by Yigal Deutscher Commonly translated as the ‘Sabbatical Year,’ Shmita literally means ‘release.’ Many may recall the year of Shmita as a time when agricultural lands were collectively

by Yigal Deutscher Jewish culture arose and took shape primarily as a land-based tradition, directly linked to a particular piece of land. Many of the

by Yigal Deutscher Many of us, even if we are Jewishly knowledgeable, know less about Shmita than we do about other Jewish traditions. Today, Shmita

Cycles of time are central to Jewish life, and they are amongst the most significant of our contributions to the world around us. The modern

While we have been working to raise Shmita awareness and organizing here in the states, there is much simultaneous work happening in Israel. Much of

Within the Shmita Project, we have been exploring many of the complex issues that Shmita touches upon on a societal level. Beyond the societal aspects,

New from the SOVA blog by Rabbi Yedidya Sinclair Original post can be found at http://sovaproject.org/2013/08/19/shmita-as-a-force-for-social-change/ In October 2007, at the outset of the last

by Yigal Deutscher There is a saying by the Rabbis, ‘Those who prepare before Shabbat will eat on Shabbat; those who did not prepare before

New from the SOVA blog by Rabbi Natan Margalit of Organic Torah Original post can be found at http://sovaproject.org/2013/08/05/shmita-the-rhythms-of-life/ What can we, in our present