The Tu BiShvat holiday is celebrated this year in the shadow of the "Iron Swords" war, and trees carry a meaning of rebirth and growth – which led to the idea of holding the planting ceremony.
Other than the tree planting, the children enjoy several activity spots that included personal planter workshops, guided by participants of the "Youth with a Chance" program, creative workshops and a visit from the KKL-JNF educational truck, which featured the "Seed to Plant" activity led by the KKL-JNF guides.
The Asbestonim Park is a joint venture of KKL-JNF, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority, consisting of 70 million ILS invested in the park's development. The park spreads across about 25 acres.
KKL-JNF Chair Ifat Ovadia-Luski: "Today we return to the old Zionist tradition of planting with Israeli children. This tradition began with the Jewish educators in Israel long before the state declared its independence, and was solidified by the Israel Teachers Union and KKL-JNF. There is nothing more exciting than seeing children and teenagers express their connection to the land by planting. We celebrate Tu BiShvat in the shadow of the "Iron Swords" war. Now, during the war, the planting gains a meaning of regrowth, of hope, and deliver an empowering message – we are here, in our eternal capital of Jerusalem, planting and creating life together. And like the trees that we plant here, we will also grow as people and gain strength."
The Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon: "We came here today, with the children of Jerusalem and the children of Sderot who have been living in Jerusalem over the past few months, to continue the tradition and plant trees that will grow and make the Asbestonim Park – which came to be thanks to the generous help of KKL-JNF – even more beautiful. I want to thank KKL-JNF on the collaboration and the joint activity for the benefit of the residents of Jersualem. The beautiful park in which we are today is just one of dozens of new parks established in the city over the past few years, and we will keep developing more. Happy Tu BiShvat holiday!"