Jewish young adults gathered at Middlesex Fells Reservation to observe Earth Day in late April at an event organized by Repair the World Boston, in partnership with Yisod and Temple Emanuel of Newton’s 20s/30s group. They started the afternoon studying ancient and modern Jewish texts that speak to being stewards of this earth and how Jewish tradition calls for Jews to show up in this way.

A guide from the reserve first led the young adults through the woods while teaching them about garlic mustard, an invasive plant that quietly crowds out native species across the Northeast. Participants then got to work. By the end of the afternoon, they had removed 24 buckets of garlic mustard from three different sites in the Fells.

“With perfect spring weather, great people, and a meaningful service opportunity, it was hard to imagine a better way to live out our Jewish values,” said AvirLev Waxman, city director for Repair the World Boston.

The event was part of Repair the World’s National Days of Jewish Service spring activation, which offered more than 500 volunteer opportunities nationwide, addressing food access, immigration support, environmental care and more. Led by Repair’s Michael Kay Jewish service ambassadors, programming was organized around key April themes: Passover, Earth Day, Holocaust remembrance, and National Volunteer Week.
“Passover is a time to ask how we can strengthen one another and meet the urgent needs of our communities,” said Melissa Levine, senior director of field activation at Repair the World. “NDJS is how we turn that question into action. Coinciding with our Ambassador Blitz to power 500 ambassador-led programs by April 30, thousands of volunteers showed up across the country, building new relationships and addressing urgent local needs.”