TBT Blog

The Mitzvah Garden flourishes under the leadership of Arnie Goldstein, who's been a member of TBT for 36 years. Arnie kindly took some time out of his busy planting, watering, and harvesting season to answer some questions about the inspiration for the garden, its history, and what it means to him and to TBT.

How was the Mitzvah Garden born?

After a long career which included weekly travel, I retired in 2015. While on a TBT group trip to Israel, I became inspired to contribute to those in need. The garden beds had been constructed years earlier by a team that included Barry Dore to provide activities for religious school students and had been laying dormant for some time. Since I no longer traveled, I began to plant, nurture and harvest vegetables to donate to Hopelink. The response from the congregation and the community was wonderful and with the help of volunteers, the garden has continued to produce food every year for 10 years, even during the pandemic!

Why was leading the Mitzvah Garden project important to you?

Gardening helps me in my personal mission to grow from being Jewish to acting Jewishly. I have been a Jew my whole life, but when I visited Israel I felt my first real connection to Judaism and the Jewish People. And I came back home with a new feeling of purpose. I wanted to contribute in a way that was measurable, consistent with our Jewish values, and would make an immediate difference. Because I was retired and not traveling anymore I was free to pursue my love of growing things. And then I received an email from a religious school teacher asking me if I would be interested in doing some gardening with the kids. That’s when I realized those six unused raised beds could grow a lot of food for hungry people, and perhaps inspire others to act as well. 

What’s the most challenging part of gardening?

For me, it’s when we lose crops. Sometimes things are eaten by rabbits or deer or birds. Sometimes we suffer damage from wind, rain and hail. We lose some plants due to disease or gardening mistakes. But it doesn’t deter us and it’s all part of gardening. 

What are some of your fondest memories working in the Mitzvah Garden?

Here are some of my favorites:

• A mother and her kids thanked me for growing their dinner. 

• Seeing lots of volunteers show up to help when needed. 

• When kids and their parents show gratitude for their gardening experiences. 

• The Board of Directors unanimously approved the funding for our garden effort in 2025. 

What are your proudest gardening moments?

There are so many!

• Every time I deliver food to Hopelink. 

• 2023 Greening Congregation Award from Earth Ministry/WAIPL for 'A commitment to meaningful and intentional gardening and/or meal sharing.' 

• Being recognized as the TBT volunteer of the year 2017.

• Exceeding 1000 pounds of donations in a single season. 

• When someone I know begins or expands on their gardening efforts. 

With heartfelt gratitude to Arnie for nurturing our Mitzvah Garden, inspiring the next generation with the joys of growing, and helping combat food insecurity through his generous contributions.