Home sweet pod: a Jewish family’s minimalist adventure

GILLIAN KLAWANSKY

Research shows that a “no-frills” lifestyle makes way for the more important things in life, giving you the freedom to focus on the people you love and a lifestyle that brings the most fulfilment. That’s why minimalism has become a popular way of life, especially as an obsession with things increasingly reveals itself to be a recipe for dissatisfaction.

Penn has always been attracted to a simpler way of life. When she decided to sell her house, most of her furniture, her kids’ toys, and other possessions, most people thought she was a little crazy. But she got her husband on board, and now the couple is preparing to move into their very own EcoPod with their two kids – Judah Abraham (almost four), and Ayden Hannah (16 months).

“I’ve been following a minimalist way of life for about 10 years now in one way or another,” says Penn. “It’s been a process over many years and phases of my life, from being single, newly married, and now with two beautiful children. This most recent move does seem like the most drastic change, though. We sold our four-bedroom cluster and the majority of our furniture. We’re building what I’ve termed an EcoPod on my in-laws’ property in Fairmount Ridge – basically a cottage.

“I’ve been fantasising about doing something like this for years. I love the feeling of being cosy and totally in control of my life and my stuff. Once we made the decision to go ahead with the project, I went into full research mode to find out exactly how we could create my dream home.”

The family won’t be completely off the grid, but they do plan to embrace a green lifestyle. “We’re implementing many ‘green’ systems to emancipate ourselves as much as possible,” says Penn. “These include a grey water recycling system, regular waste recycling and composting, rain water collection for the swimming pool and garden, a gas stove and kettle, a sun oven – the coolest invention ever – a wood burning fireplace, and low-voltage lighting.”

They’re keeping their new home small. “For the moment, the EcoPod has one bedroom with a main en-suite bathroom,” says Penn. “My kids are little, and have never been great sleepers, so we’ve always been a co-sleeping family. It started out as a way for us to survive the exhaustion, but is now our most sacred family tradition. There’s nothing better than lying next to the ones you love most in the world every night. Research also shows this comes with many health benefits, including increasing serotonin and reducing cortisol.”

The Penns will still be able to entertain in their new living space, which includes an open-plan kitchen, dining room, and lounge. While they will eventually need additional rooms for the children as they grow older, the family’s long-term plan is to live this way.

So what exactly did the Penns sell? “It’s easier to list what we didn’t sell – kitchen essentials, a fridge, a washing machine, a dishwasher, plus our clothes, a dining table/desk, and seven chairs. We also kept our custom-size family bed and linen, and one box of my kids’ favourite toys. Other than that, we sold the entire contents of our house.”

Rather than feeling a sense of loss for what she once had, Penn says the process of selling most of her possessions was liberating. “Once everything was gone, there was a great feeling of relief and clarity. I felt totally free. We don’t intend to sit on the floor in the EcoPod, but once we move in, we can hand-pick each item of furniture to ensure that it’s the most useful and beautiful to us.”

The financial benefits of embracing a minimalist lifestyle are undeniable – something that helped Penn get buy-in from her husband.

“All I had to say were the words, ‘debt-free’ and ‘your parent’s house’, and my husband was on-board,” says Penn. “He’s a chartered accountant, so a lot of our lifestyle is about making sound financial choices and investing in our children’s future. We’re very excited to experience some level of financial freedom. Educating our children is our number one priority in life, and one of our greatest motivators for this change was to be able to have that luxury and privilege going forward. Especially if we want to have more children, please G-d. We would never want to be in a position that we couldn’t afford school fees.”

For some, moving onto the same property as their in-laws may seem a daunting prospect, but for the Penns, it’s a major drawcard. “My in-laws have been amazing,” says Penn. “They’re so excited to have us living with them, and are extremely hands-on with my kids, which is a huge blessing.”

Aside from saving money and being closer to family, it’s the lifestyle itself that appeals to Penn. “I’ve already gained immeasurably from living this way over the years. I can see how it benefits my children just to be with me and hang out, as opposed to being surrounded by toy clutter. My husband and I have less to manage, and we aren’t constantly under pressure to acquire the next ‘thing’, be it a car, appliance, or decor trend item.”

Penn says the road to creating their EcoPod has been a happy one. They’ve even had a rare, conflict-free building process. “We have just found great joy and pleasure in selecting and nurturing each tiny nook and cranny of this tiny home.”

Penn believes that living minimally not only ties in with her family’s religious lifestyle, it exemplifies Torah teaching. “The entire lifestyle of a yid is about seder (order), clarity, hierarchy, and routine,” she says. “Like anything in Judaism, the physical creates an opportunity for the spiritual, an opportunity to merge that which seems rudimentary and functional with that which is infinite and holy.

“Our home is not a place for ego. We don’t want to host people for Shabbos within the paradigm of showing off or keeping up with the Jonesbergs. Everything we own needs to have an element of meaning and purpose. Anything else must find its place elsewhere.”