Preschoolers Reap What They Sow

From the New City Jewish Center

Plant a carrot, get a carrot — that’s what children in New City Jewish Center’s early education center are finding out as they take the synagogue’s outdoor education program into the traditional Sukkah on Tues., Oct. 14.

During the spring semester, and summer at NCJC ECC camp, children planted a variety of vegetables, according to Jackie Binstock, NCJC’s early education center director. Now they’re going to reap the benefits and learn about Sukkot, the annual Jewish fall harvest festival that begins at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

“They’ve had a great time getting their hands dirty and learning that the foods we eat don’t start out at the supermarket,” says Binstock. “The outdoor education program has been great experiential learning for the littlest learners.”

Children planted string beans, tomatoes cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, lettuce, radishes, melons, corn and sunflowers in the spring with the help of Norm Ringel, an NCJC congregant. Ringel, who volunteered his time, helped build the vegetable beds, and guided the children through the planting process.

“This is all about the kids. That’s why I built this,” says Ringel. “If we don’t teach them from a young age about growing and caring for the earth, an essential Jewish value, who will?”

Over the spring and summer, as vegetables ripened, the produce was shared with office staff and sent home with the children, Binstock says. Now the children will take what they pick and bring it into the Sukkah, learning about the holiday, which celebrates the fall harvest. During the eight-day holiday, Jews reside at least some of the time in temporary structures known as sukkot.

For the children, it has been a great learning experience, according to parent Melissa Friedman .

“I am so thrilled that my child is learning about the environment and sustainability through a Jewish lens,” she says. “This is the only pre-school in Rockland county that offers this kind of hands-on, experiential program.”