Shmita at Ramat Hanadiv – What For and Why?

Our daily routine is full of many tasks, pressures, demands and constraints, and we often live in expectation of our next break – the weekend, a trip abroad, a family holiday or a hobby that allows us to relax. Perhaps the land is also tired? Perhaps the land also needs a rest?

Who doesn’t need to rest?

During the Shmita year the Jewish nation is commanded: “For six years you will sow your field, for six years you will prune your vineyard, and gather its fruits. But the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath for the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard” (Leviticus, 25:1-4). This commandment carries the notion that, just like us, the land also needs to rest: rest for the land itself, rest for those working it and rest that will cause us all to stop and ask meaningful questions about the role of the land in our lives, the role of farmers and agriculture, the role of consumerism, the role of giving, and the natural, environmental and human need for rest.

The Sabbath has been a part of Israeli culture from time immemorial. Each one has his own Sabbath; some go hiking, some go to pray in the synagogue, some dedicate the Sabbath to family time and some dedicate it to personal time, but the Sabbath is usually a distinct time out in the Israeli experience.

During this year we are asked to stop and let go, and to renew our appreciation of the environment

The Shmita year is the “Sabbath of the land”, a break, a time out for implementing environmental and social ideas that are a source of inspiration for personal and collective conduct. During this year we are asked to stop and let go, and to renew our appreciation of the environment, so that we don’t use up what cannot regenerate but instead reduce our harmful influence on the environment.

How do we get ready for Shmita in a garden containing thousands of flowers and plants?

Shmita led the staff of the Gardening Division at Ramat Hanadiv to an in-depth assessment of the vegetation in the Memorial Gardens and professional discourse to develop the most exact solutions – those that maintain what we have and often provide new perspectives on the gardens and the plants growing in them.

Thus, in the lead-up to the Shmita year, we planted perennial plants instead of seasonal plants, we chose slow-release fertiliser that breaks down throughout the year, and more. These and other actions may lead to unique, new sights in the future that do not characterise the gardens during regular years.

Not only will the gardens rest during the Shmita year; in the Nature Park at Ramat Hanadiv we won’t be planting any new trees or sowing the field – work in the park will focus on maintaining what is there already, and thus it will also merit a year of rest.

During this year we’ll stop our planting, sowing and horticultural and agricultural work; we’ll let the land renew itself and recover its fertility, we’ll let the gardeners and farmers reenergise, become more professional and study. The crops ripening during this year are available to all who want to come and take them free of charge, such as the olives that grow on the olive trees in the Nature Park.

The many people visiting Ramat Hanadiv will benefit from an ecological-philosophical, environmental, and social journey that they will leave feeling calmer and equipped with tools for their personal Shmita and for meaningful environmental activity.

How will the Shmita year look at Ramat Hanadiv?

The staff of the Memorial Gardens and the Nature Park will perform a range of maintenance activities: pruning, gathering, preventing fires, cleaning the gardens and the park and maintaining the trails, as well as new activities made possible by the Shmita year, such as workshops and personal and professional development training courses, which give strength for renewal and rejuvenation, within the frameworks of the Memorial Gardens and the Nature Park.

A special course, “Tools at Rest”, includes seven stations representing values that we can experience and try out by ourselves during “Shmita”: to wish a request/blessing – at the unique wishing tree, to relax and practice breathing exercises in one of the most beautiful natural locations in the country, to share – to learn about the power of sharing and equality through the rules of Shmita, to give up – to look inwards and choose what we’re prepared to give up on in order to more meaningfully protect the environment, to listen – to stop and listen to nature and to ourselves, to appreciate – to be thankful for the good in our lives, and to be renewed – in the unique breeding box for songbirds which itself serves as an excellent example of reuse.

The many people visiting Ramat Hanadiv will benefit from an ecological-philosophical, environmental, and social journey that they will leave feeling calmer and equipped with tools for their personal Shmita and for meaningful environmental activity.

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