Written by Shoresh Intern, Deb Cole
One of the key
components to any staff training is to engage in activities that will allow one
to better understand who they are working with. In the case of gardening and
outdoor education, it is best to participate in interactive children’s games
that teach youth how plants grow and the importance of both working and
protecting the land. And what better way to learn to teach than becoming
children ourselves? Staff training included learning about the connection
between Jewish holidays and plants through a scavenger hunt, and learning about
competing habitats through salamander tag where everyone has a “tail” and if it
gets pulled then you are out for a period of time. And as much as we were trying
to get into the heads of children, we also realized that we were not so
different. We asked similar questions such as “where does the water from the
stream flow from,” we loved getting our hands dirty in the soil, and enjoyed
dancing in the rain.
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| Our team finding shelter in the greenhouse |
Staff training
included a dynamic group of 9 individuals from all walks of life. Some of us
are undergraduate students wanting to pursue a career in Jewish education;
others are parents who want to dedicate their time to volunteering their
skills. What lured me to Kavanah Garden was the desire to be outdoors combined
with gaining a better understanding of food sustainability and sharing this
knowledge with others.
Growing up in an urban
city, it can be difficult to understand and appreciate how connected we are to
the land. Many children do not understand where their food originates from, and
may conclude that Loblaws is the source of it all. Shoresh Kavanah Gardens provides an opportunity for these
city slickers to get outside and gain hands on learning to grow fruits and
vegetables and value the hard work that it entails. What may appear to be a
small garden, soon becomes an intricate and complex ecosystem containing a
variety of different plants and animals. After three days of learning about the
wealth of the land, I already feel more appreciative of its beauty and more
aware of the nature that surrounds me on a daily basis.
This year’s staff includes:
Our amazing director – Risa Alyson Cooper
Our director of development – Sabrina Malach
Two educators – Rachel Rosenbluth and Daniel Joseph
And 6 interns: Tamar Krauss, Nora Bergman, Deb Cole, Simone Weinstein, Elysa Keshen, Amalia Wolf
Staff training was a great kick off to what will an amazing
summer filled with learning, dirty hands, big smiles, and raspberry covered
faces!
