Growing Together with Gesher

In each monthly feature, we showcase one of our Anafim Partners - this month is Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax, VA.

Joining the Anafim program in May of 2021, Gesher Academy has revitalized their garden space and engaged their community in a beautiful way.

Gesher’s Growtorah garden had a fantastic community rebuild day to install a brand new garden! Educators Shana Ramierez and Lindey Tiles lead half-hour classes in the garden and assist other teachers to teach their own garden classes as well. Students learn regularly about Torah values, environmental stewardship, and appreciation for the beauty in nature. They have gotten fantastic involvement from parents and neighboring organizations with donations of compost tumblers and rain barrels to create an environmentally friendly ecosystem for their garden. Students in Gan Katan recently harvested the first radishes they planted this spring!

In addition to our Shorashim, GrowTorah thrives off of our relationship with our Anafim partners! As one of our Anafim partners, we advise and train school staff to run successful educational garden programs at their school.

Gesher is a welcoming, pluralistic community where children of varied practices and approaches to Judaism come together to learn and where responsibility for self, caring for others, and stewardship of the environment are core values. Gesher services the Northern Virginia community.

The Anafim initiative was launched with help from a Covenant Foundation Ignition Grant.