Spotlight: Hausner Garden—Nurturing Curiosity, Community, and Connection

This year, we’ve been growing something truly special at Hausner: a revival of our school garden that weaves together sustainability, Jewish values, and experiential learning. Partnering with Yarden, an expert educational garden group, we are transforming our campus gardens into dynamic outdoor classrooms that connect students not just to the soil beneath their feet, but to the traditions, teachings, and rhythms of the natural world.

Our vision for the garden is multi-layered. On one level, it’s a hands-on space for learning about plants, pollinators, composting, and food systems. On another, it’s a living extension of our curriculum that brings together science, Jewish studies, and mindfulness. In many schools, gardens are an afterthought, with a few raised beds tucked into a corner, used briefly in spring and then forgotten. We believe school gardens should be so much more: centers of growth, experimentation, and spiritual connection. That is exactly what we are building here.

Two hydroponic towers are being introduced to give students the opportunity to explore soil-less growing methods and understand water conservation in a hands-on way. We are growing native plants and pollinators, and organic produce that can be served in our cafeteria. We hope to include a special species of non stinging bees. Composting is now an integral part of our daily rhythm. We’ve already begun collecting fruit and vegetable scraps from the cafeteria and turning them into nutrient-rich soil. Sustainability isn’t just something we talk about. It is something we practice, together.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the garden is how it invites us to slow down and reflect. A newly installed redwood bench, nestled under the quiet majesty of three heritage redwoods, offers a peaceful spot for students and teachers alike to sit and take a breath. Nearby, a Zen garden provides space for meditative raking, a calming activity that complements our more active gardening tasks. These quiet corners remind us that learning doesn’t only happen through doing. It also happens through being present, being connected, and being aware.

In a close collaboration, our STEM and Jewish studies teachers worked to integrate the garden into daily classroom life. Inspired by the Edible Schoolyard model, we are encouraging teachers to bring their classes outside to explore science, biology, ecology, and more in the living laboratory of the garden. Garden consultant Jason Coleman is collaborating with faculty to ensure that every visit to the garden is both educational and inspiring.

Perhaps the most exciting curriculum is the launch of our Biblical Garden. Already, wheat is sprouting, ancient grains that connect us directly to the land and the agricultural cycles referenced throughout the Torah. Soon, we’ll be planting barley, figs, and pomegranates, echoing the seven species mentioned in Deuteronomy. These crops offer students a tangible connection to Jewish texts, holidays, and history. To harvest wheat before Shavuot or explore the symbolism of the pomegranate for Rosh Hashanah brings ancient learning to life in the most grounded and memorable way.

Jewish education thrives when it engages the whole child: head, heart, and hands. What better way to cultivate that engagement than through a garden? Working the soil, watching seeds sprout, and caring for a living ecosystem are powerful acts that mirror our spiritual lives. Just as we nurture the plants, we nurture our community and our traditions.

We are only at the beginning of this journey, but already the Sensory Garden bed is in bloom, and students are finding joy in touching, smelling, and observing the vibrant life around them. Soon, a greenhouse and a nature loom will join our growing list of garden features, deepening our connection to the earth and to one another.

We invite you to visit throughout the seasons to watch the sprouts become harvest, to see how our curriculum is growing both figuratively and literally. At Hausner, the garden is not a side project. It is a vital, living classroom where sustainability meets spirituality, and where Jewish learning takes root.