What we do:

GrowTorah develops experiential & environmental Torah education programs for Jewish institutions. 
Our flagship Shorashim Partnership program has us manage and teach in 17 garden programs at 17 Jewish Day Schools. GrowTorah's national Anafim program is active in 11 schools, and several summer camps, across the USA.

GrowTorah curates educational garden experiences that help participants explore relevant Jewish values and Torah lessons, and learn the fundamentals of gardening and land stewardship. The Torah lessons interwoven with the educational garden experiences inspire participants to navigate the complex relationships between humans, their fellow creatures, and the earth, and encourage participants to connect with these values in powerful and personally meaningful ways.

Our Vision

The garden provides myriad teachable moments and learning opportunities, from laws involving agricultural charity to implications of laws pertaining to the garden on Shabbat. Growing food inspires students to eat more healthfully, and recite their brachot (blessings) more thoughtfully and with greater meaning and intention.

Within 10 years, we envision a GrowTorah program in every Jewish day school across North America, which will serve as an interdisciplinary experiential laboratory for students to engage with Torah, science, health, Jewish values and ethics, and more. Join us as we create a movement that will change the way students see the world in which they live and the earth which they help steward.

Our Story

GrowTorah began as an outgrowth of the Moshava Ba'ir Amir Garden at The Frisch School in August 2014. The following school year, Yosef Gillers piloted the first GrowTorah program at The Frisch School. In the spring of 2016, he brought the next iteration of the program to SAR Academy, SAR High School, and Ben Porat Yosef. In March 2017 The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, in Tenafly, NJ, began a GrowTorah garden program, where we serve nursery students, senior citizens, and participants with special needs, in a shared multi-use garden space. We’ve been growing steadily since, and you can view our current list of partners here!