Plant Life
What’s up Eilat
February 2, 2017
Iris Kedem, Roni Moyall
60 trees were planted last Friday at the Eilat Birdwatching Park by IDF Orphans. By making the environment bloom and bestowing continuity to life, the orphans commemorated the memory of their loved ones. A wonderful d moving project of the “Way of Life” NPO, which has been accompanying the orphans for years, emphasizing remembrance with joy.
This was a real happening any way you looked at. Last Friday, IDF orphans and their families, who came from all over Israel, filled the Birdwatching Park with color and life. It seemed like the exact opposite of the reason they had come, which was to remember their beloved who had fallen in the course of IDF military duty. This is the second year that this welcome project of the Way of Life NPO is taking place, in which IDF orphans meet to plant life. The idea was first conceived of by members of the NPO, who have been active for years on behalf of the IDF orphans and make certain that whenever they meet, they are embraced in order to help create continuity in a positive and bonding manner. Oron Kleinman, an IDF orphan, who is one of the founders of the NPO and had the idea of planting trees, shared the empowering experience: “The idea behind finding the NPO was to commemorate the fallen in a different way, it’s enough that we have the gravestones and IDF Fallen Remembrance Day. Together with Orit, we began this initiative, and little by little, additional people joined, until we became an active NPO by any standard. We thought that it would be a good idea to approach this subject from a different direction, from a place of life and joy. This is one of the reasons we chose tree planting, which, if only by virtue of the fact that trees are alive and flowering, are a bridge to future generations. We make certain that the orphans meet each other at every possible occasion, and we do interesting and fruitful activities together.”
Together with KKL-JNF
This is now the second year that KKL-JNF is collaborating with the Way of Life NPO in the tree planting activities initiated by Oron Kleinman and Orit Novick. KKL-JNF donates the trees and is more than happy to connect the two goals – making the environment blossom and bestowing a sense of continuity to the fallen. Last Tu Bishvat, the planting took place in the north, as part of the KKL-JNF Lavi Forest restoration project. This year, the NPO decided to go south to Eilat, and KKL-JNF was right on board. IDF Orphans from all over Israel came to the happening at the Birdwatching Park, including five residents from Eilat. Together, they planted the trees that were so graciously provided by KKL-JNF in the Birdwatching Park.
“The trees were planted in a closed region that only the birds can get to and nest in. In two weeks time, a commemoratory plaque will be installed here,” Kleinman said. Besides tree planting, the visitors enjoyed a number of diverse activities, including games and light refreshments, and everyone had a great time. Visitors enjoyed ongoing explanations about the birds in the park, learned about bird ringing and the various species. The organizers of the event asked to convey a huge thank-you to Haim Ze’evi, the man and the activities, who was responsible for bringing various activities to the event, including a make-up artist, a hair braider for young girls, picture magnets, cakes, candies and surprises. Everything happened thanks to funds Ze’evi raised from the residents of Eilat on behalf of the IDF orphans.
An NPO that became a family
The Way of Life NPO is a home for IDF orphans of all ages, who experience many moving activities together. Mashka Litvak was born in the summer of 1948, a half a year after her father, Moshe, for whom she is named, fell defending Kibbutz Negba. In fact, he was the first casualty of the kibbutz during the War of Independence. Mashka shared one of her experiences with her friends in the NPO: “Last Independence Day we hiked Burma Road with the NPO, and it was so interesting to talk, to learn and to hear. I was amazed to meet orphans who were as old or older than me. I very much connect to anyone whose father fell in the War of Independence, which is hardly mentioned anymore because that generation is disappearing. Those 8000 fallen, whose blood was shed so that Israel could be born, are unfortunately not talked about so much anymore,” Mashka said. As for the idea of planting trees, she said: “To plant a tree in name of my father is a great honor, which I would like to thank KKL-JNF for. There is nothing more right than to connect orphans to trees, to grow roots and to pass the torch to the generations of our children and grandchildren.”
A moment before parting, Oron reemphasized the idea that as IDF orphans, members of the NPO chose to make commemoration a way to life. “This is why we called our NPO ‘Way of Life’ - we chose to channel our loss in a different direction, a direction of growth, by activities together with our children. It becomes a way of bringing the family together - the grandchildren get to know the fallen by hearing the personal stories that the orphans tell each other at our meetings. Every meeting like this creates an additional emotional bond.”