Community Tree Planting - TuB'shvat

Rosalie Whitehill says - each CAARI day gets better and better.  And..what could be better than helping Israel celebrate TuB'shavt on a lovely sunny day.  Working with JNF on this holiday has been a CAARI tradition for the past few years.  Edna Feinstein, from JNF in Israel, counts on the CAARI staff to hand out the trees to and help people to the tree planting areas.  She said if it weren't for CAARI she would have to hire more workers.  Who else could hand out over 5000 saplings to over 10,000 people?  Yes, that is how many people came to Modi'in, a rocky mountain area south of Tel Aviv, that had been selected as the area for the 2013 TuB'shavt Community Tree Planting.   Last year, this area was ravaged by fire and today it is filled with new saplings! They came in came in cars, buses, and by foot - young and old, grandparents and parents, toddlers, children of all ages from infants to teenagers and young adults!     In addition to the tree planting, CAARI met with Dror who explained the fire fighting equipment, the Mayor of Modiin, Haim Beebas, Effie Stenzler, JNF World Chairman and Avi Dickstein, Executive Director JNF in Israel. It was a great day - one of our CAARI highlights! Shabbat Shalom!

Tu B'shvat Seder

Fantastic Forest Day! by Anice Stark

A wonderful day at Horashim Forest.  Today was election day in Israel  - most offices and schools were closed as it is a National Holiday.  We were scheduled to do our 'forest work' in a special recreation area in the Horashim Forest.  This recreation area was established by the family of a fallen soldier, who was the commanding officer of our guide, Neil Eisenstadt.  The family wanted to do something to memorialize him  So, with the help of KKL and JNF they set up this park area with swings, picnic tables, etc.  We have visited this area and "spruced it up" before, but it has never been like it was today.  What a difference a holiday makes!  We arrived at the forest early at the request of the family as they knew that later in the morning it would be busy  But, we didn't realize that!  They welcomed us with a drink and food - clementines, dried fruit, cold and hot drinks and cookies - all laid out on one of the picnic tables!  After our 'nosh' we broke into groups, some of us raked, others painted picnic benches, signs and other wooden areas, other moved rocks from the main picnic area and other picked up 'debris'!  Even while we were working, people began to arrive with children, dogs and or course all the picnic supplies you could imagine!  Did I mention that the weather was just perfect - sunny and in the high 70's?  It was wonderful to see everyone out for a picnic - barbecues were burning, children were on swings or the see-saw, dogs were running about - it was a quite a site!  Some of our group spoke to the Israelis and told them who were - they thought it was wonderful of us to be here in Israel.  After our work was completed we hiked through the forest, viewing the lovely springtime wild flowers as we made our way to the lookout over the area.  Back to our picnic tables for our lunch.  It was a perfect day!