Going Back to Our Roots

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After a full day of bringing Philadelphia to the chanichim (campers) for visitors day, we decided that it was only fair to bring the chanichim to Philadelphia. Each summer we reserve a day in the calendar for tikkun olam, the Jewish value of repairing the world, that manifests itself in a service project. This year we went for the classic "connecting to our roots" but oh so literally.

Starting this morning as the storm clouds cleared, we sent three bus-loads of tzevet (staff) and chanichim to four locations throughout Philadelphia to work with urban farming initiatives and

cooperatives.

The Amelim and Chotrim made their way to North Philadelphia to clean up vacant lots and do some community gardening with The Urban Tree Connection. The Sayarim were sent to the farm associated with the Weavers Way Cooperative in Mt. Airy, to lend their farming hands and greening thumbs. The Tzofim and the Bogrim merged two Galil values - environment and education - to work with Foundations and City Harvest to farm and weed along side with Philadelphia high school students, beautifying the growing gardens on their urban sites.

As the chanichim weeded their way through the greater Philadelphia area, our tzevet heard

more positive feedback from the kids than we ever do during our usual avodah (daily job) block. The chotrim called it "super avodah,"

the tzofim lamented about how it was essential to make our gan (garden) larger and self-sustaining, and as the Bogrim walked off of the bus they asked "Why can't we do this every day?" Something about today seemed to light at least a tiny spark under the hearts and actions of our excited and empowered community. We have taken this rooted reconnection to heart and it seems like now we are ready for the next step. We started as a learning farm to train for life on the kibbutz, so would it be retroactive to move back to a time where we were not just leaders in the Jewish community but in the agricultural community as well? All feedback is welcome.

Another day. Another adventure.

...Check out and ground-up

M.C. SHMOLLY