We had a wonderful time on Sunday at our pre-Shavuot cheesecake-making and gardening afternoon. In the true spirit of JVS events and community, it felt like a genuinely co-created session. A lovely group gathered together and, with guidance from our in-house chef Zoe, made raw vegan cheesecakes, decorating them with berries and edible flowers from the garden.
We shared our understanding of the meaning and traditions of Shavuot, and of course, our cheesecake stories too. While the cakes were setting, we gathered in the garden to sow seeds and pot on seedlings. Some members of the group had attended the previous seed-sowing session and brought back their seedlings to transfer into larger pots with canes for support, while new gardening volunteers sowed fresh seeds.
Simone, our fantastic garden volunteer facilitator, led the session, sharing her knowledge and passion. Before tucking into our cheesecakes, we held an impromptu vote for the best-decorated creation and shared our ideas and hopes for the vegetable garden.
And, one of our lovely volunteers and community members wrote this poem:
A Shavuot treat
‘Twas a sunny afternoon in May
The call was made to come and play.
From far and wide, in their droves they came
To learn about Shavuot and vegan cheesecakes
From the land of the nectar and milky oat lakes.
So they zested the lemons, whizzed dates and walnut,
Blended cashews and cream of coconut,
Then carefully layered the glorious creation
And topped it with fruit, to cries of elation!
While the cake did thus freeze
They considered the seeds,
Sowed tomato, sunflower and climbing French bean
For the harvest, they pray, in summer to glean.
Like a calm meditation young seedlings rehoused
Of the new plant life here were they justly proud.
Can you think of a better way the spring to greet
Than with delicious fresh cheesecake? Now that is sweet!