I am today cause it's my birthday and I'm feeling glad to be born and feeling too that this year it coincides with true growth.

We are growing and I'm breathing more and taking time to look at the sky amidst the craziness, taking time to be disappointed and to smile through it.

The sunshine came down in to our garden before Pessach with plenty dandelions all over part B of the Kalisher Community Garden (that’s in the works…) So many edible wild flowers – time for a grand feast!

And so it was my friends, down came the wonderful master of wild edibles and spread his lovely stories and knowledge to the community. The kids headed out with bowls that were filled in with greens and yellows and the mamas and papas making Hubeza Latkes in the field kitchen with dandelion green salad on the side…

Don't forget to add to your visuals some lively Ethio-music and a desert spring sunset.

We try to have good times.. Come join us next time..

And some dues from March – I promised to tell you all about

The Environmental Street Party

Celebrating life without consuming it..

Purim is a time of joy and craziness and a lot of this energy has been channeled in the past years into big merchandised Purim parades that leave behind stringlets of festivities, junk chunks of jubilation and empty pockets…

Here in Be’er-Sheva it’s the second year that we are offering an alternative to all of that. A cooperation of several organizations and local businesses that bring a central street in a small neighborhood alive with sound jives, creativity spots and activism opportunities.

This Adloyada has brought together for the second year local residents, university students and offers a platform for environmental and social organizations to increase their crowd of activists.

This year beyond the happy grand dancing in the streets there was also our stand that gives the full story of how to compost, a mini organic farmers market, an arts & crafts corner for recycled decorations and masks and more.

I believe there is never just one way, to work, to create, to live. So it is part of our sustainable agenda to provide alternatives to the mainstream and new options beyond the mind numbing commercial craze.

Next up –

The end of May 24^thtill 26^th– Here it comes… The Ecothiopia Festival!!

Yes, Eco-thiopia is indeed a celebration of ecology and Ethiopian culture out in the garden, open to the neighborhood and whoever never got a chance to get a close up look at Ethiopian dancing, food and art. We're gonna have live Ethiopian music, local dancing groups, art on display, tours of the community garden, Shekel exchange market and whatever else the community decides to provide.

Oh man this festival was so great 2 years ago we're really looking forward to celebrate biodiversity and cultural diversity from within…!

Be free and jump up without fear

Hag Sameach!

The new immigrants coming straight from Ulpan (Hebrew class) folding sleeves and starting to work the staff from Netafim (a big local-based and international irrigation company) that have been aiding us from day one and have agreed to come and pitch in.

It’s happening at last – we are growing and will now be able to offer 30 more plots for growing vegetables in the middle of the urban prairie. This move is after our 50 plots are already operated by families from the adjacent Ethiopian Absorption Center and people from the neighborhood have approached us wanting to taste some agriculture too.

This is an amazing opportunity in our cultural mosaic of a neighborhood, this is a real chance for people to meet and exchange knowledge, language and even just recipes.. Why is this exciting? Because as is common in many under-privileged neighborhoods the daily picture is one of suspicion, prejudice and a clinging to known ethnic groups.

What a loss! We have so much right here! So many tastes and music diversity and stories and languages.. Why travel far? Why seek exotic elsewhere? If we stop and listen, open our heart and mind we got so much to discover..

The Community Garden can provide a bridge across this vast ocean, cause while you’re busy with tomatoes, cabbages or reconnecting the irrigation you might not notice that you’re also creating a different kind of connection…

If we’re talking about creating sustainable models for urban living (which is what we do at Earth’s Promise) then any biologist knows – Biodiversity is key for any long-lasting balanced ecosystem.

So as we are concerned with growing a community beside those lovely veggies this next step is essential in our growth. A celebration of color and diversity that can be found in urban living!

Celebration and colors – smells like Purim and sure enough:

Next Up – The Purim Street Party in Be’er-Sheva!

A coalition of various organizations and businesses to create an alternative street celebration by the people and for the people! Reclaiming the streets socially and environmentally… Tell you all about it next month.

“Svalo! Wait! Not there… that’s where the new plots are going to be we’re digging now for the live hedge…

Don’t worry there are 30 pits to dig for 30 beautiful bougainvilleas…”

So yes it’s happening – the “Setting Strong Roots” Community Garden will be doubling its size this month which means 30 more plots are added to the existing 50 plots!

The community is in full action, last time we had such a big workday was before my time here when Isaac Hametz, the founder of Earth’s Promise, initiated this Community Garden with the Kalisher Absorption Center for Ethiopian immigrants.

We celebrated the 2 year Birthday this September and now we’re growing some more with the growing need.

New immigrants from rural areas in Ethiopia are coming to Be’er-Sheva City to an 8 story building with elevators and a parking lot below… not very similar to their home village… or as Ori Konforti, the Ethiopia representative of the Jewish Agency, says it –

“the transformation [is] a move from a land where they live like they did in the Bible, to the actual land of the Bible.”

And so it is at the land of the Bible things have changed quite a lot and it can give some comfort, as in any new situation, to have at least a few familiar things around one.

Big stalks of Mashila(=corn) or bright red Berberie (=Hot Pepper) and even some Tef (the Ethiopian grain used to make Ingira, Ethiopian bread) can go a long way in making a new immigrant feel more at home.

This intensive organic growth alongside huge mammoth Sunflowers and various fruit trees have transformed the desert-beige backyard into a surprisingly abundant garden for the neighborhood to enjoy.

Now – the next step – to mix the residents with the olim (immigrants):

Come join us ye local onlookers! – the Ethiopian community has the knowledge, you have Hebrew and Israeli know-how..

Do you see what I see..?

Well big challenges afoot – we’ll update you as we grow and bloom..