Gadi Warszawski | Environmental Quality Sciences (B.Sc.), 2014

From transforming neglected public spaces into thriving community gardens to empowering thousands of residents to take ownership of their environment, JMC alumnus Gadi has helped reshape the relationship between Jerusalem’s people and the land beneath their feet.

A lifelong Jerusalem resident and son of French immigrants, Gadi always felt drawn to nature and the environment. At JMC, he found the combination he had been looking for: rigorous academic study alongside meaningful hands-on experience.

Through a scholarship program that included volunteer service, Gadi began working at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, gaining practical exposure to plant science while studying Environmental Quality Sciences. He credits JMC with providing the framework that allowed him to combine classroom learning with real-world environmental work. During his studies, he completed an intensive final project in collaboration with Israel’s Ministry of Health, researching mosquitoes and the diseases they carry through laboratory-based ecological research.

Following graduation, and after reserve duty during Operation Protective Edge, Gadi joined the Jerusalem Municipality, where he saw an opportunity to transform one of the city’s most overlooked areas of public life: community gardens. Over the past twelve years, he has helped lead a dramatic expansion of urban gardening throughout Jerusalem. When he began, the city had roughly 20 community gardens; today there are more than 50, spanning over 100 dunams of public land.

Never content to stop learning, Gadi has continually expanded his expertise through professional training in horticulture, irrigation, greenhouse construction, and arboriculture. He established a municipal nursery and greenhouse, developed educational programming at the Nature Museum’s community garden, and is currently working to create a seed bank that will support community gardens throughout Jerusalem.

Today, as Agriculture Coordinator in the Jerusalem Municipality’s Community Gardens and Social Sustainability Unit, Gadi helps residents turn public spaces into vibrant centers of community life. He is particularly proud of the culture change he has helped create—one in which Jerusalem residents invest nearly 80,000 volunteer hours each month by caring for shared green spaces.

Currently pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University, Gadi remains guided by a simple philosophy: meaningful change begins locally. Through his work, he has shown how environmental stewardship can strengthen communities, connect people to the land, and leave a lasting impact on an entire city.

We are proud to spotlight Gadi — a member of the JMC alumni community whose vision, initiative, and dedication have helped make Jerusalem greener, stronger, and more connected.