Tuesday is Forest Day and our destination was Horshim Forest
– one of the sites of the terrible forest fires this past November that
destroyed more trees than the Carmel fires in 2010. 
CAARI has worked in this forest for the past 4-5 years. It is a special forest to Nahum, as it is in
memory of his commander, Hezi Sapir z”l a platoon commander killed by a bicycle
bomber along with two other officers. Although the temperatures were not exactly ideal, and rain was predicted, we packed the bus with our ‘picnic lunch’ and off we went determined to work!
By the time we reached the forest, the sun was out, partly
blue skies and we were ready for the challenge.
We were greeted by Miri and Yashkeeh, Hezi’s sister and Father. Yashkeh
is a survivor from the Lutzk Ghetto in the Ukraine and was a platoon commander
in the Palmach. With Yashkeeh’s marching orders, we were divided into three
groups. With pick axes, rakes, hoes, paintbrushes, we began our assignments as
instructed, to restore the vineyard and antiquities that were damaged by the
fire. CAARI cleaned some of the marked
trails and stone paths, dug drainage ditches, painted signs and picnic tables
and by noon CAARI was ready for lunch. Yashkeh
took us to the overlook named for his son and Nahum our guide explained the
defensive barrier built in response to the Al Aksa uprising in 2000, the green
line and the Palestinian City of Kalkilyia and the Community of Alfei Menashe.
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