Although Tu BiShvat was a little different this year, with many Israelis still unable to leave their homes, the MAKOM Communities throughout Israel were busy making sure that everyone can participate in the New Year for the Trees.
In the heart of the Western Galilee in Israel’s north, members of the Ba’aley Tshuva MAKOM Community spent the day delivering over 120 Tu BiShvat kits to local residents, including fresh and dried fruits for Tu BiShvat Seders and small trees and flowers that can be planted at home.
The Bnei Akiva Community in Kiryat Yam, just outside of Haifa, joined together with the local student village to deliver 800 plants to families throughout the city to help make their neighborhoods bloom.
And in Kiryat Shmona, in the Upper Eastern Galilee, members of the Young Families Community brought plants to 100 elderly residents, as they spread Tu BiShvat cheer to everyone.
A valued Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA) affiliate, MAKOM is a coalition of communities focused on empowering and revitalizing their towns and villages in the Negev and Galilee. They are the largest national organization in Israel that brings together individuals and groups from all sectors of society to share knowledge, collaborate on initiatives, create dialogue amongst diverse populations, and work together to promote society as a whole.
MAKOM Community Pioneers believe that by creating a society of people that initiate, engage and involve themselves as local leaders, they enhance and strengthen the social fabric of Israel.
JNF-USA is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel that supports critical environmental and nation building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade, JNF-USA is developing new communities in the Galilee and Negev, connecting the next generation to Israel, and creating infrastructure and programs that support ecology, individuals with special needs, and heritage site preservation.
It only takes one act of kindness to bring a smile to someone’s face, and this Tu BiShvat, MAKOM planted the roots of the trees that will keep the Jewish people smiling for years to come.