New Britain herald., 1929-02-16
Women Are Pioneers In Movement For
 National Civic Gardens
Rv NEA SeryiN


 cd together in . unique cultural or- ganixation. have started . move- ment here that may end in the de- velopment of national gardens throughout the country.
 The first of these national gardens is their own. the Hebrew Garden. one dedicated to the great poets and philosophers of Jewish history. Close by this garden another is soon to be planted. This will be a Ger man garden, designed along prac- tically the same lines and honoring similar heroes of Germany.
 The organization behind the first of these projects is called the Gan Ivri league. Gan Ivri is Hebrew for Hebrew Garden. It's. leader is Mrs. Jennie K. Zwick. one of the most active clubwomen in Cleveland.
 It Was . Mans Idea The idea for this series of gar dens. strangely enough. came from . man-Leo Weidenthal. editor of the English written Jewish Indepen- dent of Cleveland and best known as sponsor of the famous Shake spearean Garden here. Turning the idea over to Mra Zwick. Weiden- thai found in her and her newly formed organization an efficient method toward getting this project finished within a short time.
 The aid of City Manager William R. Hopkins was enlisted and he saw immediately the wonderful pros- poets this had for identification of the city. He therefore turned over all facilities of the city to the ac- complishment of this idea. Park Commissioner John Brown has CO., operated with him and Mrs. Zwick in designing the area and planting, the soil, while Hopkins himself has spent considerable time on the pro- ject.
 Since it is only half completed, the Gan Ivri league is preparing colorful oriental bazaar in which various departments of the city of Cleveland, nearly all womcn's or ganiZations and even some Of the mems organizations are participate ing. From the funds collected here. it is hoped the garden can be fin- ished.
 This garden is the design of B. Ashburton Tripp, noted Cleveland landscape architect. It lies on the upper part of slope down which the first civic rock garden in Amer ica is to be planted. This will be part of the Hebrew Garden for which five acres of land have been set aside.
 The garden itself is circular. with in which is wide path laid out in the form of the six-pointed star or "seal of David" Opposite four points of the star are granite pillars each with bronze plaque commemorate ing some noted Jewish philosopher Moses, Mendelssohn. Maimonides, Benedict Spinoza and Achad Ha'Am.
 Surrounding these pillars. and at the entrance to the garden, is d heavy planting of 'cedars of I.eba- non," typically Palestinian products. Encirclng the entire garden will be a five-foot hornbcam hedge and in the center a fountain will rise from a circular pool. The fountain, it is expected, will be a product Of the famous Jewish h-Italian sculptor, En- rico Glicenstein.
 Carrying Out Design A succession of lilies will be planted around the pool with Rus sian olive tree within each of the six points of the double triangle or star. In front of the hornbeam hedge and between the pillars, low growing perennials of varying colors will offset the grecnness of the trees and the hedge.
 The rock garden tumbling down the hillside to a lower boulevard in the park will be the first of its kind in Cleveland. if not in America. The entire hillside will be developed in a naturalistic way. with rhododen- drons. azaleas and irises growing like wild flowers down to another garden devoted to perennials. This too, will be the first of its kind in Cleveland.
 The entire project covers an area of five acres. Other gardens will cover similar areas and will be. de. veloped along the same national
 lines. Just as this garden is design. ed to be typically Palestinian, in its general design and paintings, so will
 the rest be planned to represent the German, Italian, Greek or other ma. : l oro1itina