Chevra Eco Farm: A green sanctuary in Israel made by immigrants

• Published date: 16 March 2024
• Author: BEN BRESKY
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

A group of young and idealistic immigrants recently purchased the land and hope to turn it into an ecological farm and center for education and wellness. "We do this now, not in spite of but because of the national collective feelings of uncertainty about the future in wake of Oct. 7 and the subsequent war," they explain

The Magazine spoke to Ariela Solomon, and husband and wife team Aviel Friedman and Shira Kaplan-Friedman about their vision.

"Our goal is to plant hundreds of fruit trees, a vineyard, and a regenerative food forest to create a natural and beautiful outdoor space for education, teaching, and healing," Friedman said.

The plan had been in the works for several years but only recently came to "fruition."

From hi-tech to farm tech

"I've been working in high-pressure jobs for the past 17 years," stated Solomon, a successful hi-tech worker who emigrated from the United States in 2011. Things got tough for her family of nine following the coronavirus pandemic, the economic downturn, and finally the war.

"Even prior to Oct. 7, I was feeling like I didn't have time for my kids because I had to be at work and hit my targets. Then the attacks happened and everything stopped," she said.

"The sadness and grief is overwhelming. Something has got to change here. I took some time to pause, think, and be in nature, and to actively process what we have all been going through. I think that what is actually needed now is healing. Humans don't realize what they need to do to heal because we have to jump back up and go back to work," Solomon said.

"We need rest, sunshine, water, to touch the earth, to be away from our phones, move our bodies, and eat healthy. We are so far away from that right now that we are suffering a mental health crisis. And now with war, people are suffering more than ever mentally," Solomon said. "That is when the Chevra Eco Farm came to the forefront: to get into the mode of healing through nature and building for the future."

"Everyone felt vulnerable," Friedman explained. "People wanted to leave, and that is understandable. Many of my co-workers expressed uncertainty and pessimism."

"There was probably the same sentiment in 1947 right before the establishment of the state," he said. "A lot of people were determined and excited. But there will always be those warning we cannot succeed."

Friedman sees this as an opportunity to choose optimism. "This is a new wave of settling the land, getting back to the dirt and trees," he said. "The...