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Enjoy Sukkot at the MJCC Growing kindness: PJA
Mittleman Jewish Community Center
is hosting two events to bring the com- volunteers at Kindness Farm
munity together outdoors for Sukkot.
Help build the Community Sukkah at
10 am, Sunday, Sept. 19, at the MJCC. Want to help the Earth, feed the hungry, of working outside in the dirt – these are
Then at 4 pm, Sunday, Sept. 26, come learn gardening tips, enjoy the outdoors, all things I want my own children and my
and enjoy Pizza in the Sukkah at the schmooze and teach Jewish values all at students to appreciate.”
MJCC. Masks will be required when once? As many Portland Jewish Academy Volunteers weeded existing garden beds
not actively drinking or eating. Enjoy families have discovered, Kindness Farm is and laid compost for new ones.
an evening of great food, schmoozing, the place to do it. “The summer event
singing and storytelling. Cost is $5/ Kindness Farm is a non- was great, because it
person with children 3 and under free. profit located on a 1-acre was mostly families new
Register at oregonjcc.org/pizza. plot off Southeast 127th to PJA,” says Ben. “The
Avenue in Portland. Found- kids were either digging
ed and run by Lou Levit up weeds or watching
KINDNESS this past January, the farm caterpillars and worms,
while the adults were
uses volunteer labor and
(continued from page 1) sustainable agricultural able to converse and
practices to grow produce connect.”
and I know that sometimes that means we that is then donated to those Ben was so struck by
can close down and circle the wagons.” He in need. “Kindness Farm Kindness Farm he has
adds that he already has received positive aims to care for people and returned to volunteer be-
feedback. “People have said that a little Earth by regeneratively yond PJA events.
moments of goodness go a long way, and and sustainably growing “The PJA crews have
that they’re going to find ways to do it.” nutrient-full vegetables and done a lot of meaningful
He also was inspired by the Gidi Kind- fruits; cultivating commu- work at the farm, but
ness Project, started by friends after their nity education of balanced we’ve never harvested
son, Gidi, died in a tragic boating accident farming practices; and the food (which mostly
5 years ago just a few days before his 5th providing freshly harvest- happens on Fridays),”
birthday. Every year at his yarhzeit the ed nutriments to houseless he says. “I wanted to see
family asks friends to perform random acts and low-income neighbors how all this work trans-
of kindness to spread love and joy and Gidi in need,” according to its lated into the actual pro-
magic. website. duce the farm donates.”
In his sermon and on the website, Rab- PJA has organized sever- A PJA preschooler harvests a Founder Lou Levit
bi Oren references the poem U’netanah al volunteering events for carrot at Kindness Farm. reflects on the impact
Tokef, which is read on Rosh Hashanah. families at Kindness Farm, Kindness Farm has al-
The poem asks many questions about what including last spring and during the summer. ready had on the Portland community: “In
will befall us humans in this next year. “Because of COVID, many of our tra- such a short time, this year alone, we’ve
“U’nataneh Tokef teaches that the decree ditional service opportunities weren’t been able to feed over 5,000 of our house-
is written – it is called being human – with available, so we were looking for outdoor less and low-income neighbors fresh, vi-
all the good parts and all the hard parts, service opportunities,” says PJA Service brant produce.”
including the fact that we are vulnerable Learning Coordinator Elana Cohn-Rozan- Lou also expresses gratitude for those
and have limited control over such huge sky. “We connected with Lou through the who have pitched in to help: “This couldn’t
forces in our lives,” says Rabbi Oren. “The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and happen without the amazing contributions
prayer insists that while we don’t have total have kept it going since.” of our donors and volunteers. PJA families
control, we do have power to mitigate the PJA organized two volunteer events in have been so amazing in spending their
decree for some through teshuvah (kind late spring, and then two more during sum- time on our beautiful farm, helping us cre-
responses), tefillah (mindful introspection) mer. “Kindness Farm is doing so much that ate growing beds and gardens. I am truly
and tzedakah (pursuing justice with our we want to teach our children,” says PJA grateful to the families that come out and
time, talents and treasure).” parent and Middle School Jewish Studies support the farm and hope to see more com-
The webpage contains an extract from Teacher Ben Foote. “Treating the Earth munity members as we grow and evolve.”
the rabbi’s sermon about the poem. “This with respect, helping those in need, the joy www.thekindnessmodel.org
poem also reminds us that what we can
control is how we act and respond to life Harvesting Chesed: Sukkot Shabbat at Kindness Farm
in and around those big moments. We get
an opportunity every day to be someone Celebrate Shabbat and harvest season munity through reflective conversations. In
who is kind, who is helpful and thoughtful, with OneTable and the Kindness Farm the spirit of Sukkot, we invite you to bring
and there are thousands of little moments (read about the farm above). OneTable your intentions and goals for how you
to do this. These little moments can add up promotes Shabbat and holiday dinners for want to engage in more radical hospitality
to changing these bigger moments, possi- and by young adults. throughout this Jewish New Year, 5782.
bly even altering/mitigating the intensity At 5:30 pm, Sept. 24, young adults Suggested cost for catered dinner is $10/
of the human condition for ourselves and (20s-30s) are invited to spend a fun evening person. Limited capacity to the first 15
for others. Sometimes we can impact those volunteering and learning more about the RSVPs (address provided with RSVP). For
around us with our acts that ripple bigger farm, partaking in a delicious plant-based details and to RSVP, go to bit.ly/38TIEPr or
than anything we can know.” dinner from Aviv and connecting in com- onetable.org/portland.
Jewish Review Sept. 15, 2021 3