Tu Bishvat – a reminder of the environment’s value

The Jewish National Fund’s (JNF’s) nationwide Tu Bishvat celebrations this week conveyed the message that protecting the environment is more important than ever.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world the consequences of not managing the interactions between humans and nature in a responsible and sustainable manner,” said JNF South Africa chairperson Michael Kransdorff.

The pandemic limited the organisation’s ability to have large crowds plant trees in South Africa and Israel, traditionally the focal point of this holiday. Instead, JNF-SA opted for more COVID-19-safe events.

The main event was a virtual tour of the south of Israel to witness how the desert is blooming thanks to the work of the JNF, including the planting of trees, deployment of water-saving technology, and support of kibbutzim. This is all the more remarkable given the constant rocket attacks that communities in the south face.

“We wanted to give our supporters a sense of what it’s like to live in and build these communities,” said Kransdorff. “Most South Africans, even those who visit Israel regularly, don’t have the chance to see the work that goes into the building of the south, an extraordinary story that more people should know about.” Following the tour, a meaningful Tu Bishvat seder and special tree planting ceremony was held in the South Africa Forest in Israel.

In South Africa, trees and food security were a central theme of this year’s celebrations. The JNF held a socially distant tree planting ceremony at the municipal reserve on Linksfield Ridge with Betar, the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS), and Bnei Akiva. The tree chosen by JNF committee member Joni Kowensky was the Moringa tree, popularly known in African culture as the “tree of life” for its many nutritional and medicinal qualities. Very appropriate for current circumstances!

In Cape Town, JNF members gave a donation to the Seeds of Hope Programme, while in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, a small group of volunteers assisted with the upkeep of food gardens at the JNF-Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre. The JNF in Durban donated trees to Jewish schools in the community and held a Tu Bishvat seder with the Umhlanga Jewish Centre. It also maintains an environmental centre in Hammarsdale for the education of local school children on green issues.

Bev Schneider, the director of JNF-SA, said that normally, the organisation would have held events at schools to mark the occasion, however this year, opted to send a video message instead. She encouraged people to plant vegetable gardens on their pavements for those who are hungry, or if they aren’t able to, to contact the JNF about planting trees in Israel or supporting the organisation’s projects in South Africa.