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“Th ey say humans spend 90% of their time indoors,”
he said. “When you think about that, it’s kind of sad.”
Th e second was that it felt good to be outside.

“It helps kind of regenerate your spirit,” Goll added.

And the third was more practical. Kol Emet had a
10-acre property in scenic Bucks County. And it was
not making use of most of it.

“It’s an outdoor area that could be enjoyed by the
membership as a whole and appreciated,” Goll said.

So now, this sense of appreciation is turning into
real action. At Kol Emet, Goll, an engineer by trade,
is leading a committee responsible for the design and
construction of an outdoor sanctuary/"contemplative
space,” as members call it.

The goal, according to Goll, is to connect the
synagogue campus with the forest on its property.

This will give congregants “an outdoor experience
but also bring them into nature,” said the engineer,
whose firm, Princeton Hydro, is handling the
design work.

Concept photos for the space provided by Goll
show a bimah at the front, where Boswell-Levy will
stand, just like in the sanctuary. Th e rabbi will look
out over a series of benches where congregants will sit
and enjoy services.

Only they will not be surrounded by walls. Instead,
they will look around and see bushes, fl owers, trees
and even bistro lights. With the forest on one side,
trees will be planted around the rest of the outdoor
sanctuary to make it a true oasis.

Th ey will, as Goll put it, “frame the space.”
“It will essentially be open air,” he added. “When
the trees get big enough, they’ll provide the quote-un-
quote roof.”
Kol Emet’s outdoor sanctuary is part of a $750,000
capital campaign to upgrade the synagogue. Similarly
large-scale projects are underway at other area shuls, too.

At Har Zion Temple, a $400,000 fundraising eff ort
is going toward the expansion and renovation of
a playground for preschool students. Th e project,
The concept photo for Congregation Kol Emet’s outdoor sanctuary/"contemplative space”
Courtesy of Princeton Hydro
funded by congregants in installments ranging from
$360 to more than $5,000, will double the size of an
existing playground to give kids more space to play
with wood chips, pine cones and each other, accord-
ing to Sara Horowitz, the congregant and mother
leading the eff ort.

When they observed kids playing on the old play-
ground, Horowitz and other parents noticed that
their “favorite things to do” were collecting wood
chips and pine cones and creating games. Th e new
space will emphasize “child-led play,” said Horowitz,
as opposed to “play that’s prescribed.”
“A lot of the research on play shows that the
nature-focused playgrounds are really where the
most growth can happen,” she added. “It’s a lot more
risk-taking and learning on their end.”
Th is is in addition to an outdoor pavilion in the
This playground for preschool students at Har Zion Temple is in the midst
of a renovation process that will double its size.

Photo by Jarrad Saff ren
18 OCTOBER 6, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
works at Har Zion, and a hiking trail out back that is
already fi nished.

Temple Brith Achim is also planning to build a
pavilion, according to President Steve Kantrowitz,
and its garden walkway leading to the entrance is
— like the hiking trail at Har Zion — already done.

Kantrowitz estimates that a handful of people can
gather there, too.

Being outside is not about the view, according to
Gary Charlestein, a Har Zion member since his birth
in 1944. It’s just about being outside.

“Being close to nature is always a good thing —
even if you’re overlooking a parking lot and not over-
looking a beautiful vista,” he said. “You feel the air;
you hear the birds; it’s all good.” JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley holds Shabbat services in this small fi eld.

Photo by Jarrad Saff ren