A recent discussion of minyans, as a form of community, solidarity, and consolation within Jewish religious and cultural life, found us asking what makes a minyan? This inquiry branched out quite literally, when it was proposed by spiritual advisor Rabbi Jericho Vincent that within the mystic tradition of Judaism, trees can count towards a minyan. With that simple observation, a seed was planted.
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Minyan Groves are a configuration of nine (or more) trees that can be activated as a person joins, in order to create a minyan for prayer (or quiet reflection). Our current interest is to create intentionally sited, publically accessible minyan groves for formal ritual, open-ended personal prayer, and an offering of perpetual, future-reaching service for human solace and connection.
We believe minyan groves can work anywhere, but feel that they would be especially important in every Jewish cemetery and Holocaust museum/memorial. They are also a great feature of any JCC, as a way to instill a love of trees and environmental stewardship in young people. They can be planted and maintained with relative ease, requiring only consistency. And while this has been developed in conjunction with and connection to Jewish tradition, we believe that these sites have broader spiritual significance, and can - and should - be enjoyed by all faiths.
Our goal is to introduce three inaugural minyan groves on Tu BiShvat, 2027 (1/23). Funds will go toward the cost and labor of sourcing the trees, siting the grove, and creating a planting guide that can be distributed by mail or virtual means, and hiring local artists to make signage to welcome people into the grove.
Your support is appreciated, as we work to establish new traditions that combine core tenets of Judaism with future-reaching service and Earth consciousness. If you would like help or advice developing your own minyan grove project, feel free to reach out! We hope you'll come to visit our grove or one near you in the future!
