Synagogue and Catholic Church Join Forces for New Community Garden

A press release from the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford:

Volunteers from a Jewish synagogue and a Roman Catholic church, both in West Hartford, will join forces Sunday, June 1, to break ground on a new community garden, the harvest of which will feed the hungry.

The project is part of Jessie’s Community Gardens, the eleventh one since the project started four years ago. All of them are in Greater Hartford except one in San Francisco. 

The unique twist is that members of Beth David Synagogue and Saint Thomas the Apostle Church are working on the new plot together. The two houses of worship have stood across from each other along busy Farmington Avenue for more than half a century. But this marks the first time they’ve ever worked together on a project.

“We don’t know each other, but so far as we plan together, it’s been wonderful,” said Judy Brenner, the project garden architect and organizer of volunteers. She’s also a member of Beth David Synagogue.

Jessie’s Community Gardens were established by Greater Hartford residents Michele and Dane Kostin in memory of their daughter, Jessica, who died unexpectedly at the age of 24. The Jewish Community Relations Council, the public affairs voice of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, runs the project.

Members from both the synagogue and the church are being encouraged to bring their wheelbarrows, shovels and gardening gloves for the June 1 groundbreaking from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

The garden will be planted in front of Beth David Synagogue, 20 Dover Road. The actual garden plot faces Farmington Avenue, just east of Dover Road.

All food grown at the newest garden will be distributed at both places of worship and then on to community food banks, food pantries, hot or cold food programs or other non-profits that feed people.

More information about the project can be obtained at Jessie’s Community Gardens Facebook page.