Baruch and Batya's journey together began some 25 years ago in Jerusalem, where they met not long after both making Aliyah. Baruch came from Michigan, Batya from Southern California. For much of their married life they lived in Tsfat, in the Galilee, a mystical, musical, and artistic city where both of them thrived. Baruch working as a tour guide and musician; Batya creating ceramics and teaching art. Yet despite the richness of life there, they both felt a quiet longing for something more: a deeper, more tangible connection to the Land of Israel.
Batya and one of her sons in the studio
In 2014, that longing brought them to Itamar, a community in Samaria, together with their six children. Itamar is a place of striking beauty, one of the largest communities in Samaria by area, spreading across several hills. It has also known profound grief. In 2011, the Fogel family was murdered in their sleep in one of the most devastating terrorist attacks the community has endured. Yet the people of Itamar are resilient and rooted, and Baruch and Batya are no exception.
They settled on a lone hill on the outskirts of the main community and built a ceramics studio where Batya could continue her work. With tour groups rarely venturing into Judea and Samaria at the time, Baruch turned to the land itself. He began planting fruit trees, more than 200 of them, which now cover the hillside!
It is no small undertaking. Planting in Samaria means clearing briars and boulders, digging through rocky soil, and often starting over when solid rock cuts a hole short. But the trees have taken hold, and with them came songbirds. Baruch and Batya have also planted gardens and wildflowers, turning their hill into a quiet oasis.
Planting trees with Baruch
Batya draws her inspiration from the nature that surrounds her. In every cup, bowl, and plate, you can find some reflection of the beauty and restoration of the Land of Israel. She carefully forms each piece by hand and then paints them, her favorite part of the process. Every piece that leaves her studio carries a piece of that story with it.
We have been so inspired by Baruch and Batya! It took an incredible leap of faith for them to move to Itamar, and the challenges of living in rural Samaria continue. But they are filled with joy and passion to see the Land of Israel come to life, and under their care it is flourishing!
But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. - Isaiah 64:8