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Buyers and sellers at Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market, Aug 29, 2023. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS.

Tu B’Shevat highlights challenges being faced by Israeli farmers

Jewish Holidays
By
Sveta Listratov
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As Israelis celebrate the agricultural holiday of Tu B’Shevat on Thursday, Uri Dorman is concerned about the Hamas war's impact on farms near the Gaza and Lebanese borders. “All those farms are very close to...
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Fig tree. Credit: ajcespedes/Pixabay.

Talking trees

Jewish Holidays
By
Rabbi Yossy Goldman
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I remember once teasing a friend whose birthday is on Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for Trees. I told him: “Make like a tree and grow up!” Tu B’Shevat, literally the 15th of the Hebrew month...
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Bedouin riot over tree-planting by the Jewish National Fund, outside the village of al-Atrash in the Negev desert, Jan. 13, 2022. Photo by Jamal Awad/Flash90.

Four Arab citizens of Israel suspected of assaulting Jewish journalist

Israel
By
Jewish Website
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Four Arab citizens of Israel suspected of assaulting a Jewish-Israeli journalist in the Negev were detained last month, the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) and the Israel Police revealed on Thursday. Maharan Abu Adra, Balil Abu...
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JNF-KKL resumes tree planting under heavy security after Bedouin riots

Israel
By
Ilya Yegorov
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Under heavy security, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael  (JNF-KKL) resumed planting trees in the Negev on Wednesday morning after they were halted the day before by an eruption of Bedouin violence. At least 18 people were arrested...
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With teams on the ground, SeeTree starts by sending in an agronomist to create an initial assessment and establish a protocol for a farmer’s trees. The trees are then tagged and monitored utilizing military-grade drones, satellite imagery and team members in jeeps with mounted cameras. Credit: SeeTree.

Utilizing skills honed as intelligence operatives, these Israelis are revolutionizing agriculture

Israel
By
Josh Hasten
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A group of former Israeli intelligence experts are in the midst of revolutionizing the fruit-tree farming industry around the world, utilizing their know-how, along with some of the most advanced agriculture technology (“agtech”) on...
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Two-year-old Hagai, and his parents Ofra and Eyal, choose plants in a nursery in Eshtaol, Israel, in celebration of Tu B'Shevat on Jan. 19, 2011. Credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90.

Holocaust remembrance and Tu B’Shevat: Resilience meets renewal

Op-Eds
By
David Suissa
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Wednesday marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day. That night, we welcomed the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, also known as the Jewish “birthday” of the trees or the “New Year of the Trees.“ The marriage of these...
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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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A table in northern Israel with fruits and nuts, traditionally eaten on Tu B'Shevat. Feb. 9, 2020. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

Ten things you didn’t know about Tu B’Shevat

Jewish Holidays
By
Naama Barak
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With the recent New Year’s Eve being a rather underwhelming event courtesy of COVID-19, it’s a good thing that there’s another one just around the corner: Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish “New Year of the...
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Olive tress. Credit: Pixabay.

New Tu B’Shevat Haggadah emphasizes sustainable reforestation

Jewish Holidays
By
JNS
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Hazon, the Jewish Lab for Sustainability, has released its Tu B’Shevat Haggadah for 2020, along with holiday information, tips and resources for hosting a sustainable holiday seder. The Haggadah encourages readers to think about trees...
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Dried fruits are prepared for a Tu B’Shevat holiday celebration in Meron, in northern Israel, on Jan. 20, 2019. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

IDF distributes 10 tons of dried fruits, nuts to soldiers for holiday of Tu...

Jewish Holidays
By
JNS
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In honor of the Tu B’Shevat holiday—the day on the Hebrew calendar marking the “New Year for Trees”—Israel’s Defense Ministry purchased 10 tons of nuts and dried fruits to distribute to Israeli soldiers across...
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