Professional Experience

Yoshi has been teaching, writing, coaching, mentoring, and speaking for over two decades. His expertise lies at the intersection of pedagogy and practice for nature connection & movement grounded in and informed by Jewish wisdom and tradition. In addition to his work as a leader in the field of Jewish Outdoor, Food / Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE), Yoshi is also a CrossFit Coach, Movement Teacher, Musician, and Song-leader. Below are a few professional highlights.

Interested in connecting further? Review service offerings here and then head over to the contact page and be in touch!

Public Speaking, Workshops & Presentations

Collaboratory 2019 stage headshot

  • JOFEE Network Gathering – Hazon
    • 2019 Sessions:
      • What’s Your JOFEE? Articulating pedagogies of practice for nature-based Jewish learning (with Ariela Ronay-Jinich)
      • Movement Minyan: Embodied Jewish Practice for Movement, Community, and Nature Connection
    • 2018 Session: Jewish Nature Torah Exploration and the Learning Cycle
    • 2016 Session – Landscape Linguistics and Hebrew Metaforms: Creating a language of landscape design for Jewish meaning & identity
  • JPRO19: What Connects Us – JPRO Network
    • “Steal This” Presenter: Hineni – Life Coaching for the Modern Jewish Dad
    • Wellness Session: Movement Minyan – Embodied Jewish Practice for Movement, Community, and Nature Connection
  • The Collaboratory – Upstart & UJA Federation New York
    • Emcee for 2019 Mainstage Event: CollaboraStory
    • Professional Coach
  • Camp Nai Nai Nai – Moishe House
    • 2019 Specialist:
      • Embodied Jewish Movement
      • Sensory Night Hike
      • Contemplative Nature and Torah Walk
      • Creek Stomp
      • Shelter Building 
      • CrossFit
    • 2018 Specialist:
      • Nature & Shabbat – Movement and Rest
      • Nature & Torah Hike
      • Sensory Night Hike
      • Jewish Movement Ecology: Nature Games & Animal Movement
      • Jewish Movement Ecology: Connect with Your Body
      • Jewish Movement Ecology: Stack your Life
      • CrossFit
    • 2017 Specialist:
      • Lech L’cha Challenge Hike
      • Nature & Torah Hike
      • Intro to Orienteering and Navigation
      • Melachot and the Nature of Shabbat text study
      • Stuff This! Stuffed Jewish culinary delights workshop

CN3 Ukulele

“The JOFEE Fellowship has been rich in spiritual community and connection to new colleagues and concepts. The softly powerful leadership of Yoshi cannot be overstated as the key to its success as the program, even in its first year, has been a beautifully designed experience of learning and challenge by choice.” ~ Cohort 1 JOFEE Fellow

  • Selah Network Gathering 2018 – Bend the Arc: Land Acknowledgement
  • Retreatology – Moishe House – Fall 2018 Educator:
    • The Power of Gathering
    • FLOW – Planning a retreat that utilizes the natural rhythms and energies of Shabbat and the human spirit
    • Jewish Learning From the Inside Out
  • Moishe Gets Muddy – Moishe House Retreat Educator (2018):
    • Shabbat Morning Session: Self-Care and Shabbat
    • Shabbat Afternoon Session: Jewish Nature and Movement Ecology
    • Shabbat Meal-time Ritual and Conversation
  • Global Kids Youth Conference on Environmental Justice – 2018 Session: Environmental Justice 101 Workshop
  • JCC Association of North America Professional Conference 2017 Session: You CAN Ride in My Little Red Wagon: JOFEE for JCCs
  • Shavuot Beit Midrash – Pearlstone Center – 2017 Sessions:
    • Seven Dimensions of Place: Torah, Kaballah, & Empowering Actualization
    • Building a Community of Self Care

JNG2016 presentation 2

“I connected to Yoshi’s energy and creativity, and appreciated all of the information he shared with us. It is inspiring to learn to include movement, natural flow, nature, and jewish consciousness into a retreat and Yoshi’s sessions really made me feel like I was able to further develop ideas for my further retreats, and also know that I have a lot of resources to help me continue to develop those ideas.” ~ 2018 Moishe House Retreatology Participant

  • Kaleidoscope Project – What Does Jewish Look Like To You – Cast Member 2016-18
  • Global Day of Jewish Learning – Mechon Hadar & Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan – 2016 Session: Landscape Linguistics and Hebrew Metaforms: Creating a language of landscape design for Jewish meaning & identity
  • Jewish Intentional Communities Conference 2015 Session: Landscape Linguistics and Hebrew Metaforms
  • Shape the Center – USCJ Biennial Conference 2015 Session: Community by Design: Jewish Values and the Torah of Place
  • ELI Talks NYC 2014 – Community by Design: Judaism and the Torah of Place
  • Nevatim Sprouts Conference for Jewish Early Childhood Educators – Pearlstone Center – 2013 Session: Smartphones in the Garden? Integrating Digital Technology into the Outdoor Learning Environment 
  • Kayam Farm at Pearlstone Center Annual Jewish Agricultural Beit Midrash
    • 2013 Session: The Nexus Holiday and Harvest Cycles
    • 2012 Session: Melachot Foundations and Practice 
    • 2011 Sessions:
      • The Hebrew Calendar
      • Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof – Food Justice and Jewish Agricultural Practice 
    • 2010 Session: Teaching Jewish Agricultural Laws in the Garden

Collaboratory 2019 DEI workshop

Certification and Training

Environment and Ecology 

Movement and Fitness

Leadership and Social & Spiritual Entrepreneurship

Photo Credits:
1. UpStart
2. Camp Nai Nai Nai
3. Hazon
4. UpStart
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