The Kraichgau Forest in the German States Forest in Lehavim was dedicated in memory of the Jews of the South-West German region of Kraichgau, all of whom were murdered in the Holocaust.
Attending the ceremony were 20 members of the Jewish Life Kraichgau Association, who were visiting Israel, and KKL-JNF officials. For over half of the delegates it was their first time in Israel, while others were frequent visitors.
Sharon Geva of KKL-JNF’s European Desk warmly welcomed the delegation to the site and explained the organization’s goals. “The main activities of KKL-JNF are
forestry and environment,” she said. “The forestry part is self-evident; without our organization together with the help of our supporters, there would be no trees in Israel. For example, this forest, which was planted in the 1960s, would simply not be here if not for our efforts. The environment work is less overt but more inclusive. KKL-JNF invests much effort into a wide range of environmental activities such as
water conservation, mitigating global warming and desertification,
community building, and
our youth.”
Kraichgau is a province in South West Germany. The Nazis murdered its large Jewish population during the Holocaust, and its rich culture disappeared with it. The Jewish Life Kraichgau Association (JLK), founded by Michael Heitz and Thomas Wächter in 2009, works on reviving the region’s Jewish heritage and advances the values of tolerance and reconciliation. It was Wächter, who served as the organization’s second chairperson, who conceived the idea of dedicating a forest in Israel to the Jews of Kraichgau.
Elisabeth Hilbert, the current Chair of JLK, explained that her interest in Israel began in the 1980s, when she came to this country as a young volunteer to work with Holocaust survivors. She has adopted for herself the Hebrew name Elisheva. “As a German, I was overwhelmed by the warmth I received from Israelis in general and by the Holocaust survivors in particular. These are feelings that one cannot take for granted and I felt that other Germans should know about this too. I thus took the steps of creating the association. Today’s inauguration of the Kraichgau Forest section of the Lahav Forest is another big step for us.”
Hilbert also mentioned her friendship with three Jewish citizens from Epping in Kraichgau, who emigrated as children before 1938. “They became our friends,” she said. “Two of them are still alive. Baruch HaShem (thank G-d), they escaped most of the Nazi era!”
One of the delegation leaders was Martina Wendel, who came up with the idea of study trips to Israel. “I had no special feelings for Israel until the summer of 2005, when my daughter and I decided to take a summer holiday somewhere on the Mediterranean. After landing in Tel Aviv, I rented a car and we toured the country. I was blown away by what we saw and by the people we met. When I returned home, I soon became acquainted with the Jewish Life Kraichgau organization. One thing led to the next and we began taking groups on biennial trips to Israel. I love bringing first-time visitors. The more people that come to see Israel with their own eyes, the better.”
KKL-JNF tour guide Silke Levi, who was leading the group, said that the weeklong Jewish Life Kraichgau study trips introduce delegations to the country in depth. “We plan these trips meticulously, and besides the places they visit, we also arrange meetings with interesting people such as journalists, legislators, and hi-tech entrepreneurs.”
KKL-JNF Lahav Forest forester Moshe Mordechai told the group that the surrounding forest that seems so natural is actually surviving and thriving against all odds. “Before KKL-JNF got involved there were no trees in this area. We are on the edge of a desert with a tiny annual rainfall. Each sapling is carefully selected, planted and nurtured for at least 5 years until its roots grow deep and strong enough to sustain growth in these conditions.” He also explained how KKL-JNF adopted and adapted the Nabatean system of limans to harvest and retain rainwater during the wet season.
Also attending the event were Arad residents Ilona and Winfried (Shalom) Balke. Ilona is a longtime friend of Elisabeth Hilbert. The two met in 1985 when they were volunteering with Holocaust survivors. In Germany, the Balke couple became very involved in Israel-related activities in Hanover. Winfried also spent a period of three years as head of the local Magen David Adom chapter. After his retirement, the couple moved to Israel. During the Kraichgau Forest dedication ceremony, Ilona approached Rimma Kushnir of KKL-JNF’s European Department and told Rimma that she would like to plant a tree in the Kraichgau Forest in memory of her mother. Rimma promised to help her.
Elisheva Hilbert and Martina Wendel dedicated the Kraichgau Forest with the unveiling of a plaque.
The words inscribed read:
The Kraichgau Forest
Association of Jewish Life Kraichgau
in memory of
The Jewish Residents of the Kraichgau Region
Sharon Geva presented Elizabeth Hilbert with a KKL-JNF certificate of appreciation.
The event closed with the singing of the classic Israeli Hevenu Shalom Aleichem - ’We come to greet you in peace’.