GrowTorah and Canfei Nesharim, two Torah-based environmental nonprofit organizations, have merged into one entity in order to strengthen their combined efforts and maximize their impact within the Orthodox Jewish community. The merged entity will now be known as GrowTorah, Inc.,

Canfei Nesharim (founded in 2003) is dedicated to sustainable living inspired by Torah. Its groundbreaking work over the last sixteen years has educated Orthodox Jews regarding the Torah imperative to lead a sustainable life and empowered the community to take action on a personal, communal, and global level. Canfei Nesharim is known for exceptional Torah education related to the environment, including curricula for each Torah portion of the year, every Jewish holiday, and a set of eighteen “core teachings” on Torah and the environment, which were later collated into a book called Uplifting People and Planet.

Inspired by the work of Canfei Nesharim, and to complement its rigorous environmental Torah publications with immersive experiential education, GrowTorah was started in 2016. Its mission is to cultivate a more passionate, compassionate, and sustainable future driven by Torah values. The four core values taught in every program are incubating emunah (faith), environmental stewardship, compassion for all creatures, and tzedakah (charity). Currently, GrowTorah develops and manages educational Torah garden programs at 13 Jewish schools in the tri-state area, in addition to running its own weeklong summer camp on an organic farm in New City, NY.

Schools, synagogues, and community centers across the Orthodox community are invited to become involved in the new joint venture. Schools may join the growing network of institutions with educational garden programs. Synagogues and community centers are invited to host classes and workshops. For ongoing updates and green living tips from GrowTorah, sign up here.