The almond trees are blossoming!
Right on time for their Tu BiShvat holiday. That's the New Year for Trees that I posted about last Friday and Saturday.
It has become a custom in Israel for classes of schoolchildren to go out and plant baby trees in honor of the Birthday of the Trees. In the week before this Tu BiShvat over 800,000 trees were planted!
The Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet leYisrael) is the body that manages our beloved groves, woods, and forests.
The Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet leYisrael) is the body that manages our beloved groves, woods, and forests. Since 1901 the JNF has planted 240 million trees!
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Please see my post about the JNF's gigantic Golden Book, dating back to 1901.
And their nice forest markers here.
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The pushke in the above photo is the famous Keren Kayemet donation box which Jewish families here and in the Diaspora always had in their homes.
It was, and is, very special to help make the barren land green.
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Growing up in Chicago I always dreamed about someday living in nature. Now it is true--I live on a little mountain surrounded by the forested Hills of Jerusalem.
Happy to say That's My World.
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We could call this a second WOOD theme day posting! Interesting about the awesome tree planting programs - great! My mother always says, "One plants trees for the future."
ReplyDeleteI'll look for Israeli wines the next time I'm in the wine shop!
Very happy to say that I planted some as well, in HaGalil
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful world. My visits to Israel wew always in February.
ReplyDelete250 million! that's a pretty awesome number! Nice post and photos, I really like almond trees. We have trees starting to bloom here also, good stuff!
ReplyDeleteWow! The kids planted a LOT of trees. I love it when the trees blossom. It must be beautiful there right now. :)
ReplyDeleteWe are starting to see blooming trees here, in southern California too...but, almonds...how beautiful that huge number must be!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and story too. thanks for sharing!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a huge number, the world will sure be greener if more people took up to do this.
ReplyDeletePretty, looks a bit like a flowering cherry.
ReplyDeleteThat's what we say "les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières" (little streams make big rivers). Green rivers in fact.
ReplyDeleteIf classes of schoolchildren of the whole world would do the same, we would have an ecologic problem resolved. A very interesting idea, and educational for children....
I just come from reading your post about the gloden book, Dina. In all, 27 huge books filed with donations, a great exemple of that individuality can be turned into unity concerning one cause.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am happy you are happy in "your world". It looks like spring is here. Almond blossoms are so beautiful.
ReplyDeletewhat a romantic idea the anniversary of trees.
ReplyDeleteYou grew up in Chicago. You came to Israel in search of your roots?
shalom
Ah! «Louis» can smell the almond blossoms!
ReplyDeleteHe should take Mme la Vache out to eastern Contra Costa county and see if the almond orchards are blooming out there now...
Happy to see that there are people out there that cares enough to do this. I love trees and hope that one day I will live in a place surrounded by trees. Great post!
ReplyDeleteNever knew that almond tree flowers are that pretty! Great capture! and I really like your custom of treeplanting. The world is a better place because of it. I really wish we'll have that kind of program for our country and be able to sustain it through the years like country had.
ReplyDeleteKeren Kayemet did even more than plant millions of trees, they bought land before and after statehood.
ReplyDeleteI have seen some markers, the ones in your post are great!
I'm curious about the Russian written under the blue box...
Dina, this is a very interesting post. First, those flowers look so beautiful. Then tree new year? And the tradition of planting trees and the fund your nation has been collecting for the purpose are such marvelous things.
ReplyDeleteThe world would be a much better place if everybody would plant a tree at least once a year.
Our almond trees (well. The neighbour's) aren't in bloom yet. We have an arctic spell this week and I worry for the almonds and mimosas...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful world!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely almond tree.
Happy New Year Tress.
Thanks for sharing.
Shalom
I cant believe its the time of the year for the almonds to blossom. My love Datca looks like covered with snow during this time of the year..
ReplyDeleteAnother informative post. Thanks. I am enjoying your photos and writing daily.
ReplyDeleteDina, it's absolutely fantastic to see those flowers and that valley. I find very very nice that schoolchildren to go out and plant baby trees in honor of the Birthday of the Trees.
ReplyDeleteI like many flowering trees, but I should wait
ReplyDeleteTrees I planted as a child are thriving, I hope.
ReplyDeleteAloha, Dina
Comfort Spiral
Beautiful almond tree! Today I saw two similar blooming trees for the first time this year but I don't know what they are... maybe almond trees as well.
ReplyDeleteWow! Those are as beautiful as cherry trees. How lucky you are to live amidst so much nature.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post and wonderful photos.
ReplyDeleteI have donated money to have trees planted through the JNF, in honor of family members, over the years.
What beautiful blossoms. I love it that Israel has a holiday for trees. I planted a tree somewhere on the hills around Jerusalem once...it was on your memorial day in May when the sirens blow and everyone stops whatever they are doing for a couple of minutes. It was very moving.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous. I have GOT to find a chance to get out your way sometime soon.
ReplyDeleteAh this is the almond tree -beautiful! I always wondered about that tree, since Jeremiah, one of your prophets was shown the almond tree.
ReplyDeleteWe have a tree day here also but I suppose they don't plant 800,000 trees. It's a very good thing. I'm glad your dream came true.
ReplyDeleteI live near a mountain that burnt down waaaaaahhhh!
ReplyDeleteThe almond blossoms are beautiful - I've never seen them before. Look very similar to cherry blossoms. What a great idea for a holiday, to celebrate & plant trees!
ReplyDelete