From Hive to Honey, Learning About Bees

Fall at our Religious School and Early Childhood Centers means learning about the High Holy Days, eating apples and honey, and discovering honeybees with WHC member Dr. Jim Salander.

Jim has worked with bees as a hobby for over two decades, currently managing nine hives at two locations in Maryland. Ten years ago, at the request of a local teacher, he started taking his honeybees into classrooms, synagogues, and the Library of Congress to teach children about bees.

For Jim, the value of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and educating our children are linked. “Passing along our knowledge and passion should be a cornerstone of our lives, both from a practical and a spiritual perspective,” he says. “What we gather we must share with others. Sharing helps others, helps us feel needed and serves a larger purpose. These are valuable elements in the process of developing, maturing and aging.”

Children at WHC are captivated when Jim walks into the room with bees, frames from his beehives, wax, beekeeping suits, tools and honey samples. Under his supervision, eager students, usually between the ages of three and ten, dress up as beekeepers and try out the tools of the trade.

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This article originally appeared on the Jewish Food Experience website and has been shared with their permission.

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