When it came to decide on how to celebrate our daughters’ Bat Mitzvah, they chose a trip to Israel instead of the usual, “over the top” parties. We planted trees in the names of their friends and gave each a certificate upon our return.
Fascinating and beautiful — I learned a lot from reading this. And I must say, the one time I went to Israel, as an Aussie (non-Jewish), that was almost the first thing I noticed: gum trees (as we call eucalyptus). So many gum trees. Everywhere. That was one thing that made me feel right at home — although the more important things that did that were the kindness of all the people we met, and the beauty of the land and the thousands of years' worth of history and holiness. But the gum trees definitely also made it special to me. 🥰
Your article stirred my childhood memory of collecting coins for tree planting in Israel. Somewhere, in Eretz Yisrael, there are trees planted in my name. Tree planting is a statement of faith in the future.
I loved this essay. I do not consider myself a so-called "tree hugger"; however, I am fond of trees. I tend to admire the mighty oaks, one of which in my yard was already a small but stout tree during our American War between the States (1861-1865). Furthermore, they are a prime example of the circle of life. An acorn buried by a squirrel in the compost of the forest floor; one of a million acorns sprouts and grows to be a tree; 200+ years of life, death, decay, and composting back onto the forest floor; do it all over again as the centuries slip by.
"The reality of the land at the time: mostly underdeveloped, sparsely populated, and marked by decay after centuries of Ottoman neglect." Meanwhile, I doubt the Arab critics have done as much as Israel to reclaim the land for agriculture and get rid of malarial swamps but of course the Jews are evil, right? As an example, Gaza must be a land of "milk and honey", right? Instead it looks like an impact area of the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
When it came to decide on how to celebrate our daughters’ Bat Mitzvah, they chose a trip to Israel instead of the usual, “over the top” parties. We planted trees in the names of their friends and gave each a certificate upon our return.
Fascinating and beautiful — I learned a lot from reading this. And I must say, the one time I went to Israel, as an Aussie (non-Jewish), that was almost the first thing I noticed: gum trees (as we call eucalyptus). So many gum trees. Everywhere. That was one thing that made me feel right at home — although the more important things that did that were the kindness of all the people we met, and the beauty of the land and the thousands of years' worth of history and holiness. But the gum trees definitely also made it special to me. 🥰
Great article. 👏👏
Your article stirred my childhood memory of collecting coins for tree planting in Israel. Somewhere, in Eretz Yisrael, there are trees planted in my name. Tree planting is a statement of faith in the future.
Wonderful explanation.
I loved this essay. I do not consider myself a so-called "tree hugger"; however, I am fond of trees. I tend to admire the mighty oaks, one of which in my yard was already a small but stout tree during our American War between the States (1861-1865). Furthermore, they are a prime example of the circle of life. An acorn buried by a squirrel in the compost of the forest floor; one of a million acorns sprouts and grows to be a tree; 200+ years of life, death, decay, and composting back onto the forest floor; do it all over again as the centuries slip by.
"The reality of the land at the time: mostly underdeveloped, sparsely populated, and marked by decay after centuries of Ottoman neglect." Meanwhile, I doubt the Arab critics have done as much as Israel to reclaim the land for agriculture and get rid of malarial swamps but of course the Jews are evil, right? As an example, Gaza must be a land of "milk and honey", right? Instead it looks like an impact area of the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.