{"id":824,"date":"2014-01-21T10:04:42","date_gmt":"2014-01-21T10:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com\/israelnews\/?p=824"},"modified":"2014-02-27T20:58:41","modified_gmt":"2014-02-27T20:58:41","slug":"tu-bshevat-restoration-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com\/israelnews\/tu-bshevat-restoration-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Tu b’shevat and the Restoration of Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Esther Korson,<\/p>\n

Last evening ushered in the one day Israeli holiday of Tu Bishvat. I\u2019m sure there are many people out there who never even heard of it!\u00a0 It\u2019s not a Biblical holiday and the name refers to the month of Shvat on the Hebrew calendar.\u00a0 It\u2019s actually called the \u201cHoliday of Trees\u201d!\u00a0 <\/strong> Even though it falls in the middle of winter, it marks the beginning of the annual agricultural cycle here in the land.\u00a0 Bad winter weather is still possible, but just now\u2014in time for the holiday\u2014the first of the almond trees have begun to blossom\u2014a lovely sight when they are in full bloom in the Judean hills with their pink or white blossoms!<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot thatI\u2019d like to tell you about this holiday, but first I need to share a bit of background information.\u00a0 When Mark Twain visited Israel in 1867 he later published his impressions of the country in his book, Innocents Abroad. Believe it or not, this is what he saw and this is what he wrote:
\n\u201cA desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds\u2026 A silent mournful desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action\u2026hardly a tree or shrub anywhere.\u00a0 Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Israel\"<\/a>

Hills of Israel<\/p><\/div>\n

The land was waiting for the Jewish people to return. When we first began to arrive, in the days of the first Zionist settlements beginning around 1890, tree planting began in an effort to begin to restore the land. Before I continue, in order for you to fully appreciate the scope of what followed that small Zionist beginning, I have to put it in its proper perspective! You must understand that Israel is a very, very tiny country.\u00a0 It is actually only 290 miles (470 km) in length and 85 miles (135 km) at its widest point. (For fun, you should look up the \u201cIsrael Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israel Size Comparisons\u201d.<\/p>\n

On the comparison maps, tiny Israel looks lost in most of the States in the US and shockingly small when compared to most of the countries of the world.\u00a0 It is, however, about the size of Rhode Island in the northeastern USA, a very, very small state!) About a century ago, Tu Bshvat as a tree planting holiday, was adopted by the Jewish National Fund.\u00a0 It began with massive planting of eucalyptus trees in an effort to drain the swamps in the fight against malaria. But by now\u2014and this is mind-boggling considering our miniscule size\u2014the Jewish National Fund has planted over 240 million trees since we became a nation again in 1948, and they add 12,500 acres of new forests every year! Can you imagine the transformation that this has wrought in such a small country?<\/p>\n

It has beautified Israel beyond belief and Mark Twain would be flabbergasted if he saw us now! Now I\u2019d love to describe for you what this holiday is actually like here in Israel! First of all, nuts and dried fruits are on display for sale everywhere. The JNF holds tree-planting events in forests all over the land.\u00a0 This is a country where the holidays are CELEBRATED\u2014and about a million Israelis take part in the tree-planting events!\u00a0 Most of the school children in the country also participate, and it is a day that is thoroughly enjoyed by all.\u00a0 The Lord graced today with beautiful weather!<\/p>\n

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