Nigel Savage
Born1970 (age 53–54)
NationalityBritish
OccupationEnvironmental activist
Known forFounder of Hazon
MovementJewish environmental activism

Nigel Savage (born 1970) is a British environmental activist and founder of Jewish environmental nonprofit organisation Hazon. Beginning his career working in finance, in 2000 he founded Hazon and served as CEO until its merger with the Pearlstone Retreat Center in 2021. He has been named twice as one of the Forward 50, and was a founder of Limmud NY.[1] One of Savage's initiatives to help Jews live more sustainably include the Seal of Sustainability for Jewish institutions. He also named and catalysed the JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education) movement, including the JOFEE Fellows program.[2]

Early life (1970–2000)

Nigel Savage, the son of Shirley and Gerry Savage, was born and raised in the Sunnybank area of Bury, Greater Manchester. He went to cheder at Bury Hebrew Congregation, and was educated at King David Junior and Manchester Grammar School.[3] Savage is Jewish.[1]

Early in his career, Savage held positions as co-head of UK Equities at Govett and asset manager for NM Rothschild in London.[4][5] He also executive produced a number of independent films including Leon the Pig Farmer (1992)[6] and Stiff Upper Lips (1997).[7]

Savage has a master's degree in history from Georgetown University and has studied at Pardes, Yakar, and Hebrew University.[4]

Hazon (2000–2021)

In 2000, Savage founded Hazon, translated as vision, and became CEO.[8] As the inaugural event of Hazon, he organised the first Cross-USA Jewish Environmental Bike Ride to raise environmental awareness in the American Jewish community.[9][10] Nigel was included in the Forward 50, an annual list of the most influential Jews in the United States, and Hazon was named one of 50 top faith-based environmental organisations by the Sierra Club in 2008.[11] That year he also developed a shared non-profit space called Makom Hadash, Hebrew for 'New Place', which would cut overhead costs by sharing office space and fund raising staff.[12]

In 2009, he led the Jewish delegation with Rabbi Yedidya Sinclair at the ARC and UN conference "Many Heavens, One Earth" in Britain.[13] In 2013, Hazon partnered with Pearlstone and Isabella Freedman to organise the inaugural Jewish Intentional Communities Conference.[14] That year, Hazon merged with the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, and Savage became CEO of the merged organisation.[15] Savage coined the phrase "Jewish Food Movement" as an umbrella term for the various people and projects in the field; at the time typing “Jewish food movement” in quotes into Google and receiving zero search results[16] but by 2014 this search term yielded 81,300 hits.[17]

The Jewish Theological Seminary gave him an honorary doctorate in 2015.[1] In 2017, The Times of Israel highlighted Savage as one of 12 Jews who are "leading the green movement".[2] In 2020, Savage, representing Hazon, blew the shofar for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, with #SoundTheCall listed as an event by Earth Day Network.[18] In 2021, Hazon merged with the Pearlstone Retreat Center, and Savage stepped down as CEO to spend shmita in Israel.[5][19] Savage noted the during his time at Hazon, "If there’s a structural failure that I’m most concerned by, it’s about not building an endowment".[5] That year, he delivered the dvar torah at Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn.[20] In 2022, Savage was the keynote speaker at the 2022 Cape SAJBD’s AGM and Conference entitled Community for Change: Creating a Sustainable Environment.[21] In response to Savage's keynote speech, Cape Jewish Chronicle wrote that he "presented a powerful address to galvanise our community to becoming change-makers in the fight against climate change".[21] In 2022, he was also honoured as an alumnus of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.[22]

Philosophical views

Savage has stated many positions on the Jewish food movement. To The Times of Israel he commented, "the Jewish community has always cared about social justice — and we've always loved food",[23] and believes that the term food justice revolves around "health, sustainability, local food, organic food, traditional issues around kashrut", and universal access to nutritional food.[24] Savage argues that the Torah is a dedication to food and food production because "all the holidays focus around Earth-based, agriculture-based events".[25] According to The Forward, Savage has brought the obscure practice of shmita into the 21st century through his work at Hazon.[26]

Published works

  • 2011 - A Wild Faith: Jewish Ways into Wilderness, Wilderness Ways into Judaism ISBN 978-1681629681, with Rabbi Mike Comins.
  • 2011 - The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic, wrote preface
  • 2013 - Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future ISBN 1683361458, one of many contributors.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "JTS's 2015 Honorary Degree Recipients Share Remarks - Jewish Theological Seminary". www.jtsa.edu. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 Tenorio, Rich. "The 12 Jews who are leading the green movement". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  3. ↑ http://hazon.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jewish-Telegraph-NSS-9.18.20.pdf
  4. 1 2 "Nigel Savage". Hazon. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Chernikoff, Helen (19 July 2021). "Nigel Savage looks back on two decades at Hazon". eJewish Philanthropy. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Durbach, Elaine. "'How should a Jew eat in the 21st century?'". njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Nigel Savage". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Chernikoff, Helen (19 July 2021). "Nigel Savage looks back on two decades at Hazon". eJewish Philanthropy. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "Jews bike cross-country for environment". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 16 August 2000. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "With merger, Baltimore is set to become a center of Jewish environmental work". Baltimore Jewish Times. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Time to Get Hungry". UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "A Savage idea: Hazon founder envisions a shared space for young Jewish orgs". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "'A magic moment in Jewish history'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  14. ↑ Lavin, Talia. "Pa. couple hopes to build a Jewish Green Acres". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Hazon and Isabella Freedman Retreat Center Announce Merger". eJewish Philanthropy. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "Jewish Food Programs Are Growing, Says New Report". The Forward. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "Nigel Savage on the Jewish Food Movement". Moment Magazine. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  18. ↑ "Jewish Environmental Group Sounds the Call: Blow the Shofar on Earth Day". The Detroit Jewish News. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  19. ↑ Shmita relates to the biblical Sabbatical year
  20. ↑ "Hazon's Nigel Savage to speak at Millburn shul". njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Creating a conscious community". Cape Jewish Chronicle. 1 October 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  22. ↑ "About Pardes". Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  23. ↑ "Jewish cross-country bike riders finishing food awareness trek in DC". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  24. ↑ Anthony, Charlotte; Rubin, Debra. "Liberty and food justice for all". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  25. ↑ Streit, Rob (16 August 2018). "Food, Glorious Food". The Detroit Jewish News. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  26. ↑ Noah (10 November 2014). "Nigel Savage". The Forward. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
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