לעבדה ולשמרה
A beautiful world comes with great responsibility
OUR MISSION:
GrowTorah aims to cultivate a more passionate, compassionate and sustainable future driven by Torah values.
WHAT WE DO:
GrowTorah develops experiential & environmental Torah education programs for Jewish institutions.
“וינחהו בגן־עדן לעבדה ולשמרה
...and G-d placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it.”
SCHOOL GARDEN PROGRAMS
Our Shorashim and Anafim Partnerships bring our educational garden programs to 27 schools and 8 camps across the USA.
THE INCHWORMSHIP
GrowTorah’s college internship, run in partnership with the OU Impact Accelerator is a paid program for college students interested in GrowTorah’s mission.
WORKSHOPS
We provide experiential workshops on a variety of topics for schools, shuls, JCCs, and more. In 2022, we ran 30 workshops to over 3000+ participants.
CAMP GROWTORAH
We run a Torah farming day camp in New City, NY for the last few weeks of August. Sholarships are available thanks to the support of the Mina Gillers Memorial Fund.
testimonials
“Our boys wholeheartedly enjoyed their experience at Grow Torah! They came home smiling each day, excited to share all that they had learned. Thank you!!”
Camp GrowTorah Parent
“Spence put on a fantastic show at our Microgreens event. Everybody was engaged and excited, and we can't wait for our seedlings to grow!”
Tu B’shvat workshop attendee
“Thank you for helping us grow plants. I appreciate that you help us with puling carrots and naming the plants. I also loved that you told us the plant that ladybugs like. Now when we see a ladybug we out it on the plant. I like how you combine Torah and plant growing. Thank you for teaching us. ”
2nd grader from a Anafim School
“Getting my hands dirty on real farms was such a cool experience and gave me tons of confidence in my gardening abilities and my ability to make an impact in this world.”
Summer Inchworm
See below for upcoming events:
We are always working on new program offerings to bring you meaningful inspiration! Got an idea for us? We’d love to hear it!
Keep scrolling for the latest at GrowTorah, and feel free to get in touch with us with any questions!
What’s ‘Growing On’ this month at GrowTorah?
October 29, 2024 | Tishrei 27, 5785
Monthly Newsletter Volume 7.7 | Issue #77
TIFERET COMMUNITY SIMCHAT TORAH CHALLENGE
Thanks to the support of the UJA Federation of New York, GrowTorah proudly introduces the Tiferet Community Program, now part of the Simchat Torah Challenge, joining over 10,000 individuals in weekly Parsha study.
Our program uses Tiferet HaTorah, a specially designed coloring book, as a unique tool for learning. Participants can engage with the Parsha each week by coloring a page, sharing family insights, and participating in a dedicated community WhatsApp group. To deepen this experience, participants will join a monthly Zoom shiur, and we’ll also host an in-person gathering in the NYC area around Tu b'Shvat to celebrate our Torah learning together.
In our post October 7 world, many are seeking ways to connect more deeply with Torah and its timeless teachings. By committing to read the weekly Torah portion for a year, the Simchat Torah Challenge provides a powerful path to finding meaning and connection in our ancient texts. GrowTorah is honored to support this journey through the Tiferet Coloring Book program.
OLAM BASHAVUA UPDATES
Our team is delighted to introduce the new and improved Olam BaShavua - a weekly Newsletter from GrowTorah! Our goal with this updated offering is to educate, inspire, and inform by highlighting the positive advancements in environmental work that resonate with our core values: Incubating Emunah, Stewarding the Earth, Tzedakah, and Compassion for Creatures.
Each week, you’ll discover uplifting stories of environmental restoration, engaging Torah connections, hands-on activities, and opportunities to get outside with our community. We hope these new features empower you to take action in your personal and professional spaces, making a meaningful impact on the world around us.
As we launch this after Simchat Torah 5785, our tefillot are with our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael, and with all of Am Yisrael around the world. The pain of last Simchat Torah is still so raw for all of us, and we want to use this Torah learning to serve as an aliyah neshama for those murdered on Simchat Torah 5784 (10/7/23), and all those who perished defending Eretz Yisrael since. In the merit of the Torah we share here, may we see peace soon for all of Am Yisrael.
ETROG COMPOSTING
Are you looking for a sustainable use for your etrog after Sukkot? GrowTorah has you covered! This year, we're collecting etrogim to compost, helping you observe Bal Tashchit and enrich the soil. Thanks to 26 organizational partners for helping to make this happen; we’ll keep collecting through Thursday, November 7th, 2024.
PEEK INTO OUR GARDENS THIS FALL:
Grandparents grow with students at Yavneh Academy in Paramus, NJ
Students harvest from the rooftops at Manhattan Day School
The first every Bikkurim from the Pear Tree at Ben Porat Yosef
Enjoying a wonderful harvest at HALB's Lev Chana
Hearing a video update from Farmer Shimon at Westchester Day School
A GrowTorah Site Visit to Hebrew Academy Miami
A Model Lesson in the garden Hillel Torah in Skokie, IL
Inaugurating the Brauser Maimonides Academy garden, Hollywood, FL
Mazals - you dug down to the bottom of our website!
If you’d like more GrowTorah goodness, check out our Library here, or join us on the following social media channels: