Organic Torah

The Torah of Nature, The Nature of Torah

Founder and Director: Rabbi Natan Maraglit, Ph. D.

Organic Torah integrates ancient Jewish wisdom with new directions in modern thought such as ecological and systems thinking which emphasize networks of relationship, context and patterns of connection. This new approach to Jewish texts focuses on their patterns, recovers their organic vibrancy, and opens them up so that we can see their relevance to modern lives.

Organic Torah

The Pearl and the Flame

To say I’m excited about the publication of my book The Pearl and the Flame: A Journey into Jewish Wisdom, Ecological Thinking and Healing in a Fragmented World, would be a real understatement! This book is an encapsulation of years of writing, teaching and thinking about Judaism, ecology and how we can not only survive, but thrive. From the beginning, I’ve had an intuition that we live in a unique time – a time in which we face existential challenges but which also gives us the opportunity to embrace a new integrations of tradition and modernity, of the spiritual, the creative and the practical.

That integration is what the book is about and that is what Organic Torah has always been about. “Organic Torah,” the name we chose a few years ago for of our organization, beckons us to notice that the organic, interconnected quality we find in the deep structure of Jewish wisdom is actually the same organic, interconnected quality that makes a forest or a coral reef or well-run organic farm so beautiful and so spiritual. Organic Torah is about finding a new language and new ways to integrate nature and Torah, ecological thinking and Jewish spirituality.

We are excited to announce that The Pearl and the Flame is now available for purchase! Click here to purchase The Pearl and the Flame in paperback (Amazon), and here to purchase in hardcover (Barnes and Noble).

We invite you to make a donation to support the work of Organic Torah. We offer a signed paperback copy of The Pearl and the Flame as a gift for all donations to Organic Torah between $72.00 and $118.00, and a signed hardcover copy for gifts between $118.00 and $360.00. A gift of two signed hardcover copies is offered for donations of $360.00 and above.

You can click here to make a donation.

About Organic Torah

As global citizens we are experiencing a time of major crisis and also the opportunity for groundbreaking innovation. Our fraying environmental and social fabric has brought us to the brink of climate disaster, vital resource depletion, and social and political disintegration. The American Jewish community, along with most American faith traditions, feels the ties of tradition weakening and affiliation declining. Yet, within these upheavals seeds long buried may begin to sprout. People are looking to bring together what has been torn apart.

Organic Torah integrates ancient Jewish wisdom with new directions in modern thought such as ecological and systems thinking which emphasize networks of relationship, context and patterns of connection. This new approach to Jewish texts focuses on their patterns, recovers their organic vibrancy, and opens them up so that we can see their relevance to modern lives.

The renowned Jewish thinker Rabbi A.I. Kook famously said we should “renew the old and make the new holy.” We renew the old by using contemporary tools to gain access to old treasures of Jewish wisdom, and we make the new holy by adding Jewish wisdom to modern efforts to solve problems in environment, education and social justice.

Organic Torah works to spread understanding of this new synthesis between old and new through publications, conferences, workshops and more.

Bringing together old and new, science and religion, heart and mind, Organic Torah is planting the seeds of a new Tree of Life, bringing excitement and creativity back to Judaism and bringing to bear ancient wisdom to help solve the urgent problems of our world.

Scholar In Residence

Bring Rabbi Margalit to your institution as a Scholar in Residence, for a speaking engagement, Shabbaton, interactive workshop, or for customized rituals and text studies.

Learn About the Program

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Resource Catalog

With Organic Torah’s resource catalog, you can buy audio and video recordings of our best learning resources.

Browse Resources

Our Team

Natan

Rabbi Natan Margalit

(Founder and Director)

Bio ---

Rabbi Dr. Natan Margalit was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received rabbinic ordination at The Jerusalem Seminary in 1990 and earned a Ph.D. in Talmud from U.C. Berkeley in 2001. He has taught at Bard College, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College. Natan is Rabbi of The Greater Washington Coalition for Jewish Life, in Connecticut. He is Founder of the Organic Torah Program, which fosters holistic thinking about Judaism, environment and society. He lives in Newton, MA with his wife Ilana and their two sons.

Jake

Jake Ya'akov Sapon

(Operations Assistant)

Bio ---

Jake Ya’akov Sapon is fascinated by how we can build a Judaism that is both deeply rooted in Jewish wisdom and relevant to the most pressing issues of our own time. In particular, he is interested in how ancient Jewish texts can illuminate problems like climate change and environmental degradation: how Jewish wisdom can shift our contemporary paradigm from independence and isolation to interdependence and connection. Studying music, mindfulness, and religious studies at Brown University, Jake’s professional background is in experiential education, holistic wellness, communication, and community building. Born and based in Philadelphia, PA, Jake loves soulful davenen, exploring nature, and meeting new cats.

Want to learn more about our work? Please reach out to organictorah@gmail.com to learn more.