Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
On Sunday, April 14th, Beit Dvash, a new community-based beekeeping initiative at the Boulder JCC’s Milk and Honey Farm, held its highly successful kick-off event. The sun-drenched afternoon saw 15 enthusiastic participants gather to immerse themselves in the world of beekeeping and connect with like-minded folks from different generations.
The event began with an opening circle where participants shared their most cherished memories of bees, from observing them in their gardens to witnessing mesmerizing swarms. This heartwarming exchange set the stage for a day filled with creativity, learning, and community.
Under the guidance of the Beit Dvash co-founders, Tzuria and Micha’el, participants had the opportunity to ask questions, connect with other hopeful members, and paint the newly built hives, transforming them into vibrant works of art. These hives were constructed by dedicated teens from the Boulder JCC’s Teen Farm Cohort program, who have been tending to the JCC’s current hives for the past two years. The newly painted hives will soon house the incoming bees and serve as the foundation for the Beit Dvash Apiary.
The air was filled with excitement as participants connected over their shared passion for environmental stewardship, bees, and the new door opening for them. Micha’el reflected on the event, remarking that “everyone who came embodied the Jewish value of chesed, which translates to ‘loving-kindness.’ This made me think of the Jewish song ‘Olam Chesed Yibaneh,’ which means ‘The world is built with kindness.’ This is important as we build this community project because we really need kindness today.”
If you feel inspired to join and become a part of the Beit Dvash Community Beekeeping Project, now is your chance! The deadline for registration is May 10th. All you need is a desire to learn and your own bee suit and gloves; Beit Dvash will handle the rest. Members 12–18 will be able to share bee suits with the Teen Farm Cohort and do not need to purchase their own.
As a member, you can expect to commit to two work shifts per month, with shifts scheduled on Fridays from approximately 10 AM to 12 PM or 3 PM to 5 PM and one Sunday a month in the morning or afternoon.
Thanks to a generous grant, the collective is offering limited scholarships to subsidize the first year of membership. Don’t miss this opportunity to become one of the inaugural members of Beit Dvash, enrich our community, cultivate a lifelong passion, and contribute to the well-being of our local ecosystem.
Join us as we build a new community project, strengthened by the power of beekeeping and the spirit of Chesed.
For more information and to sign up, please visit the Beit Dvash webpage by clicking here, or contact Tzuria and Micha’el at beitdvash@boulderjcc.org.
