moments
special moments
Matchmaker,
Matchmaker
RABBI DAN HORWITZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
NJP
(Nice Jewish Person)
Ari Weil
Note: The Well,
an inclusive Jewish
community-building,
education and
spirituality outreach
initiative, features an
interview with a single
“nice Jewish person”
each month. The Well
has agreed to share
its Q & As with these
amazing singles
with the JN.
Read more at
meetyouatthewell.org.
30
June 15 • 2017
Q
: Ari, you’re currently a
fellow with Repair the
World Detroit. Tell us
more about what you do.
AW: I am a Food Justice Fellow
where I work primarily with Keep
Growing Detroit (KGD), an orga-
nization that supports the amaz-
ing urban agriculture network in
the city. I help build their capacity
by recruiting and facilitating vol-
unteer days at their farm — Plum
St. Market Garden.
One of my bigger projects
with KGD is planting the fam-
ily demonstration garden. Using
only the seeds and resources that
KGD distributes to thousands of
gardeners in the city, I am creat-
ing a model garden so people
can see what is possible to grow
with their seeds using a variety of
farming techniques. It’s fun! If you
want to learn more and volun-
teer, please reach out at werepair.
org and detroitagriculture.net.
Q: You grew up in Metro
Detroit. What made you decide
to stay?
AW: There is so much to
Detroit that I did not get to see
growing up. My story is a typical
one — only going “Downtown”
for Tigers games and concerts.
I love exploring and, as much
as possible, I try to expand my
mental map of the city by going
to new areas and meeting new
people. If I can, I take the side
roads and avoid the highways so
I can “connect the dots.” Also, it
is nice to be close to Ann Arbor
for Michigan football games. Go
Blue!
jn
Q: Where did you develop a
passion for service?
AW: This is definitely cliche,
but I love being active and doing
work that makes a difference.
It probably started when I was
younger and I helped my dad
with yardwork. Then I realized
that I could help people with
similar tasks who really needed
the extra hand. Then, by getting
other people involved, more good
work could be done and it could
be fun.
Q: What’s your favorite book
and how does it move you?
AW: In terms of fiction, Holes
by Louis Sachar. The book is bet-
ter than the movie, but the movie
is pretty great, too. It is an amaz-
ing story of acceptance and brav-
ery. It taught me the true value
of friendship, how to survive in
the desert during a drought, and
that if I ever see a yellow spotted
lizard I should eat some onions. I
always shed a tear when (spoiler
alert!) Stanley finds Zero alive
hiding under the boat Mary Lou.
It makes sense that my favorite
gardening activity is digging. It is
so cathartic to dig a hole!
Non-fiction — The Nature
Principle by Richard Louv. It is
the follow up to his big hit The
Last Child in the Woods. It details
the psychological and physical
benefits of exposure to nature (as
you may be able to tell by now, I
love “the outdoors”). It is especial-
ly important now that technology
has quickly become ubiquitous
with the human experience and
can detract from time spent in
natural settings. So … put down
your phone and go outside!
Q: Where would you most
like to travel that you haven’t
visited?
AW: One day I would love to do
a through-hike (hiking a couple
thousand miles for 4-6 months
from one end of the trail to
another) on the Appalachian Trail
on the East Coast or the Pacific
Crest Trail on the West Coast. Or
both! I also really want to go hik-
ing in New Zealand. I have only
heard amazing things about the
country. They have a through-
hike called Te Araroa that is sup-
posed to be epic. Also, Vancouver.
Q: What’s your favorite
Jewish holiday and why?
AW: So many great options!
Chanukah is always near my
birthday so it’s a good time. It
is fun to dress up on Purim;
Passover has great food (I often
like matzah more than bread);
and Tu b’ Shevat because trees
equal life. Though, if I had to
choose one, it would be Sukkot.
I love camping and I really jive
with the sukkah. Also, I can shake
it like Shakira with the lulav and
etrog. :)
Q: Fav Jewish food?
AW: A Hillel sandwich. For
those unfamiliar, it is a sandwich
you make during Passover with
matzah, horseradish and charos-
et (a mix of apples, nuts and other
yummy ingredients). I could eat it
every day and I would be happy.
The sweet and spicy combo is
perfect.
Q: Who is the coolest Jew?
Besides me? ;) Even though he
has been going through some
hard times lately, I would say Shia
LaBeouf. From Even Stevens to
Holes (I couldn’t only mention
Holes once!), he is excellent. We
can forget about his work after
that. I admire that he just does
his own thing and doesn’t seem
to care what people think.
AW: Q: If you could add an
11th commandment, what
would it be?
AW: Recess should be at least
an hour, twice a day during
school, all the way through high
school. Kids need time to play.
School is hard when you are
cooped up inside all day. Recess
lets kids be creative, get exercise
and focus better in the classroom.
Q: How about a fun fact?
AW: I trained for a Tough
Mudder race that I ran June 4. It
was a 5-mile run with mud and
obstacles.
Q: Best movie ever made,
hands down?
AW: Hook. Robin Williams
plays a grown-up Peter Pan and
goes back to Neverland to save
his kids from Captain Hook. A
timeless classic!
Q: Finish the sentence: When
I go to The Well...
AW: I enjoy meeting people
from around Metro Detroit and
learning how Jewish traditions
can make a positive impact on
my life. •
Rabbi Dan Horwitz is founding director of
The Well. Want to meet Ari? Email Rabbi
Dan at dan@meetyouatthewell.org for an
introduction.