Tu B'Shevat - the Israeli Tree Planting Festival

In the Jewish tradition, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is considered the "New Year of the Trees". The kabbalistic rabbis of Tzafat marked this occasion with a special feast, throughout which blessings would be pronounced over all the fruits of the the land of Israel. In modern Israeli culture, this date has taken the shape of a tree planting holiday - a patriotic festival aimed at renewing the green landscape of our beloved homeland that had lain barren for nearly 2000 years, throughout the exile of the loving sons of the land, the Jewish people. In the early years of modern Zionism, the blue and white box of the Jewish National Fund became a symbol and a tool for the Jews of the diaspora to take part in the mitzvah of planting forests throughout the land of Israel.


The years of hard work have resulted in beautiful forests in many locations in Israel from north to south. In many locations, camping, hiking and picnicking among the trees are enjoyed by the citizens of Israel and visitors on vacations and holidays.


Three years ago, in the beginning of December 2010, a terrific forest fire devoured 25,000 dunams of Mount Carmel forest in northern Israel, which not only left the mountain barren again, but also claimed the lives of 44 Israelis.


In the beginning of December this year, Israel experienced the worst snow storm that it has seen in the past 150 years. For four days, the mountainous regions of Shomron and Yehuda, as well as Jerusalem, were covered in a heavy layer of snow. Roads were closed, tens of thousands of Israelis were cut off from electricity and phone lines, and many were even without water.


Now, some two weeks later, as the last of the snow is melting away, the damages are becoming apparent. Municipal work forces are still struggling to repair these damages, as are farmers and home owners. It seems that there is not a single tree that was not broken under the weight of the snow. Piles of broken branches are seen on the sides of the roads in every town on the mountain ridge. In the orchards, fruit trees have collapsed. It is a sad picture.


Shlomo said in Kohelet that there is a time to plant. That time is now.


I plan to plant new orchards and refurbish the ruined ones that can be salvaged.


Funding is needed to make this happen, and this is an opportunity for good people - wherever they might be - to pitch in and be part of the Zionist project of reviving the landscape of the land of Israel again.


I call on you to be a part of this.


The plan is to plant new sections of fruit orchards. Each dunam (1000 sq/m) will cost a total of $2650. A breakdown of this cost is below.


60 fruit trees - $850

Bulldozer for clearing land - $950

150 meter fence with 2 meter high reinforced fencing posts - $900

Drip irrigation system - $950