Taste of Adamah at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, CT
Dava Schub was looking for something to do with her 6-year old niece and 4-year old nephew that did not involve a lot of bells and whistles. These New York City kids were over-stimulated to begin with, so she wanted an activity that would be more grounded and centered, and perhaps more quiet, but also exciting for them. Having met Adam Berman, Director of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center (IFJRC), at a meeting of 30 Jewish community leaders who were asking themselves, “what does the next generation of IFJRC look like?” she found out about their program Taste of Adamah – Family Farm Day. This was one day out of the harvest season set aside to invite families to come to IFJRC and, assisted by Adamah Fellowship farmers, pick organic vegetables, tend the goats, see how cheese is made, and make your own jar of pickles to take home. And with a taste of the pickles and jams Adam brought to that meeting that were made at IFJRC, she was convinced this was not only the opportunity she was looking for to spend with her niece and nephew, but also a great chance to spend the day with her mother, their grandmother. Dava had previously spent Rosh Hashanah at IFJRC, so she was familiar with the authentic Jewish experience this trip would provide her family.
Despite this being something that she was interested in, she was concerned how this would go over with the younger and older generations. What resulted both surprised and pleased her. Despite the heat of that particular day, and the presence of far too many bugs, their energy and enthusiasm never waned.
The kids were so excited about the whole process – pickling and eating edible flowers – they showed no fear or hesitation, and no need for those bells and whistles that normally are required to entertain kids. They all picked their own vegetables and saw the plants that they grew from. The staff interwove into each activity the Jewish spiritual practice of the harvest; passion for the earth and Judaism was everywhere, even, and most importantly, in the eating space. Everyone’s joy of a well-spent day together was palpable.
Dava describes the significant impacts that day had on her family: Her nephew, who disliked green vegetables before arriving on the farm, developed a fondness for a particular zucchini he’d picked (calling it, as only a 4-year old could call a zucchini, his “Big Bikini”), adopted it as a pet and ended up taking it home. Her niece exclaimed at one point, “This was harder than getting groceries from the store, but more fun.” And her mother was insistent about serving her jar of pickles at her next book club, no matter how they tasted – and proudly displaying a framed photograph of everyone’s jar of pickles with their names on them in her home.
As for Dava, she was thrilled that everyone had such a great time and enjoyed seeing her family have a connecting, authentic experience in many ways, and hopes to do it again. She came away from that day thinking more about sustainable living. That next week she went to a farmers market to buy herbs to create an inside garden for herself, but the plants wouldn’t work in her home – so instead she purchased some produce and made a Shabbat dinner from the farmers market food, inviting friends over to join her.
Dava designs programs at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Manhattan, New York for every age and stage of life, which fed into what she did with her niece, nephew and mother at IFJRC: making (intergenerational) connections. After Adam Berman came and met with the JCC staff to create a partnership and collaborate on programs, the Adamah Fellowship began to sell pickles and sauerkraut in the JCC lobby, opening up more opportunities for these two communities to interact and share their values regarding environmental stewardship steeped in Jewish tradition.