Construction Begins on Chagigah Shel Gina This Month!

by emoorheadwallace

(Existing site to be modified)

We’re excited to share that construction of Chagigah Shel Gina (Celebration Garden) begins at the end of February!

Our first steps will include removing the existing swing and carefully harvesting the stone path so the materials can be reused in the new garden. This process of reclamation reflects our commitment to sustainability and honoring the site’s history as we transform it.

We’ll then begin building forms and pouring the concrete footers for the new sculpture; laying the literal foundation for this meaningful public artwork. You’ll likely see construction equipment on site the week of February 23rd.

We’re especially thrilled that students from the AJCC preschool will be helping with rock harvesting, a beautiful moment of shared authorship and hands-on connection to the garden they will grow up alongside.

If you’d like to volunteer and help with construction, we would love to hear from you. Please email us at newrootstn@gmail.com.

If you’d like to contribute to our materials fund — supporting plants, rocks, and the infrastructure needed to sustain them — you can donate here:
👉 https://jewishknoxville.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate
Under Make a Donation to KJA, select Celebration Garden.

We’re also deeply grateful to be featured in the Knoxville Jewish Alliance’s Hakol publication. Thank you for helping us share this vision with our wider community.

More updates soon as the garden begins to take shape!

(Site planning design work with Hakol magazine feature and some of the community drawings to be incorporated into the final sculpture)