Our story starts on a Sunday in October 2022.
Our Tiny Treks Teva family nature class had just finished exploring an all-natural Sukkah in the dry lakebed at Picchetti Ranch in Cupertino.
As the group was chatting at the cars, I was curious about the European accents from two new parents in our community.
We struck up a conversation that led to discussing our “Jewish journeys.” Nika, the mother, shared that she and her husband Axel had met 10 years earlier at their citizenship test (she is from Croatia, he from France). Married on a friend’s rooftop garden on the “anniversary” of becoming citizens, the couple started an exploration of Judaism in Boston. They fell equally in love with Jewish tradition, and converted to Judaism together.
Then a few years later, Nika and Axel moved to California for work. They started their family with the birth of Noa (now 3) and lived through the pandemic far away from any extended family. Tiny Treks Teva was an exciting opportunity to bring all parts of their life together. Exploring nature through a Jewish lens with other young families.
When the answer was “not yet,” I of course offered to officiate for them whenever they were ready.
Fast forward to second Sunday in May, the final class for Tiny Treks community.
Tiny Treks Teva met at the beautiful Sharon Park off Sand Hill Road. The busy little hands and fingers of our happy students covered the white sheet we used for a homemade chuppah in colorful paint. Parents were smiling (and a bit dirty) from their own design challenge of attaching the chuppah to its bamboo poles with objects found in their cars.
Happy summer to all our Tiny Treks families. Thanks for being with us this year!
PJ Library Silicon Valley is a national organization dedicated to helping families with children from birth to 12 years old create treasured Jewish moments from the simple act of reading stories together. This and other family programs are offered by the generous donations of our community at JSV, and the PJ Library Alliance.
To support Jewish programs that bring people together, donate today.
