Barnert Temple
First we took them on a guided visualization which we call an imagination journey and then they drew and talked about what they experienced and would bring
to a Gan Shalom.
I have put an audio recording of the song and the lyrics at the bottom for the students and their parents to listen to and practice!
The Students at Barnert came up with some great ideas for the song and mural! The theme was a Gan Shalom (a garden of peace) and Mitzvot. We used the metaphor of a seed as a Mitzvah and that over time when you plant them, they will each grow into a larger garden. We also made sure to include a lot of the plants and vegetables that are grown in Barnert's sustainable garden.
On the next day they drew their images on the wall and learned the song that Scott wrote based on all of their ideas. One of the drawings was of a person sleeping and dreaming of a more peaceful world. This ended up inspiring the chorus:
"When I go to sleep I like to dream that everyone has all they need our Gan Shalom where all are free come with me."
We ended up putting the image of the person dreaming on the wall around the corner from the main wall. We like the idea that the main wall is what the person is dreaming of.
Gan Shalom
In the garden we have everything we need
Onions, garlic, tomatoes and snap peas
Cucumbers, potatoes, asparagus and celery
Broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and even beets
We can learn and watch them as they start to grow
From a seed to a stem they start out slow
Soon there are leaves and vegetables for everyone to eat
In our Gan Shalom we have everything we need
So we work to plant a Mitzvah everyday
In the kind things that we do and that we say
And like a breeze our deeds will spread out to everyone
Cause peace touches all like the light of sun
Chorus:
When I go to sleep I like to dream
Of a place where all are free
And everyone has all they need
Come with me
Like Moses we are courageous and are brave
And we’ll try to make the world a better place
All living things want to live together in harmony
We respect the animals, the land, the people, plants and trees
Chorus:
When I go to sleep I like to dream
That everyone has all they need
Our Gan shalom where all are free
Come with me
Come with me
Blues ending(to the tune of Johnny be Goode):
We pray every day and we pray every night
In our Gan Shalom We’re going do it right
We catch water in a cage for rain
And we save it for a rainy day
Our compost pile aims to impressIt almost never is a stinky mess
Go GO - Go Gan shalom Go
Go Gan shalom Go
Go Gan shalom Go
Go Gan shalom Go
Gan Shalom
I was also asked by one student to put the chords of the song up so he could play and practice it on his instrument at home!
Verse:
A A
In the garden we have everything we need
A A
Onions, garlic, tomatoes and snap peas
D A
Cucumbers, potatoes, asparagus and celery
E D A
Broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and even beets
Chorus:
D E A D
When I go to sleep I like to dream
D E A D
Of a place where all are free
D E A D
And everyone has all they need
D E A
Come with me
For more information about the Peace Garden Song and Mural Project, please call 973-634-3378 or E-mail: jennifer@princessmoxie.org