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Daily Archives: January 25, 2021

These phylacteries were found in a bunker unearthed in the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto. Courtesy: Shem Olam Faith and the Holocaust Institute.

Hidden bunker discovered in Warsaw Ghetto

Jewish History
By
Hanan Greenwood
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A bunker containing 100-year-old tefillin (phylacteries) hidden from the Nazis in World War II has been discovered in the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto. In recent years, Polish authorities have begun to demolish buildings inside...
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Women from the Cochin Jewish community perform on stage during a culture event at Bar-Ilan University. Photo by Victor Yitzhak, Cochin Jewish Heritage Center.

Meet the Cochin Jews: Israel’s oldest Indian community

Community
By
Naama Barak
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Whatever way you look at it, the Jewish community of Cochin is an ancient one. If you rely on traditional lore, the Jews of the city of Cochin in southwestern India can trace their roots...
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US and Israel flags, image by Ted Eytan via Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

The true nature of tolerance

Op-Eds
By
Asaf Ro,irowsky
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Leo Strauss describes in his classic work “Natural Right and History” how the left came to espouse intolerance as a value: “When liberals became impatient of the absolute limits to diversity or individuality that are...
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For many in Israel and across the world who have been confined to their homes—weary from a constant diet of political drama and itching to extricate themselves from coronavirus woes—a new year is about to begin: Tu B’Shevat, the “New Year for the Trees.” Many rabbis describe this as a particularly important time to appreciate the “land” of Israel. As Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov, writes in the Book of Our Heritage, “Tu B’Shevat bespeaks the praise of the land of Israel—for on this day the strength of the soil of the Eretz Yisrael is renewed and it begins to yield its produce and demonstrate its inherent goodness.” How does one appreciate the land of Israel? First, taste it, or more precisely, drink and eat what it produces. Of the seven biblically mentioned species, five grow on Israeli vines or trees. Today, Israel grows 55,000 metric tons of grapes each year. Seventy major wineries and 250 boutique wineries use most of these grapes to produce more than 4.5 million bottles of wine, many of which are winning international awards. Subscribe to The JNS Daily Syndicate by email and never miss our top stories Your email Israel also grows 60,000 tons of pomegranates, 2400 tons of figs, 32,000 tons of dates and produces 16,000 tons of olive oil each year, also with award-winning varieties. This is in addition to delicious Israeli oranges, grapefruit, avocados, cherries, nuts, tomatoes, strawberries and so many more. Much of this “holy deliciousness” is available around the globe. Second, appreciate the land by traversing it. This year, we will have to make do with virtual hikes and plan for future ones as soon as possible. Israel has miles and miles of trails from which to choose. The 620 mile-long National Trail is listed by National Geographic as one of the most epic in the world. Not only does hiking in Israel provide spectacular scenery, but where else in the world can you hike on the same paths where our biblical ancestors walked, and see the same species and mountains that they saw? There are also breathtaking trails along the cliffs of the Mediterranean, through amazing hidden desert canyons and waterfalls of the Golan Heights. In case one needs additional motivation, the Talmud commenting on the Torah commandment to “possess the Land and dwell in it” (Numbers 33:53) states that “a person who walks four amot (four steps or about seven feet) in Israel, it is assured to him that he is one deserving of the World to Come.” (Ketubot 111a) Third, appreciate those who came before us and reforested the land by planting a tree. In his 1869 travel book, Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain describes the Holy Land as “a desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds—a silent mournful expanse. … There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of the worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.” In the early part of the 19th century, whatever trees were left from earlier over-harvesting were removed by the Ottoman Turks in their efforts to build and power a railroad. There is also photographic evidence of where ground level was a few hundred years ago, and where it is today. The ground in some areas is two meters (6.5 feet) lower than it used to be; the land of Israel had literally been pouring into the sea. In 1901, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael—Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) was founded. KKL-JNF looked for native Mediterranean pine species to help reestablish forests. It began planting in earnest with much help from Jews around the world, who donated and continue to donate via the “little blue tzedakah boxes.” Its efforts have been wonderfully successful. The massive soil erosion that was occurring was arrested. Organic matter was returned to the land of Israel. Reestablishing forests on denuded sites has to begin with species whose seedlings can withstand full sunlight. Since there was no dormant seed source left in the soil, seedlings needed to be planted. Once this was done, there were opportunities to plant the native broad-leafed species. This is exactly what KKL-JNF has been doing. KKL-JNF tree nurseries today are raising the original biblical species: oak, pistachio, Aleppo pine, cedar and carob. Today, all these species have a much better chance of survival because the sites are forested. To date, the KKL-JNF has planted somewhere around 240 million trees. It is responsible for caring for approximately 400,000 of Israel’s 5.45 million acres, or 7 percent of Israel’s land mass. It focuses its efforts on previously forested land or in specific areas where soil loss or the encroaching desert is a critical concern. A satellite view shows Israel as an island of green in a sea of badly abused desert. The plentiful oaks of Bashan and the cedars of Lebanon described in the Bible, and the native species of Israel, are beginning to flourish. One can only marvel at the transformation of the landscape described by Mark Twain to the Israeli landscape of today, and look forward to a future when the land of Israel has healed and the native forest species described in the Bible dominate the landscape. Before I made aliyah several years ago, I had the opportunity to work on the U.S. House Natural Resource Committee. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), the only congressman who is also a practicing forester, was kind enough to send me a personal note hoping that when I arrived in Israel, I would have the opportunity to plant oaks of Bashan and cedars of Lebanon. Last year on Tu B’Shevat, my wife and I were able to do just that. After the COVID-19 crisis is over, we plan to plant again. This Tu B’Shevat, Thursday, take the opportunity to taste, appreciate and plan a hike and the planting of a tree. This is the land that God chose for us. How thankful we should be. Gary Schiff is a forester. He currently works as a consultant and guide connecting Israel and U.S. natural-resource interests.

Tu B’Shevat: An annual reminder to appreciate the beauty of the land of Israel

Op-Eds
By
Gary Schiff
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For many in Israel and across the world who have been confined to their homes—weary from a constant diet of political drama and itching to extricate themselves from coronavirus woes—a new year is about...
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U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Source: Screenshot.

Biden’s top security advisor tells Israeli counterpart that he hopes to build on Abraham...

News
By
JNS
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U.S. National Security Advisor talked on the phone with his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat, on Saturday, according to the National Security Council. Sullivan “reaffirmed President Biden’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and expressed appreciation for...
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An Israeli student receives a Covid-19 vaccine Tel Aviv, on January 23, 2021 when Israel approved vaccination of 11th and 12th graders. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.

Israel surpasses 1 million fully vaccinated with both doses

Israel
By
JNS
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Israel surpassed the one million mark in the number of people who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. As of Monday morning, 1,106, 506 people had received the two doses, representing 12.45...
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A lone traveler at the almost empty Ben-Gurion International Airport on January 24, 2021. Photo by Flash90.

Israel approves week-long shutdown of Ben-Gurion Airport

Israel
By
JNS
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The Israeli government on Monday approved a Cabinet decision to close Israel’s skies to all arrivals for a week, with the aim of keeping out dangerous mutations of the COVID-19 virus and safeguarding the country’s...
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Israel’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat (center) and senior adviser to the U.S. president Jared Kushner with Moroccan King Mohammed VI at the royal palace in Rabat, Dec. 22, 2020. Credit: Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO.

Israeli Cabinet approves historic peace agreement with Morocco

Israel
By
Jewish Website
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The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday unanimously approved the country’s normalization agreement Morocco, the fourth U.S.-brokered peace deal with a Muslim-Arab state in the past four months. The deal with Morocco, which is being submitted to...
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Labor Party Knesset member Merav Michaeli casts her vote in the primary election at a polling station in Tel Aviv on Jan. 24, 2021. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90.

Merav Michaeli elected head of Israel’s struggling Labor Party

Israel
By
Jewish Website
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Israel’s Labor Party on Sunday elected as its new leader Knesset member Merav Michaeli. Michaeli won 77 percent of the approximately 10,000 votes in the party’s primary, held ahead of the country’s March 23...
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A computer-generated preview of the future SLA memorial. Photo courtesy of Architect Tova Shapiro-Levitt.

Israeli Defense Ministry to dedicate monument in honor of South Lebanon Army soldiers

Israel
By
Lilach Shoval
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Twenty-one years after the Israel Defense Forces withdrew from Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Ministry has announced plans to commemorate the soldiers of the South Lebanon Army. The monument, set to be completed in around two...
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