Q&A: Raising Funds to Replace Destroyed Israeli Trees

Nearly a month after the largest fire in Israel’s history ravaged its Carmel area and killed 42 people, the congregation of Temple Hillel has been collecting money to help the region replace the trees that were lost.

Patch spoke with North Woodmere resident Tracey Drayer, a vice president of the synagogue who is working to coordinate the temple’s money collection efforts, about the drive.

Can you summarize the situation in Carmel for people who may not be familiar with it?

In December 2010, Israel suffered the deadliest forest fire in the history of the country. The deadly fire originally broke out in the Carmel Mountain Range near Haifa and spread across northern Israel. The fire killed 42 people, forced the evacuation of 17,000 residents from dozens of towns and destroyed or severely damaged 250 homes. The wildfire burned more than 5,000,000 trees across 12,500 acres of natural woodland and planted forests.

Why do you feel it is important to collect money for this project? 

It is vitally important to replace fire-ravaged trees in order to maintain the ecosystem in the Carmel region. Additionally, trees have always been an important part of modern-day Israel. The pioneers who went to Israel to build the country put a great deal of emphasis on greening the country and using trees to dry up the swamps. Israel is the only country in the world that had more trees at the end of the 20th century than it did at the beginning.

What is the "Temple Hillel Garden"? 

The Jewish National Fund (JNF), which is the organization that works to maintain the land and infrastructure of Israel, facilitates the planting of trees in Israel. A “Garden” is the distinction given to a quantity of 100 trees planted by a person or organization.

How much money does the temple hope to collect and how much has been raised so far?

We hope to raise enough money to plant numerous gardens. Five million trees were destroyed in the fire and now there is great need to replace them. To date, we have raised enough money to plant five gardens in the name of Temple Hillel.

How far can the suggested donation of $18 go? 

Eighteen dollars can go a very long way to replacing the trees lost in the fire. When we pool our money we can buy trees at a "bulk rate," so instead of buying just one tree, each donation of $18 enables us to contribute to the planting of at least three trees.

Is there anything else someone can do to help? 

In addition to replanting trees in the Carmel region, JNF is collecting money to equip Israeli fire departments with more modern equipment. This apparatus is desperately needed so the firefighters will be prepared to combat fires in the future.

Forest fires are not the only cause of fire damage to the people, homes, trees and land of the State of Israel. Firefighters are constantly called into action when the country is attacked by rocket and mortar fire. The ongoing threat of these attacks by Israel's hostile neighbors requires firefighters to be prepared to respond to property and land damage throughout the country.

The list of needed equipment covers a wide range of items from hoses, forcible-entry-tools and helmets to state-of-the-art fire trucks.

If you have any questions about the project or would like to donate, call Temple Hillel at 791-6344.