Biblical Garden
At Temple Beth Shalom we create and care for a Garden (of Eden) inspired by the flora and agriculture of the Land of Israel and the Hebrew Bible whose produce, beauty and spaces will enhance the celebration and observance of holy moments and holidays and help us connect with experiences of our ancestors and the stories and values of Torah.
For those interested in learning more about the meaningful connection between Judaism and nature, Temple Beth Shalom invites you to explore the teachings rooted in our biblical garden. This beautiful space reflects Jewish values, offers materials for rituals, and tells stories that connect our tradition to the natural world.
We are excited to engage in conversations about how the garden serves as a living classroom—illustrating values like stewardship, sustainability, and respect for the Earth. If you would like to learn more, share your own expertise, or discuss ways the garden can enhance Jewish practices and education, please contact the temple office. We would love to collaborate and share how this space enriches our rituals and brings Jewish stories to life.
Feel free to reach out to us today—we look forward to connecting with you!
Jewish Values to Plant:
A land flowing with milk and honey
Eretz z’vat chalav u’dvash: A Land flowing with milk and honey.
At the end of a funeral, soil from the Land of Israel, specifically from the Mount of Olives, is added to the grave. Despite living outside of Israel, this is moment when we are uniquely connected to the variety of promises God made our Patriarchs and Matriarchs to inherit the Land of Israel. This land and the experiences of our ancestors, their search for and honor of God, especially through Shabbat and Shmita, weave through many aspects of Jewish life. Israel’s agricultural and ecological cycles are built into our holidays, our sense of time, and prayers.
Jewish Concept Garden:
Pollinator Garden
While walking through the Temple Beth Shalom campus, one might find themselves drawn to the vibrant beauty of the pollinator gardens. Among these is the climbing aster, a seasonal bloomer that never fails to captivate with its stunning flowers. Beyond its beauty, it becomes a hub of activity, attracting bees, wasps, and other flying creatures. These pollinators dash between blooms, pausing only briefly, yet in those fleeting moments, they perform essential Avodah—sacred work that sustains life.
As they sip nectar to nourish themselves, they simultaneously transfer pollen, supporting the plants’ life cycle. This symbiotic dance between pollinators and flowers serves as a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of life. It highlights the importance of each brief interaction, where even the smallest actions carry weight and significance.
When we mirror the role of pollinators in our own lives, we too become Malachim—angels, connecting people and places in meaningful ways. Whether by bringing people together, sharing crucial information, or delivering a spark of energy, these seemingly minor acts contribute to a greater harmony in the world. What may appear fleeting or small in the moment often becomes the bridge that fosters growth, understanding, and connection.
Jewish Concept Garden:
Chicken Soup Garden
In the album, “You don’t have to be Jewish,” one of the comedy sketches is set at a funeral. Even as the rabbi eulogizes the deceased, a Jewish mother interrupts. “Give him some chicken soup” she declares. When she is told that he is dead and it will not help his condition, “it couldn’t hurt,” is her retort. Chicken soup is often called Jewish penicillin. Its healing properties are not just in the nutrition in the broth, but in the fact that sharing chicken soup with someone else involves an act of bikkur cholim/visiting the sick. Caring visits play a vital role in the healing process. A chicken soup garden does not have to involve chicken. Instead plant all of the vegetables and herbs that you like to add to your chicken soup: Carrots, onions, dill, parsnip, celery, turnip, kohlrabi, parsley…you don’t have to grow everything you need to make the soup but if some of the vegetables come from your garden the soup gets an extra bit of love.
Jewish Values to Plant:
Justice and Righteousness
Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof: Justice and Righteousness shall you pursue. (Deuteronomy 16:18)
Jewish sages caution us to pay attention to the repetition of a word in Torah. In our gardens we aspire to bring Tzedek – justice and righteousness – from two directions: receiving and giving. With humility and appreciation for what we harvest, we can share some of our bounty. We can also look out and see that there are people in need of sustenance in our own community. With an effort from our garden, we can help feed the hungry.
In the book of Leviticus, at the heart of the Torah, God offers a list of the ways that we can connect and emulate the holiness of the Divine. This portion, called Kedoshim, emphasizes holy relationships and holy time. It also acknowledges ways that we can use our fields and gardens to receive and generate holiness. Leviticus 19:9 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the Lord am your God.
Even as we partake in the produce of our fields, we realize that our bounty might solely belong to us. Without God’s support and without good growing conditions – soil, sun, rain, lack of pests and disease – we would not have food to eat. Like pinching off a corner of Challah to show appreciation for God’s blessings, we share a portion of the food we grow in acknowledgment that we need help to be successful in our garden.
Deuteronomy 15:7 If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. 8 Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs. We also have a responsibility to give to those in need. It is an obligation to ensure that the people who live around us have basic needs (i.e. food, water, and shelter). With the words of Pirke Avot in mind, “You don’t have to complete the task, but you don’t avoid working on it” giving produce from a community, congregational or home garden (even just a handful of tomatoes) to a food pantry or an organization that helps feed the hungry lives out this Jewish value and makes an impact.
Jewish Concept Garden:
Peace/Justice Garden
The Peah Garden draws inspiration from the ancient mitzvah found in Leviticus 19, which instructs farmers to leave the corners of their fields—Peah—unharvested. These portions were set aside for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan, ensuring that those in need had access to food. In Jewish tradition, this idea is expanded through leket (gleanings that fall during harvest) and shichach (forgotten produce left behind), all designated for those less fortunate.
These values remind us that what we grow is not solely ours to keep. Just as we borrow the earth from G-d and act as partners in creation, we are called to share the fruits of our labor. The mitzvah of Peah teaches that our garden flourishes when it incorporates the values of giving back, paying forward, and community care. A Peah Garden is more than just a garden—it is a “food justice” garden, offering a tangible way to live out the principles of tzedakah (charity) and sustenance for all.
In many communities, gardens like these grow vegetables specifically for donation to local food pantries and food banks, helping to provide for those experiencing food insecurity. This practice encourages reflection on the difference between need and want, inviting gardeners to understand sustenance rather than excess. As we nurture this garden, we are given opportunities to pay forward our blessings and labor, embracing the mitzvah of caring for others through the food we grow.
The Peah Garden can also align with community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, strengthening our connection to sustainable practices and local food systems. With an intentional focus on nourishment and kindness, this garden serves as a “chicken soup garden,” symbolizing care, healing, and community through the simple act of growing and sharing food.
This sacred space invites us to consider how we partner with G-d in creation by cultivating not only the soil but also our commitment to justice, generosity, and compassion. As we care for the Peah Garden, we honor the principle that the true harvest is not just in what we keep, but in what we give away.
Jewish Values to Plant:
Beautiful Ritual
Hiddur Mitzvah: Beautiful Ritual
According to Jewish tradition, we should not just complete the ritual, even with the best of intentions. Instead, we should try to make it beautiful, rich with color and texture. This is the reasoning behind the adorned candle sticks for Shabbat and the beautiful melodies for our prayers. We want our rituals to be mouthwatering and eye catching, resonating with all of our sensory experiences so that our souls can soar. When we incorporate garden beauty, recycled creativity, and the personal effort of using the garden for ritual, we add to this value of Hiddur Mitzvah.
In the Five Senses Garden at Temple Beth Shalom of Vero Beach, Florida, the students connect the garden and nature with ritual. From harvesting herbs for Havdalah services, to creating dream pillows in order to learn about Hashkivenu (the prayer for a good night’s sleep), we seek to use the produce of the garden to add flavor and color to our acts of Avodah. When students plant, care for, and harvest the cotton for our Shabbat oil lamp, the experience of saying the blessing and kindling the Shabbat lights reaches new depth and beauty. Each garden offers opportunities produce or plants that can be used to beautify Jewish rituals.