Week 1 update from Ramah California

Hello farming chevre!! 

I hope you are all thriving and thrilled during your holy work of growing food and inspiring kids to make the world more just ! 

Things here in California are going well. We've started from scratch. We now have water to the site (with two hoses connected) and are in the process of making a giant 7-branched menorah. Each branch of the menorah is more than 40 feet long and about 3.5 feet wide. We have three of the branches on the right side, one on the left plus the shamash dug. Hopefully the rest will get dug tomorrow. (The one on the left needs a chiropractic adjustment as our flagging was off.) We purchased and had delivered 15 cubic yards of rich certified organic compost with 60 pounds of gypsum mixed in (helps balance the pH). And a bunch of kids began spreading the compost on to the formed beds. We've had about 60 kids involved so far from 3 or 4 eidot. We've had good conversations as we work about growing food, generosity, peah-forward, and the fact that it is WORK ! 

A tool shed, picnic table, sink and our first set of more than 300 plants will be delivered on Wednesday. I've obtained agreement from the kitchen staff to divert kitchen scraps (limited to fruits and veggies) to a couple of trash cans each day that the kids will pick up and roll over to the garden and make compost, and the landscape crew has agreed to dump their lawn clippings at the garden that we can use for mulch on top and on the sides of the beds. We're going to make a poster for the chadar ochel tracking how much kitchen scraps is being diverted so all the campers can see it. Also, i've invited participation of art, ceramics, and jewelry, and all are going to contribute in some way including a scare crow! We'll get the gan kids involved too. We also developed a 3-part curriculum for Sollelim boys that is comprised of a lesson from the Amir handbook that i modified slightly and two that i developed. They liked part 1! 

Unfortunately, the local gophers have been reading our blog, and know that a garden is on the way. I can only hope that the resident coyotes are reading the gophers' blog. Its either that, or we've got to put down chicken wire fencing beneath the beds, and re-dig the beds already dug! Nevertheless, its only been two days of camp, and we've got a lot done. Everybody at camp is really excited. People have noticed the odiforous compost, but no complaints yet. Lots of people are interested in the garden, including edot that are not signed up are beginning to come over to work. Looking forward to a productive week of bed formation and planting. Photos will be coming in a few days. Need to get a few hours of sleep now.

Ciao!
Elihu

"Tzedek" Judaism?

I was raised in a Jewish community, attended Jewish day school and summer camp, and spent a year abroad in Israel.  I have a unique and comprehensive look into my generation's connection to Judaism and Jewish practice.  It seems to me that more and more people my age no longer identify with "being Orthodox" or Conservative or Reform.  Rather, the phrase is, "I'm just Jewish."  Now, this word choice has different connotations for each person, but there seems to be a question here that is worth asking: Is there a new sect of Judaism emerging?  Is there a new way of manifesting our Judaism?

This summer four Jewish camps will be implementing the Amir Project, introducing a large-scale gardening initiative to their specific communities.  Each of these projects will be led by a Lead Farmer and two Amir Fellows (counselors).  The project uses the process of designing, building, planting, and nurturing gardens as a vehicle to tap into campers' creativity and to instill in them a sense of agency.  Through creating gardens and harvesting produce, campers will be challenged with questions of "what to do with our food" and "who needs food when we already have it?"  They will delve into ancient Jewish texts of Pe'ah and Leket, two agrarian based laws about giving our land's produce to those in need.

I'd like to use this site as a forum to discuss what the Amir Project "really means" and what does it mean to connect Judaism, the land, and social action.  There are many distinct communities and initiatives that are, and have been, practicing "Tzedek" Judaism for some time now (Kayam Farm, Jewish Farm School, Adamah, Camp Eden Village, etc.).  What do all of these have in common?  How does the Amir Project further the mission of these communities?  How can we connect these communities and build a broader movement that centers our everyday lives and practice around the pursuit of justice?

So, brothers and sisters, who are we and what do we value?

Peace,
David