Pisgat Zeev Forest - Between Jerusalem & the Judean desert

Pisgat Zeev - Neveh Yaakov Forest Park was rehabilitated
and developed thanks to contributions from friends of
KKL-JNF worldwide.

Nature lovers will discover that this small forest offers a rich variety of flora and fauna. The woodland itself is composed of trees of different types: Jerusalem pine (Pinus halepensis), stone pine (Pinus pinea) Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia), Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica), Mount Atlas mastic tree (Pistacia atlantica) and various types of eucalyptus that bloom in the autumn from September onwards and enliven the forest with their flowers. The approach of winter also sees the emergence of wild flowers such as the autumn crocus (Colchicum), the autumn squill (Scilla autmnalis) and the asphodel. In winter and spring, the ground is carpeted with anemones, cyclamen, tulips and a host of other flowers that transform the woodland into a natural wonderland.


The forest is full of wild life, and you may encounter gazelles, hyraxes, foxes or wild boar. Some of these mammals are active only at night, remaining invisible in the daytime. As for birds – apart from hearing different varieties of songbird you will see crows, whole families of partridge, and, in the winter months, wagtails. Jays are permanent residents of this woodland, together with the hooded crow, the bulbul (Pycnonotus) and the Syrian woodpecker, who announces his presence at once with the rapid whirring sound made by his beak as he pecks at the tree trunks.

In the eastern part of the forest, a concentration of fossils is evidence of early maritime geological activity in the area.

The forest contains a number of interesting sites of historic and archeological importance that have been deemed worthy of preservation, and some of which have been developed in recent years. The entire forest area was thoroughly surveyed by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the 1970s and 1980s as part of a comprehensive archeological review of the Jerusalem region.

Ancient sites in the forest

As eight grape-trampling sites were found within the confines of the forest, we may assume that the area was once planted with a large number of vineyards. Also found were the remains of four limekilns in which limestone was burned in ancient times to produce lime for plaster for the interior of cisterns and other construction work. The remains of ancient highways connecting the watershed area (where the Jerusalem-Ramallah road runs today) with the desert region have also been found.

Close by the trail two cisterns were discovered, which may possibly have been used by passers-by and may have formed part of the roadside services common in antiquity. The remains of an ancient quarry can also be seen near the Paratroopers’ Memorial. These quarrying activities show that the area’s former inhabitants used the abundant rock here for building and other purposes. Burial caves have also been found in the forest: two were empty and others that were discovered are now concealed under present-day buildings or roads.

Community forests are becoming increasingly important throughout the world, both as green belts around urban areas and as a vital environmental resource that improves the quality of life for city residents. These forests are generally located immediately adjacent to cities and primarily serve the needs of the nearby communities. The communal forest’s physical proximity to the people it serves promotes a sense of belonging and commitment between the community and the forest, and this is encouraged by promoting community involvement in all aspects of the relationship between the two, including planning, development, maintenance, community activities in the woodland and enlisting public support for forest conservation.

Community forests provide enormous benefits, from a venue for a quiet evening stroll beyond the noisy city confines and the introduction of nature and its rhythms to urban life, to reduced pollution and a possible improvement in the mental and physical health of local residents. These forests are a powerful tool that helps city dwellers to maintain links with nature and contributes to the social fabric of urban life. In 2005-6 at an active workshop, residents of Pisgat Zeev and Neveh Yaakov, together with the local community authorities and KKL-JNF, formulated their vision for the forest that would serve them as a blueprint for the various stages of development and conservation activity designed to improve life for the community as a whole.

Their vision statement declares: “The Pisgat Zeev / Neveh Yaakov Community Forest will be used as an open and accessible community forest and as a venue that accommodates a variety of activities and experiences, while maintaining a balance between appropriate use and development and the conservation of its flora, fauna and heritage sites. The forest affects the local people, and they in their turn have an effect upon it, in the past, present and future.” The document setting out this shared vision was signed by all parties concerned at the forest’s opening ceremony on Tu BiShvat 2007.

The Paratroopers’ Memorial Site

In the gully, on a site once occupied by a stone quarry, a memorial has been established in memory of thirty-seven paratroopers who belonged to a special unit drafted from the Palmach in 1942 to fight against Nazi forces in Europe.

In 1944, its members were parachuted into Europe in order to save groups of Jews, and seven of them were killed by the Nazis in their attempts to carry out their mission. They were Enzo Sereni, Hannah Szenes, Chaviva Reich, Rafael Reisz , Peretz Goldstein, Tzvi Ben-Yaakov and Abba Berdiczew. The seven are buried on Mount Herzl, and KKL-JNF has established a memorial to them here in the forest.

As the forest is small and the Pisgat Zeev and Neveh Yaakov neighborhoods are constantly growing and developing, the woodland is under a great deal of pressure. In 2000, KKL-JNF proposed a plan for the development and restoration of the forest, but at the same time, another plan was submitted to Israel’s ministry of housing and construction; it recommended building on the area occupied by the forest, and, if implemented, would have brought about its destruction.

The local residents launched a campaign to save the forest, which is the only green belt area in north-east Jerusalem that serves the Neveh Yaakov and Pisgat Zeev communities. In 2006, the forest was awarded official status as open and wooded land, and it is now vital to do everything possible to ensure that it is conserved and that no attempt is made to cut down the trees.