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Sinai Temple, Netiya lead multifaith celebration of shemitah

Members of Sinai Temple in West Los Angeles gathered on Oct. 4 to celebrate the end of something — but it wasn’t just the last day of sukkot.
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October 7, 2015

Members of Sinai Temple in West Los Angeles gathered on Oct. 4 to celebrate the end of something — but it wasn’t just the last day of sukkot. In conjunction with Los Angeles-based Netiya, they observed the end of shemitah as well. 

Although seldom observed in the United States, the ancient biblical practice is followed faithfully in Israel. Often referred to as a sabbatical year, it is a year of rest for the land that takes place every seven years. During this year, farmers do not plant or work their fields; any produce that grows during the shemitah year is considered communal property, free for the taking.

Sherman Oaks resident Devorah Brous, 44, founding executive director of Netiya, a food justice organization that cultivates gardens on unused land at faith-based institutions, lived in Israel for 15 years and embraces the concept of shemitah. As a result, instead of planting things this past year, Netiya concentrated on teaching composting and water conservation.

“This is the year we give back to the land and God,” Brous said. “I find this to be the single most compelling kind of Judaism.”

The end of shemitah also kicked off Netiya’s new matching micro-grant program to help faith-based institutions convert decorative or unused congregational land into edible, water-wise gardens. Organizations are required to raise $500 on their own, making them eligible to receive up to $1,500 from Netiya toward their garden installation. Applications are due Feb. 1.

“Our model is challenging,” Brous said. “We don’t believe in handouts. We don’t think that creates a strong sense of ownership.” 

At the Sinai event, some 50 temple members and a dozen or so friends of Netiya gathered in and around a sukkah on a cloudy Sunday morning. Many came with lulav and etrog in hand. 

Several Sinai clergy members helped lead a service that married the traditional seventh day of Sukkot observance, Hoshanah Rabbah, with a more modern vision from Brous, complete with burning sage and even the presence of a pair of beloved pooches. 

At one point, Brous walked around the group with a large wooden bowl. It was filled, she said, with soil from seven parts of the city as well as compost from her own yard. She encouraged everyone to touch it.

For the youngest attendees, the highlight of the gathering came about midway through, when they helped to plant seven trees in large pots in an open-air plaza near the main sanctuary. They started with a loquat tree and then moved on to fig, olive, Meyer lemon, pomegranate, grapefruit and satsuma mandarin. Brous added a bit of the special soil from her bowl for each tree.

Brous talked about water, climate chaos and the trash-filled “dead zone in the ocean.” She asked everyone to raise a hand if they could take shorter showers. She then asked if they could make changes to their thirsty home landscapes. If people weren’t ready to commit, she asked who was willing to just think about these making changes. 

“Raise your hand!” she exhorted.

Sinai Rabbi Jason Fruithandler took the lead in the service, but a number of representatives from other groups and faiths participated as well. Annie Pierce of Shumei Natural Agriculture (a way of farming based on respect for nature) spoke about divine Mother Earth, as well as her own experience as a gardener. She recalled how prolific certain parts of her garden were before she learned, “Mother Earth takes a rest. I discovered that nothing would grow in those areas.” Her conclusion: “Mother Nature is in congruence with shemitah.” 

Mohammed Khan of King Fahad Mosque in Culver City welcomed the group with “As-salamu alaykum,” a greeting of peace, and read a passage from the Quran. He reminded everyone that “how we treat God’s creation is a reflection of our relationship with God.” 

And because the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Catholic Church’s patron saint of animals and ecology, also falls on Oct. 4, the Rev. Marcia Hoffman of the United Church of Christ offered a special blessing for the two dogs in attendance.  

Fruithandler concluded the service with 60 seconds of silence, asking everyone to “think about what could be better with this world.” In keeping with the day’s themes, he asked people not to toss their etrogs. “I have a family that makes a delicious etrog liqueur,” he said. Brous pointed out they could also be composted.

As for the trees, the plan is for the students of Sinai Akiba Academy to care for them. 

“We hope to pair up our older students with our youngest students as they help prune and water and nourish the soil of these amazing trees,” school Rabbi Andy Feig said. “The fruit we harvest will go to local food banks and shelters to feed those in need. … We are so excited about our new orchard of seven beautiful fruit trees.”

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