The day opened with a joint ceremony at
KKL-JNF’s Field and Forest Center in Yatir Forest. “We are holding a multicultural meeting here, which creates unity and integration,” said Hani Desa, Director of the Overseas Department of KKL-JNF’s Education Division, in her greetings. “Beyond the empowerment of educators, our goal is to create communication and partnership on the personal level as well.”
The field center and Yatir Forest offer a variety of experiences out in the open, trips and activities to get to know the land. The center’s director, Yoav Saad, mentioned that over 80,000 students participated in activities here since the center was opened about a year ago. To the educators he said: “It doesn’t matter where you came from, Israel is our common ground.”
Simon Elbaz, head of
KKL-JNF’s Education Division, said that “planting a tree in Israel, in the soil of the Negev, at an educational center is a most symbolic event. Perhaps through educator meetings, we will expand the bridge of our cooperation.”
Following these statements, everyone set out to plant trees in the forest’s soil. “Planting a tree is the most significant way of connecting to the land of Israel,” said
Federico Kremenchuzky of Argentina.
Simone Deri, a biology teacher in Paris, was also happy for the opportunity to plant a tree. “I am especially interested in landscapes, nature, and ecology in Israel,” she said. “I came to the conference in order to learn new things, to pass them on to my students.”
The
Yatir Forest stretches over 7,400 acres and includes over four million trees. It is the largest planted forest in the Middle East. In the past KKL-JNF mostly planted pines, but today the emphasis is on local species, with special reference to the variety of ecological services provided by the forest.
The methods of runoff rainwater harvesting developed by KKL-JNF’s foresters contribute to the pooling of floodwater, prevent erosion, and enable the forest to survive in the dry desert climate. Representatives from around the world come to learn from the expertise of KKL-JNF foresters in their
struggle against desertification.
“It’s a lovely idea to bring together educators from Israel and around the world, and we’ve already started to think of possible collaborations,” said Bracha Shefler, Kindergarten Department manager at Gush Etzion, “I’m impressed to see that teachers have come from so many different places.”
From there everyone continued to the site of ancient Susya, where they got to experience firsthand the day to day lives of Jews in the land of Israel during Talmudic times. They were impressed by the remains of the structures in the ancient Jewish city, the mikvahs, the olive presses and winepresses, the escape tunnel, the caves, the inscriptions, decorations, and Jewish symbols. At the top of them all stood the magnificent synagogue, with its unique mosaics.
At the same time the members of the American delegation went on a tour of Wadi Attir - an ecological and tourist agricultural farm established in collaboration with the Bedouin community and with the support of
JNF USA and Friends of
JNF Holland. The farm combines traditional Bedouin agriculture with innovative technologies.
The Americans also visited the
Beer Sheva River Park and discovered how a polluted and neglected area was transformed into a beautiful green park. The park spans over 1,100 acres along an 8 kilometer route, and includes green lawns, cultivated landscaping, an amphitheater for events, a sports center, an artificial lake, and heritage sites. The establishment of the park was made possible thanks to the support of friends of KKL-JNF throughout the world, and it has improved the quality of life for the local residents, as well as the city’s leisure culture and economy.
At the end of the visit to the various sites the participants embarked on an experiential jeep tour through the ravishing landscapes of the Judean Desert. The sounds of joy, excitement, and laughter echoed through the desert.
“In the course of the conference we’re covering new routes, interesting content, and special experiences, which tourist would never have seen, said
Yoel Owsiejewicz of France, a Hebrew teacher in Paris.
In the evening the participants enjoyed the show “Humor in the Bible”, based on an unusual blend of rock and roll music, biblical texts, and standup comedy, performed by comedian
Gil Kopatch, singer
Mika Karni, and the Promised Band.