As Tu B’Shvat approaches, Migdal Ohr is marking the season not only by celebrating the land of Israel, but by working the land and making it a part of their lives on campus. 

Thanks to your support, everyone from our high school students at Kfar Zoharim and Afikei Ohr to our elementary school children is learning what it means to cultivate the earth and care for the animals that inhabit it.

At Kfar Zoharim, the vineyard in the Ela Valley spans six dunams and includes several grape varieties that the youth there cultivate by hand.  Planted in August 2014 during Operation Protective Edge, the vineyard sits among ancient agricultural terraces, in a region historically known for wine production. Just like the generations of Jews that came before them, the young men at Zoharim grow, harvest, and turn these grapes into wines. Their endeavor is enabled by a partnership with the Gilead Winery that processes the grapes and the Dalton Winery, which bottles and returns the wines to Zoharim for sale. 

The connection to nature at Zoharim doesn’t stop with tending the grounds. Young men also care for horses and livestock in our stables and barn. In fact, they just welcomed new baby sheep born in the barn. Since then, they have been taking shifts to nurture the sweet babies every day, making sure they get the right amount of nutrients and vitamins to become strong adults. We can’t help but feel so proud of the youth at-risk who have become such gentle, tender caregivers in our animal therapy program.

The agricultural therapy program at Kfar Zoharim has become so effective and widely talked about that Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman and the staff regularly bring MKs and senior officials to visit. Last month, he welcomed Mr. Saar Harel and senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Settlement to tour the campus, sharing the educational approach and demonstrating the impact of a youth development model emphasizing personal responsibility and leadership. 

At Afikei Ohr, the excitement of Tu B’Shvat is just as tangible. Agricultural therapy is an integral part of the curriculum at our girls' youth village, where students are harvesting produce they have grown themselves in the greenhouses. After being outdoors, they bring the fresh vegetables into the kitchen to make nutritious food for themselves and also sell it for a profit at local markets. 

Many of these young women arrived after being expelled from schools, spending time on the streets, and facing serious personal challenges. Working the land gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment that has often been missing from their lives.

These projects teach entrepreneurship, empower the girls, and show them that they can succeed in life, even if it takes them a bit longer to hit their stride.

Tu B’Shvat is about growth that takes time. Because of you, Migdal Ohr’s students are learning that growth is possible, that effort matters, and that they have a future worth investing in!

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