the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert. 
• Offer some framing to the group (as provided on the linked source sheet). Then give the sheets of questions to every participant and give them some instructions on how to engage with the questions. Here are a few options but feel free to get creative: 
  • Give everyone a hiking buddy and encourage them to get through as many questions as they can while on the hike. Consider making it a friendly competition and offer a prize the pair who discusses the most questions. Or encourage the partners to pick 3-5 five questions to answer deeply.  
  • Give everyone a partner and a question to begin (consider giving everyone different questions). Set a timer for 5-10 min, instruct everyone that they’ll have X amount of minutes to discuss that question. When the timer goes off find or give everyone a new partner and a new question. Set the timer again and continue throughout the hike.  
  • Give everyone a partner and a set of questions to explore. For example, questions 1-20. Then at the halfway point or on the way back have the pairs switch, find/give a new partner and then have them explore another set of questions, for example 21-40.