Thanks to everyone who sponsored trees to replant the burnt-down Shoresh Forest!
As you know, in August 2021, Arab arsonists brazenly set fire to the forest surrounding the village of Shoresh in the Judean Hills. The terrorists’ ultimate goal was to choke and burn Shoresh residents in a storm of smoke and fire.
Through Divine intervention and the self-sacrifice of community members, not one person was injured! Four fire fighting units hosed the area and six planes dumped fire retardant, finally extinguishing the blaze after several hours.
When the smoke finally cleared, over 3,700 stately pine trees across 24 acres had been burnt to a crisp.
Because the fire happened only a few weeks before the Shemitta (Sabbatical) year, there wasn’t enough time to raise the money, prepare the ground, and plant before the land had to be left fallow for the Shemitta year.
Then we found out that the general practice in international forestry is to wait an entire year before replanting a burnt-down forest!
As soon as the Shemitta year ends on the 28th of September, we’ll be replanting.
But it won’t be pine trees this time. The fire proved that pine trees are too flammable.
This time Israel365 and the Shoreh community will be planting OLIVE TREES!
Olive trees are native to the Land of Israel, are far less flammable than pine trees, and also provide olives, a potential boon to the local economy.
Shoresh and Israel365 will plant over 1,000 olive trees before the Jewish ‘New Year of Trees’ holiday of Tu B’shvat in February “to ensure there’s enough rain for the trees,” explained Shoresh community leader Sasson Katan.
In addition to planting other species of trees, Katan also intends to install an Israeli hi-tech drip irrigation system designed to minimize their likelihood of burning.
“Every tree will be protected with a green iron net so that animals won’t be able to eat the trees,” Katan added. “It is a real project. Planting is only one step.”
“Never has something like this happened in Israel before,” Katan said excitedly.
Thanks to everybody who blessed the Land with their donation.
Donate below to give monthly to Israel365’s game-changing tree planting projects.