Some of us remember Ricky Nelson’s popular tune, Garden Party, recorded back in 1972. A different garden party took place last evening at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. We wish we could have been there.
This “garden party” was hosted by our grantee, Kaima, the unique organic sustainable farm that works with young people who have not succeeded in traditional learning environments. Kaima’s latest creation is a hydroponic greenhouse built on the Botanical Garden’s grounds. As Yoni Yefet-Reich, Kaima’s co-founder, explained when we visited the site in February, the “farm” has several significant benefits. It will provide healthy organic produce to residents of the Holy City; offer exciting learning opportunities for the young people in Kaima’s program, and of equal importance, it represents an outstanding example of eco-friendly farming which is crucial in a country like Israel where water is a precious commodity.
Judging by this photo Yoni sent us, it appears that there will be plenty of karpas for the upcoming Seder.