Jill Zenoff

Jill Zenoff is a gardener, and she thinks everyone else could be one, too. So she started The Gan Project in 2010. “Gan” (rhymes with “John”) is the Hebrew word for “garden,” and hers is a rather Jewish one. It is located at The Bernard Horwich JCC in West Rogers Park. It follows Jewish principles and laws of agriculture. And now it is an integral part of the Jewish community, with the goal of two tons of organic produce given to food pantries such as the EZRA Multi-Service Center and The ARK, as well as offering mitzvah-project opportunities to b’nai mitzvah.

Jill works with business and community leaders to enhance the relationship between food and Jewish values. For instance, she is working with the team at the JUF Uptown Café and EZRA food pantry to ensure that those experiencing food insecurity do not have to rely solely on processed, refined foods. Also a chef and a PresenTense Fellow, Jill is part of an interdenominational network of community organizers called Mishkan. Her mission is to create a healthier Jewish community.

Name:
Jill Zenoff

Age:
30

Pays the bills:
Executive Director, The Gan Project

On the side:
Jewish farmer, Community organizer

Relationship status:
Single

Describe yourself in 10 words or less:
Fiercely loyal, passionate, adventurous, personable, confident, (mostly) fearless, straightforward.

Celebrity doppelganger:
I have no idea, you pick... Anne Hathaway, Liv Tyler, Heather Matarazzo, Ellen Page, Alyssa Milano?

How do you Jew in Chicago?
The Gan Project: Urban Jewish Homesteading, Center for Jewish Mindfulness, and Mishkan

Passions:
My life/work, community, music, art, fermentation and other forms of food preservation, working the land

How do you give back?
I'm working to build an alternative food system that can provide access to healthy, safe and nutritious foods for all people regardless of their ability to pay.

Fill in the blank: If time and money were limitless, I would:
be doing exactly the same thing as I am now. Probably traveling a bit more.

Chicago's Jewish community in 10 years:
I see Chicago's Jewish community organized and active as a powerful agent of change in the pursuit of social and environmental justice. We will provide strong and positive Jewish voice in our local regional and national food, social, and environmental justice movements.