Come experience life in PJCC’s Hamlin Garden–a place where we gather to grow together—and celebrate the joys and blessings of community together.
Our beautiful Justice Garden offers a place where young and old alike can collectively practice and express the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repairing the world). Through the process of planting, caring for, and growing fruit and vegetables, we learn the skills—and the patience—needed to sustain a garden, and life, long term.
The Garden also provides a relaxed, beautiful setting where students, campers, members, and guests of all ages can participate in life-affirming activities such as gardening projects, science lessons, concerts, camp programs, and meaningful conversations.
In July of 2013, Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen led 7 design workshops at the PJCC in which people ages 2 to over 90 took part. Workshop participants were given Jewish texts as a starting point for design inspiration.
The over arching theme was “Justice, Justice, Thou Shall Pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20). The texts related to 4 areas that aligned with Judaism’s Imperative for Justice.
They are:
Once the groups assembled their ideas, Jay and the ceramicist, E. Blaise DePaolo, went to work on creating the mural art based on the personal design elements created by the community. Then, for 2 weeks inn October 2013, the community came together to paint the entire mural.
More than 700 members of the community participated in creating the mural either through design workshops or in paint sessions, all led by PJCC Artist-in-Residence Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen.
The Grow Justice Mural is divided into 4 equal sections and one title panel. The 5 sections represent the 5 Books of Moses. The 4 outer sections are open Torah scrolls and the 5th central section is a closed Torah Scroll.